Luke 14

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.

1One rest day, Jesus went to eat at a leader's house. He was a leading Pharisee. Pharisees were men who taught God's rules very carefully. The people there watched Jesus closely.

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

2Right in front of him was a man whose body was swollen with water.

Note"Dropsy" was an old word for a sickness that made a person's body swell up with water.

3And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?

3Jesus spoke to the Pharisees and to the lawyers, the men who studied God's law. He asked, "Is it allowed to heal someone on the rest day?"

4And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go;

4They said nothing at all. So Jesus took hold of the man and healed him. Then he sent him on his way.

5And 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?

5Jesus said to them, "Suppose your donkey or your ox falls into a pit. You would pull it out right away, even on the rest day."

6And they could not answer him again to these things.

6They could not think of any answer to give him.

7And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them,

7Jesus saw how the guests picked the best seats. So he told them a story to teach them.

8When 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;

8"When someone invites you to a wedding, do not take the best seat. A more important guest may have been invited too."

9And 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.

9"Then the host would come and say, 'Please give this man your seat.' You would feel ashamed as you moved to the lowest seat."

10But 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.

10"Instead, go and sit in the lowest seat. Then your host will come and say, 'Friend, come sit up higher.' All the other guests will see you honored."

NoteThe KJV says "worship" here. In 1611 that word could simply mean honor or respect from other people.

11For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

11"Anyone who lifts himself up will be brought low. Anyone who makes himself low will be lifted up."

12Then 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.

12Then Jesus spoke to the man who had invited him. "When you give a meal, do not invite only friends, family, and rich neighbors. They may invite you back, and that pays you back."

13But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:

13"Instead, when you give a feast, invite people who are poor. Invite people who are hurt, who cannot walk well, and who cannot see."

14And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

14"Then you will be blessed. They cannot pay you back. God will pay you back when good people rise from the dead."

15And 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.

15One of the guests at the table heard this. He said to Jesus, "Happy is the one who will eat in God's kingdom."

16Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:

16Jesus said to him, "A man made a big supper and invited many people."

17And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.

17"When supper time came, he sent his servant to the guests. The servant said, 'Come now. Everything is ready.'"

18And 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.

18"But every one of them made an excuse. The first said, 'I bought a field, and I must go see it. Please excuse me.'"

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

19"Another said, 'I bought five pairs of oxen. I am going to try them out. Please excuse me.'"

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

20"Another said, 'I have just gotten married, so I cannot come.'"

21So 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.

21"The servant came back and told his master this. The master was angry. He said, 'Go quickly into the streets and small roads of the town. Bring in the poor, the hurt, the blind, and those who cannot walk well.'"

22And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.

22"The servant said, 'Sir, I did what you said. And there is still room for more.'"

23And 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.

23"The master said, 'Then go out to the roads and the paths by the fences. Urge people to come in, so my house will be full.'"

24For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.

24"I tell you, not one of those first guests will taste my supper."

25And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,

25Large crowds were walking along with Jesus. He turned around and said to them,

26If 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.

26"Anyone who comes to me must love me more than his father and mother. He must love me more than his wife, his children, his brothers, and his sisters. He must love me more than his own life. If not, he cannot be my follower."

27And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

27"Anyone who will not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my follower."

NoteIn that time, a person sentenced to die had to carry his own cross to the place where he would be killed.

28For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?

28"Say you want to build a tall tower. First you sit down and add up the cost. You check if you have enough money to finish it."

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

29"If you do not, you might build only the base and then stop. Then everyone who sees it will laugh at you."

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

30"They will say, 'This man started to build, but he could not finish.'"

31Or 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?

31"Or think of a king going out to fight another king. First he sits down and thinks it over. He has ten thousand men. The other king is coming with twenty thousand. Can he win?"

32Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.

32"If he cannot, he sends messengers while the other king is still far away. He asks how they can make peace."

33So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

33"In the same way, you must give up everything you have. If you will not, you cannot be my follower."

34Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?

34"Salt is good. But if salt loses its taste, nothing can make it salty again."

35It 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.

35"It is no good for the soil or even for the manure pile. People just throw it out. If you have ears, then listen."