¹ AND it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the principal Pharisees, to eat bread on the sabbath, that they were watchfully observant of him.

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

³ And Jesus addressing himself to the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, spake, saying, Is it lawful to perform cures on the sabbath?

⁴ And they said nothing. And he took him, and healed him, and sent him away;

⁵ and addressing them, said, Whose ass or ox is fallen into a pit, and doth he not immediately pull him out on the sabbath-day?

⁶ And they were unable to answer him in opposition to these things.

⁷ Then he spake to those who were invited, a parable, when he observed how they chose the principal seats; saying unto them,

⁸ When thou art invited of any person to a marriage entertainment, recline not on the principal couch; lest a more honourable personage than thyself be invited by him;

⁹ and he that invited thee and him, coming say to thee, Yield this person the place; and so thou shalt begin with shame to go down to the lowest place.

¹⁰ But when thou art invited, go and sit down in the lowest place; that when he who invited thee comes, he may say to thee, Friend, go up higher; then shalt thou have respect in the presence of those who are seated with thee.

¹¹ For every one who exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

¹² Then said he also to the person who had invited him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, invite not thy friends, nor thy brethren, nor thy relations, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also invite thee again, and a recompence be made to thee.

¹³ But when thou makest an entertainment, invite the poor, the maimed, the halt, the blind:

¹⁴ and thou shalt be blessed; because they cannot recompense thee: for a recompence shall be made thee at the resurrection of the just.

¹⁵ Then one of those who sat at table hearing these things, said to him, Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.

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

¹⁷ and sent his servants at supper-time to say to the invited, Come; for all things are now ready.

¹⁸ And they all began with one voice to frame excuses. The first said to him, I have bought a field, and I must of necessity go and survey it: I pray thee hold me excused.

¹⁹ And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and am going to make a trial of them: I pray thee accept my excuse.

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

²¹ And that servant returning, informed his master of these things. Then the master of the family, being highly incensed, said to his servant, Go out instantly into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.

²² And the servant said, Sir, it is done as thou orderedst, and yet there is room.

²³ And the master said to the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and urge them to come in, that my house may be filled.

²⁴ For I say unto you, That not one man of those who were invited shall taste of my supper.

²⁵ And great multitudes followed him about: and he turned, and spoke to them,

²⁶ If any man cometh after me, and hateth not father, and mother, and wife and children, and brothers, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

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

²⁸ For what man of you designing to erect a tower, doth not first sitting down calculate the expence, if he have sufficient to complete the work?

²⁹ lest haply, after having laid the foundation, and being unable to finish it, all who look upon it begin to ridicule him,

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

³¹ Or what king, going forth to encounter another king in battle, doth not sit down first, and consult if he is able with ten thousand men to meet him who is coming against him with twenty thousand?

³² and if he be not, whilst he is still at a distance, he sendeth an embassy, and desires terms of peace.

³³ So then, every one of you who will not part with all his possessions, cannot be my disciple.

³⁴ Salt is good: but if the salt become insipid, by what shall it be seasoned?

³⁵ It is neither fit for the land, nor for manure; but they cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.