Luke, 14

1. Now it happened that on a Sabbath day he had gone to share a meal in the house of one of the leading Pharisees; and they watched him closely.

1. One sabbath when he went to dine at the house of a ruler who belonged to the Pharisees, they were watching him.

2. Now there in front of him was a man with dropsy,

2. And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy.

3. and Jesus addressed the lawyers and Pharisees with the words, 'Is it against the law to cure someone on the Sabbath, or not?'

3. And Jesus spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath, or not?"

4. But they remained silent, so he took the man and cured him and sent him away.

4. But they were silent. Then he took him and healed him, and let him go.

5. Then he said to them, 'Which of you here, if his son falls into a well, or his ox, will not pull him out on a Sabbath day without any hesitation?'

5. And he said to them, "Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well, will not immediately pull him out on a sabbath day?"

6. And to this they could find no answer.

6. And they could not reply to this.

7. He then told the guests a parable, because he had noticed how they picked the places of honour. He said this,

7. Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he marked how they chose the places of honor, saying to them,

8. 'When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take your seat in the place of honour. A more distinguished person than you may have been invited,

8. "When you are invited by any one to a marriage feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest a more eminent man than you be invited by him;

9. and the person who invited you both may come and say, "Give up your place to this man." And then, to your embarrassment, you will have to go and take the lowest place.

9. and he who invited you both will come and say to you, `Give place to this man,' and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place.

10. No; when you are a guest, make your way to the lowest place and sit there, so that, when your host comes, he may say, "My friend, move up higher." Then, everyone with you at the table will see you honoured.

10. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, `Friend, go up higher'; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you.

11. For everyone who raises himself up will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be raised up.'

11. For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

12. Then he said to his host, 'When you give a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relations or rich neighbours, in case they invite you back and so repay you.

12. He said also to the man who had invited him, "When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your kinsmen or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return, and you be repaid.

13. No; when you have a party, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;

13. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind,

14. then you will be blessed, for they have no means to repay you and so you will be repaid when the upright rise again.'

14. and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just."

15. On hearing this, one of those gathered round the table said to him, 'Blessed is anyone who will share the meal in the kingdom of God!'

15. When one of those who sat at table with him heard this, he said to him, "Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!"

16. But he said to him, 'There was a man who gave a great banquet, and he invited a large number of people.

16. But he said to him, "A man once gave a great banquet, and invited many;

17. When the time for the banquet came, he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, "Come along: everything is ready now."

17. and at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, `Come; for all is now ready.'

18. But all alike started to make excuses. The first said, "I have bought a piece of land and must go and see it. Please accept my apologies."

18. But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, `I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it; I pray you, have me excused.'

19. Another said, "I have bought five yoke of oxen and am on my way to try them out. Please accept my apologies."

19. And another said, `I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them; I pray you, have me excused.'

20. Yet another said, "I have just got married and so am unable to come."

20. And another said, `I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.'

21. 'The servant returned and reported this to his master. Then the householder, in a rage, said to his servant, "Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in here the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame."

21. So the servant came and reported this to his master. Then the householder in anger said to his servant, `Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and maimed and blind and lame.'

22. "Sir," said the servant, "your orders have been carried out and there is still room."

22. And the servant said, `Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.'

23. Then the master said to his servant, "Go to the open roads and the hedgerows and press people to come in, to make sure my house is full;

23. And the master said to the servant, `Go out to the highways and hedges, and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.

24. because, I tell you, not one of those who were invited shall have a taste of my banquet." '

24. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.'"

25. Great crowds accompanied him on his way and he turned and spoke to them.

25. Now great multitudes accompanied him; and he turned and said to them,

26. 'Anyone who comes to me without hating father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes and his own life too, cannot be my disciple.

26. "If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

27. No one who does not carry his cross and come after me can be my disciple.

27. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

28. 'And indeed, which of you here, intending to build a tower, would not first sit down and work out the cost to see if he had enough to complete it?

28. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?

29. Otherwise, if he laid the foundation and then found himself unable to finish the work, anyone who saw it would start making fun of him and saying,

29. Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him,

30. "Here is someone who started to build and was unable to finish."

30. saying, `This man began to build, and was not able to finish.'

31. Or again, what king marching to war against another king would not first sit down and consider whether with ten thousand men he could stand up to the other who was advancing against him with twenty thousand?

31. Or what king, going to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?

32. If not, then while the other king was still a long way off, he would send envoys to sue for peace.

32. And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an embassy and asks terms of peace.

33. So in the same way, none of you can be my disciple without giving up all that he owns.

33. So therefore, whoever of you does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

34. 'Salt is a good thing. But if salt itself loses its taste, what can make it salty again?

34. "Salt is good; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltness be restored?

35. It is good for neither soil nor manure heap. People throw it away. Anyone who has ears for listening should listen!'

35. It is fit neither for the land nor for the dunghill; men throw it away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."