THE GOSPEL ACCORDING to
*LUKE
Luke 14 ©
1 Christ cures one who had the dropsy on the sabbath and justifies the same. 7 Reproves the ambition of the Pharisees seeking the foremost seats in the feasts, and exhorts to humiliation and liberality towards the poor. 15 By the similitude of a great supper, where unto the invited excused themselves from coming, He upbraids the Jews for their ingratitude and foretells their rejection, and the calling of the Gentiles in their stead. 25 Teaches that he who wants to be His disciple, must deny himself and all that is dear to him. 28 By the example of one who would build a tower and of a king who would go to battle against another king, He exhorts His disciples to prepare their accounts well beforehand. 34 And teaches that unsavory salt is profitable for nothing.
AND it came to pass, as he went into the house of 1one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they 2watched him.
And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy.
And Jesus answering spake unto the 3lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?
And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go;
And answered them, saying, Whicha of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?
And they could not answer him again to these things.
¶And he put forth a 4parable to those which were 5bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms;b saying unto them,
When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a 6more honourable man than thou be bidden of him;
And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Givec this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.
Butd 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, 7go up higher: then shalt thou have worshipe in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.
Forf whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
¶Then said he also to him that bade him, Wheng thou makest a dinner or a supper, 8call 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.
But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the 9maimed, the lame, the blind:
And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be 10recompensed 11at the resurrection of the just.
¶And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that 12shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.
Then said he unto him, Ah certain man 13made a great supper, and bade many:
And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.
And they all 14with 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.
And another said, I have bought five 15yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.
And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.
So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. 16Then 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.
And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.
And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and 17compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
For I say unto you, That none of those men 18which were bidden shall taste of my supper.
¶And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,
Ifi any man come to me, and 19hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own 20life also, he cannot be my disciple.
Andj whosoever doth not bear his 21cross, and 22come after me, cannot be my disciple.
For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and 23counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
Lest haply,k after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
Or 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?
Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage,l and desireth conditions of peace.
So likewise, whosoever he be of you that 24forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
¶Saltmis good: but if the salt 25have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?
26It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it 27out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.