[1] And it came about that when he went into the house of one of the chief
Pharisees on the Sabbath, to have a meal, they were watching him. [2] And a
certain man was there who had a disease. [3] And Jesus, answering, said to
the scribes and Pharisees, Is it right to make people well on the Sabbath
or not? [4] But they said nothing. And he made him well and sent him away.
[5] And he said to them, Which of you, whose ox or ass has got into a
water-hole, will not straight away get him out on the Sabbath? [6] And they
had no answer to that question. [7] And he gave teaching in the form of a
story to the guests who came to the feast, when he saw how they took the
best seats; saying to them, [8] When you get a request to come to a feast,
do not take the best seat, for a more important man than you may be coming,
[9] And then the giver of the feast will come to you and say, Give your
place to this man; and you, with shame, will have to take the lowest seat.
[10] But when you come, go and take the lowest seat, so that when the giver
of the feast comes, he may say to you, Friend, come up higher; and then you
will have honour in the eyes of all the others who are there. [11] For
every man who gives himself a high place will be put down, but he who takes
a low place will be lifted up. [12] And he said to the master of the house,
When you give a feast, do not send for your friends and your brothers and
your family or your neighbours who have wealth, for they may give a feast
for you, and so you will get a reward. [13] But when you give a feast, send
for the poor and the blind and those who are broken in body: [14] And you
will have a blessing, because they will not be able to give you any
payment, and you will get your reward when the upright come back from the
dead. [15] And, hearing these words, one of those who were at table with
him said to him, Happy is the man who will be a guest in the kingdom of
God. [16] And he said to them, A certain man gave a great feast, and sent
word of it to a number of people. [17] And when the time had come, he sent
his servants to say to them, Come, for all things are now ready. [18] And
they all gave reasons why they were not able to come. The first said to
him, I have got a new field, and it is necessary for me to go and see it: I
am full of regret that I am unable to come. [19] And another said, I have
got some cattle, and I am going to make a test of them: I am full of regret
that I am unable to come. [20] And another said, I have been married, and
so I am not able to come. [21] And the servant came back and gave his
master an account of these things. Then the master of the house was angry
and said to the servant, Go out quickly into the streets of the town and
get the poor, the blind, and those who are broken in body. [22] And the
servant said, Lord, your orders have been done, and still there is room.
[23] And the lord said to the servant, Go out into the roads and the
fields, and make them come in, so that my house may be full. [24] For I say
to you that not one of those who were requested to come will have a taste
of my feast. [25] Now a great number of people went with him. [26] And
turning round, he said to them, If any man comes to me, and has not hate
for his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters,
and even for his life, he may not be my disciple. [27] Whoever does not
take up his cross and come after me may not be my disciple. [28] For which
of you, desiring to put up a tower, does not first give much thought to the
price, if he will have enough to make it complete? [29] For fear that if he
makes a start and is not able to go on with it to the end, all who see it
will be laughing at him, [30] And saying, This man made a start at building
and is not able to make it complete. [31] Or what king, going to war with
another king, will not first take thought if he will be strong enough, with
ten thousand men, to keep off him who comes against him with twenty
thousand? [32] Or while the other is still a great distance away, he sends
representatives requesting conditions of peace. [33] And so whoever is not
ready to give up all he has may not be my disciple. [34] For salt is good,
but if the taste goes from it, of what use is it? [35] It is no good for
the land or for the place of waste; no one has a use for it. He who has
ears, let him give ear.
