The New Testament / Translated From the Original Greek, With Chronological Arrangement of the Sacred Books, and Improved Divisions of Chapters and Verses.

by Unknown

CHAPTER XIX.

CHRIST DINING WITH A RULER ON THE SABBATH, THE PARABLE OF THE GREAT SUPPER, QUALIFICATIONS FOR DISCIPLESHIP.

1 ^14:1AND he came into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath; and they watched him closely. ^14:2And behold, there was a man before him having the dropsy. ^14:3And Jesus answered and said to the lawyers and Pharisees, Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath, or not? ^14:4And they were silent. And he took and cured him, and dismissed him. ^14:5And he answered and said to them, If a son or an ox of any of you shall fall into a pit, will he not immediately take him out on the sabbath day? ^14:6And they could not answer to these things.

2 ^14:7And he spoke a parable to the invited, when he observed how they selected the first places at the table; saying to them, ^14:8When you are invited by any one to a wedding, do not sit down in the first place, lest at some time a more honorable man than you should have been invited by him, ^14:9and he that invited you and him come and say to you, Give this man a place; and then with shame you take the last place. ^14:10But when you are invited, go and sit down in the last place, that when he who invited you comes, he may say to you, Friend, go up higher; then you shall have honor in the presence of those that recline with you; ^14:11for every one that exalts himself shall be humbled, and he that humbles himself shall be exalted.

3 ^14:12And he said also to him that had invited him, When you make a breakfast, or a supper, call not your friends, nor your brothers, nor your relatives, nor your rich neighbors, lest they also at some time invite you in return, and a compensation be made to you. ^14:13But when you make a feast, invite the poor, crippled, lame, blind, ^14:14and you shall be blessed; for they cannot compensate you; for you shall be compensated at the resurrection of the just.

4 ^14:15And one of those reclining with him, hearing these things, said to him, Blessed is he that eats bread in the kingdom of God. ^14:16And he said to him, A certain man made a great supper, and invited many. ^14:17And he sent his servant at the time of the supper to say to the invited, Come, for all things are now ready. ^14:18And they all with one consent excused themselves. The first said to him, I have bought a field and I must go to see it; I pray you have me excused. ^14:19And another said, I have bought five yokes of oxen and I go to try them; I pray you have me excused. ^14:20And another said, I have married a wife, and on this account I cannot come. ^14:21And the servant came and reported to 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 maimed, and blind, and lame. ^14:22And the servant said, Lord, it is done as you commanded, and yet there is room. ^14:23And the Lord said to the servant, Go out into the ways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled; ^14:24for I tell you that none of those men that were invited shall taste of my supper.

5 ^14:25And great multitudes were travelling with him; and turning around he said to them, ^14:26If any one comes to me, and hates not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, and still more his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. ^14:27And whoever does not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. ^14:28For what man of you wishing to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the expense, whether he has the means to finish? ^14:29lest having laid its foundation, and not being able to finish, all who see ridicule him, ^14:30saying, This man began to build and was not able to finish. ^14:31Or what king going to engage in war with another king, does not first sit down and consult whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him that comes against him with twenty thousand? ^14:32And if not, while he is yet a great way off, sending an embassy he desires conditions of peace. ^14:33So, therefore, no one of you can be my disciple who does not forsake all that he has. ^14:34Salt, therefore, is good; but if the salt has lost its strength, with what shall it be seasoned? ^14:35It is not fit for land, nor for manure; they cast it away. He that has ears to hear, let him hear.