Luke 14

¹And it came to pass when Jesus entered into the house of a certain Prince of the Pharisees upon the Sabboth to eat bread, and they watched him.

²And behold there was a certain man before him that had the dropsy.

³And Jesus answering, spake to the Lawyers and Pharisees, saying: Is it Lawful to cure on the Sabboth?

⁴But they held their peace. But he taking him, healed him, and sent him away.

⁵And answering them he said: Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit; and will not incontinent draw him out on the Sabboth day?

⁶And they could not answer him to these things.

⁷And he spake to them also that were invited a parable, marking how they chose the first seats at the table, saying to them:

⁸When thou art invited to a marriage, sit not down in the first place, lest perhaps a more honourable than thou be invited of him;

⁹and he that bade thee and him, come and say to thee, Give this man place: and then thou begin with shame to take the last place.

¹⁰But when thou art bidden, go, sit down in the lowest place: that when he that invited thee cometh, he may say to thee, Friend sit up higher: then shalt thou have glory before them that sit at table with thee.

¹¹because every one that exalteth himself, shall be humbled: and he that humbleth himself, shall be exalted.

¹²And he said to him also that had invited him: When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, nor kinsmen, nor thy neighbours that are rich: lest perhaps they also invite thee again, and recompence be made to thee.

¹³But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, feeble, lame, and blind,

¹⁴and thou shalt be blessed, because they have not to recompence thee: for recompence shall be made thee in the resurrection of the just.

¹⁵When one of them that sat at the table with him, had heard these things, he said to him: Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the Kingdom of God.

¹⁶But he said to him: A certain man made a great supper, and called many.

¹⁷And he sent his servant at the hour of supper to say to the invited, that they should come, because now all things are ready.

¹⁸And they began all at once to make excuse. The first said to him, I have bought a farm, and I must needs go forth and see it; I pray thee hold me excused.

¹⁹And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them; I pray thee, hold me excused.

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

²¹And the servant returning told these things to his Lord. Then the Master of the house being angry, said to his servant: Go forth quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and the poor and feeble and blind and lame bring in hither.

²²And the servant said: Lord, it is done as thou didst command, and yet there is place.

²³And the Lord said to the servant: Go forth into the ways and hedges; and compel them to enter, that my house may be filled.

²⁴But I say to you, that none of those men that were called, shall taste my supper.

²⁵And great multitudes went with him; and turning, he said to them:

²⁶If any man come to me and hateth not his father and mother, and wife and children, and brethren and sisters, yea and his own life besides; he cannot be my disciple.

²⁷And he that doth not bear his cross and come after me; cannot be my Disciple.

²⁸For, which of you minding to build a tower, doth not first sit down and reckon the charges that are necessary, whether he have to finish it:

²⁹lest, after that he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that see it, begin to mock him,

³⁰saying, That this man began to build, and he could not finish it?

³¹Or what king about to go to make war against another king, doth not first sit down and think whether he be able with ten thousands to meet him that with twenty thousands cometh against him?

³²Otherwise whiles he is yet far off, sending a legacy he asketh those things that belong to peace.

³³So therefore every one of you that doth not renounce all that he possesseth, cannot be my disciple.

³⁴Salt is good. But if the salt leese his virtue, wherewith shall it be seasoned?

³⁵It is profitable neither for the ground, nor for the dunghill, but it shall be cast forth. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.