Luke 14

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Now it happened that on a Sabbath day he had gone to share a meal in the house of one of theleading Pharisees; and they watched him closely.	1 On a sabbath he went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully.
2 Now there in front of him was a man with dropsy,	2 In front of him there was a man suffering from dropsy.
3 and Jesus addressed the lawyers and Pharisees with the words, 'Is it against the law to cure someoneon the Sabbath, or not?'	3 Jesus spoke to the scholars of the law and Pharisees in reply, asking, "Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?"
4 But they remained silent, so he took the man and cured him and sent him away.	4 But they kept silent; so he took the man and, after he had healed him, dismissed him.
5 Then he said to them, 'Which of you here, if his son fal s into a wel , or his ox, wil not pul him out on aSabbath day without any hesitation?'	5 Then he said to them, "Who among you, if your son or ox falls into a cistern, would not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day?"
6 And to this they could find no answer.	6 But they were unable to answer his question.
7 He then told the guests a parable, because he had noticed how they picked the places of honour. Hesaid this,	7 He told a parable to those who had been invited, noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table.
8 'When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take your seat in the place of honour. A moredistinguished person than you may have been invited,	8 "When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him,
9 and the person who invited you both may come and say, "Give up your place to this man." And then, toyour embarrassment, you wil have to go and take the lowest place.	9 and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say, 'Give your place to this man,' and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place.
10 No; when you are a guest, make your way to the lowest place and sit there, so that, when your hostcomes, he may say, "My friend, move up higher." Then, everyone with you at the table wil see you honoured.	10 Rather, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say, 'My friend, move up to a higher position.' Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table.
11 For everyone who raises himself up wil be humbled, and the one who humbles himself wil be raisedup.'	11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."
12 Then he said to his host, 'When you give a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or yourbrothers or your relations or rich neighbours, in case they invite you back and so repay you.	12 Then he said to the host who invited him, "When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment.
13 No; when you have a party, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;	13 Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;
14 then you will be blessed, for they have no means to repay you and so you wil be repaid when theupright rise again.'	14 blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
15 On hearing this, one of those gathered round the table said to him, 'Blessed is anyone who wil sharethe meal in the kingdom of God!'	15 One of his fellow guests on hearing this said to him, "Blessed is the one who will dine in the kingdom of God."
16 But he said to him, 'There was a man who gave a great banquet, and he invited a large number ofpeople.	16 He replied to him, "A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many.
17 When the time for the banquet came, he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited,"Come along: everything is ready now."	17 When the time for the dinner came, he dispatched his servant to say to those invited, 'Come, everything is now ready.'
18 But al alike started to make excuses. The first said, "I have bought a piece of land and must go andsee it. Please accept my apologies."	18 But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves. The first said to him, 'I have purchased a field and must go to examine it; I ask you, consider me excused.'
19 Another said, "I have bought five yoke of oxen and am on my way to try them out. Please accept myapologies."	19 And another said, 'I have purchased five yoke of oxen and am on my way to evaluate them; I ask you, consider me excused.'
20 Yet another said, "I have just got married and so am unable to come."	20 And another said, 'I have just married a woman, and therefore I cannot come.'
21 'The servant returned and reported this to his master. Then the householder, in a rage, said to hisservant, "Go out quickly into the streets and al eys of the town and bring in here the poor, the crippled, the blindand the lame."	21 The servant went and reported this to his master. Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.'
22 "Sir," said the servant, "your orders have been carried out and there is still room."	22 The servant reported, 'Sir, your orders have been carried out and still there is room.'
23 Then the master said to his servant, "Go to the open roads and the hedgerows and press people tocome in, to make sure my house is ful ;	23 The master then ordered the servant, 'Go out to the highways and hedgerows and make people come in that my home may be filled.
24 because, I tel you, not one of those who were invited shal have a taste of my banquet." '	24 For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.'"
25 Great crowds accompanied him on his way and he turned and spoke to them.	25 Great crowds were traveling with him, and he turned and addressed them,
26 'Anyone who comes to me without hating father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes and hisown life too, cannot be my disciple.	26 "If any one comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
27 No one who does not carry his cross and come after me can be my disciple.	27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
28 'And indeed, which of you here, intending to build a tower, would not first sit down and work out thecost to see if he had enough to complete it?	28 Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion?
29 Otherwise, if he laid the foundation and then found himself unable to finish the work, anyone who saw it would start making fun of him and saying,	29 Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him
30 "Here is someone who started to build and was unable to finish."	30 and say, 'This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.'
31 Or again, what king marching to war against another king would not first sit down and considerwhether with ten thousand men he could stand up to the other who was advancing against him with twentythousand?	31 Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?
32 If not, then while the other king was still a long way off, he would send envoys to sue for peace.	32 But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.
33 So in the same way, none of you can be my disciple without giving up al that he owns.	33 In the same way, everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.
34 'Salt is a good thing. But if salt itself loses its taste, what can make it salty again?	34 "Salt is good, but if salt itself loses its taste, with what can its flavor be restored?
35 It is good for neither soil nor manure heap. People throw it away. Anyone who has ears for listeningshould listen!'	35 It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear."