Luke

The Gospel according to Saint Luke, chapter 14, New English Translation and King James Version

Chapter 14 New English Translation

Healing Again on the Sabbath

   1 Now one Sabbath when Jesus went to dine at the house of a leader of the Pharisees, they were watching him closely. 2 There right in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy. 3 So Jesus asked the experts in religious law and the Pharisees, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?" 4 But they remained silent. So Jesus took hold of the man, healed him, and sent him away. 5 Then he said to them, "Which of you, if you have a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?" 6 But they could not reply to this.

On Seeking Seats of Honor

   7 Then when Jesus noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. He said to them, 8 "When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, because a person more distinguished than you may have been invited by your host. 9 So the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your place.' Then, ashamed, you will begin to move to the least important place. 10 But when you are invited, go and take the least important place, so that when your host approaches he will say to you, 'Friend, move up here to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all who share the meal with you. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."
   12 He said also to the man who had invited him, "When you host a dinner or a banquet, don't invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors so you can be invited by them in return and get repaid. 13 But when you host an elaborate meal, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14 Then you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

The Parable of the Great Banquet

   15 When one of those at the meal with Jesus heard this, he said to him, "Blessed is everyone who will feast in the kingdom of God!" 16 But Jesus said to him, "A man once gave a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time for the banquet he sent his slave to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, because everything is now ready.' 18 But one after another they all began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please excuse me.' 19 Another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going out to examine them. Please excuse me.' 20 Another said, 'I just got married, and I cannot come.' 21 So the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the master of the household was furious and said to his slave, 'Go out quickly to the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.' 22 Then the slave said, 'Sir, what you instructed has been done, and there is still room.' 23 So the master said to his slave, 'Go out to the highways and country roads and urge people to come in, so that my house will be filled. 24 For I tell you, not one of those individuals who were invited will taste my banquet!'"

Counting the Cost

   25 Now large crowds were accompanying Jesus, and turning to them he said, 26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn't sit down first and compute the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish the tower, all who see it will begin to make fun of him. 30 They will say, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish!' 31 Or what king, going out to confront another king in battle, will not sit down first and determine whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he cannot succeed, he will send a representative while the other is still a long way off and ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way therefore not one of you can be my disciple if he does not renounce all his own possessions.
   34 "Salt is good, but if salt loses its flavor, how can its flavor be restored? 35 It is of no value for the soil or for the manure pile; it is to be thrown out. The one who has ears to hear had better listen!"

King James Version

   1 And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him.
   2 And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy.
   3 And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?
   4 And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go;
   5 And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?
   6 And they could not answer him again to these things.
   7 ¶ And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them,
   8 When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him;
   9 And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.
   10 But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.
   11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
   12 ¶ Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee.
   13 But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:
   14 And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.
   15 ¶ And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.
   16 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:
   17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.
   18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.
   19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.
   20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.
   21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.
   22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.
   23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
   24 For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.
   25 ¶ And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,
   26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
   27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
   28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
   29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
   30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
   31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
   32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.
   33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
   34 ¶ Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?
   35 It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.