1 And it came to pass, on his going into the house of a certain one of the chiefs of the Pharisees, on a sabbath, to eat bread, that they were watching him,

2 and lo, there was a certain dropsical man before him;

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

4 and they were silent, and having taken hold of him, he healed him, and let him go;

5 and answering them he said, 'Of which of you shall an ass or ox fall into a pit, and he will not immediately draw it up on the sabbath-day?'

6 and they were not able to answer him again unto these things.

7 And he spake a simile unto those called, marking how they were choosing out the first couches, saying unto them,

8 'When you may be called by any one to marriage-feasts, you may not recline on the first couch, lest a more honourable than you may have been called by him,

9 and he who did call you and him having come shall say to you, Give to this one place, and then you may begin with shame to occupy the last place.

10 'But, when you may be called, having gone on, recline in the last place, that when he who called you may come, he may say to you, Friend, come up higher; then you shall have glory before those reclining with you;

11 because every one who is exalting himself shall be humbled, and he who is humbling himself shall be exalted.'

12 And he said also to him who did call him, 'When you may make a dinner or a supper, be not calling your friends, nor your brethren, nor your kindred, nor rich neighbours, lest they may also call you again, and a recompense may come to you;

13 but when you may make a feast, be calling poor, maimed, lame, blind,

14 and happy you shall be, because they have not to recompense you, for it shall be recompensed to you in the rising again of the righteous.'

15 And one of those reclining with him, having heard these things, said to him, 'Happy is he who shall eat bread in the reign of God;'

16 and he said to him, 'A certain man made a great supper, and called many,

17 and he sent his servant at the hour of the supper to say to those having been called, Be coming, because now are all things ready.

18 'And they began with one consent all to excuse themselves: The first said to him, A field I bought, and I have need to go forth and see it; I beg of you, have me excused.

19 'And another said, Five yoke of oxen I bought, and I go on to prove them; I beg of you, have me excused:

20 and another said, A wife I married, and because of this I am not able to come.

21 'And that servant having come, told to his lord these things, then the master of the house, having been angry, said to his servant, Go forth quickly to the broad places and lanes of the city, and the poor, and maimed, and lame, and blind, bring in hither.

22 'And the servant said, Sir, it has been done as you did command, and still there is room.

23 'And the lord said unto the servant, Go forth to the ways and hedges, and constrain to come in, that my house may be filled;

24 for I say to you, that none of those men who have been called shall taste of my supper.'

25 And there were going on with him great multitudes, and having turned, he said unto them,

26 'If any one does come unto me, and does not hate his own father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, and yet even his own life, he is not able to be my disciple;

27 and whoever does not bear his cross, and come after me, is not able to be my disciple.

28 'For who of you, willing to build a tower, does not first, having sat down, count the expense, whether he have the things for completing?

29 lest that he having laid a foundation, and not being able to finish, all who are beholding may begin to mock him,

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

31 'Or what king going on to engage with another king in war, does not, having sat down, first consult if he be able with ten thousand to meet him who with twenty thousand is coming against him?

32 and if not so -- he being yet a long way off -- having sent an embassy, he does ask the things for peace.

33 'So, then, every one of you who does not take leave of all that he himself has, is not able to be my disciple.

34 'The saltis good, but if the salt does become tasteless, with what shall it be seasoned?

35 neither for land nor for manure is it fit -- they cast it without. He who is having ears to hear -- let him hear.'