Luke 14

1. Now it came to pass, when He went into a house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees on the Sabbath to eat bread, that they were watching Him.

2. And behold, there was a certain man who had dropsy standing in front of Him.

3. Then Jesus answered and spoke to the doctors of the law and to the Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

4. But they were silent. And after taking hold of him, He healed him and then let him go.

5. And He answered and said to them, “Who among you shall have a donkey or an ox fall into a pit, and will not immediately pull it out on the Sabbath day?”

6. But again, they were not able to answer Him concerning these things.

7. Then, observing how those who were invited were choosing out the chief places, He spoke a parable to them, saying,

8. “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit in the chief place, lest someone more honorable than you has been invited by him.

9. For the one who invited you and him shall come to you and say, ‘Give place to this one,’ and then shall you begin with shame to take the last place.

10. But when you are invited, go and sit down in the last place, so that when the one who invited you comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, come up higher.’ Then shall you have honor in the presence of those who are sitting at the table with you.

11. For everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and the one who humbles himself shall be exalted.”

12. And He also said to him who had invited Him, “When you make a dinner or supper, do not call your friends, nor your brethren, nor your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return, and a recompense be made to you.

13. But when you make a feast, call the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind;

14. And you shall be blessed, for they do not have the means to repay you. But you shall be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.”

15. Then one of those who sat at the table with Him, after hearing these things, said to Him, “Blessed is the one who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.”

16. But He said to him, “A certain man made a great supper, and invited many.

17. And he sent his servants at supper time to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’

18. But everyone with one consent began to excuse himself. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I need to go out to see it; I beg you to have me excused.’

19. And another said, ‘I have bought five pairs of oxen, and I am going to try them out; I beg you to have me excused.’

20. And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and because of this I am unable to come.’

21. And that servant came and reported these things to his lord. Then the master of the house was angry; and he said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind.’

22. And the servant said, ‘Sir, it has been done as you commanded, and there is still room.’

23. Then the lord said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled.

24. For I tell you, not one of those men who were invited shall taste of my supper.’ “

25. And great multitudes were going with Him; and He turned and said to them,

26. “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers and sisters, and, in addition, his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.

27. And whoever does not carry his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple;

28. For which one of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has sufficient for its completion;

29. Lest perhaps, after he has laid its foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him,

30. Saying, ‘This man began to build, and was not able to finish’?

31. Or what king, when he goes out to engage another king in war, does not first sit down and take counsel, whether he will be able with ten thousand to meet him who is coming against him with twenty thousand?

32. But if not, while his enemy is still far off, he sends ambassadors and desires the terms for peace.

33. In the same way also, each one of you who does not forsake all that he possesses cannot be My disciple.

34. Salt is good; but if the salt becomes tasteless, with what shall it be seasoned?

35. It is fit neither for the land, nor for the manure; but they cast it out. The one who has ears to hear, let him hear.”