1 O n the Day of Rest Jesus went into the house of one of the leaders of the proud religious law-keepers to eat. They all watched Jesus to see what He would do.

It occurred one Sabbath, when went for a meal at the house of one of the ruling Pharisees, that they were watching Him.

2 A man who had very large arms and legs because of a sickness was put before Jesus.

And behold, in front of Him there was a man who had dropsy.

3 J esus asked the teachers of the Law and the proud religious law-keepers, “Does the Law say it is right to heal on the Day of Rest, or not?”

And Jesus asked the lawyers and the Pharisees, Is it lawful and right to cure on the Sabbath or not?

4 T hey did not answer. Jesus took hold of the man and healed him and sent him away.

But they kept silent. Then He took hold and cured him and sent him away.

5 T hen Jesus said to the leaders, “If one of you had a cow or donkey that fell into a hole, would you not go at once and pull it out on the Day of Rest?”

And He said to them, Which of you, having a son or a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a well, will not at once pull him out on the Sabbath day?

6 A nd they were not able to answer His questions. Jesus Teaches about How to Live with Others

And they were unable to reply to this.

7 J esus had been watching those who were asked to come to supper. They were all trying to get the important seats. He told them a picture-story, saying,

Now He told a parable to those who were invited, He noticed how they were selecting the places of honor, saying to them,

8 “ When you are asked by someone to a wedding supper, do not take the important seat. Someone more important than you may have been asked to come also.

When you are invited by anyone to a marriage feast, do not recline on the chief seat, lest a more distinguished person than you has been invited by him,

9 T he one who asked both of you to come may say to you, ‘The important seat is for this man.’ Then you will be ashamed as you take the last place.

And he who invited both of you will come to you and say, Let this man have the place. Then, with humiliation and a guilty sense of impropriety, you will begin to take the lowest place.

10 B ut when you are asked to come to the table, sit down on the last seat. Then the one who asked you may come and say to you, ‘Friend, go to a more important place.’ Then you will be shown respect in front of all who are at the table with you.

But when you are invited, go and recline in the lowest place, so that when your host comes in, he may say to you, Friend, go up higher! Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit with you.

11 W hoever makes himself look more important than he is will find out how little he is worth. Whoever does not try to honor himself will be made important.”

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled (ranked below others who are honored or rewarded), and he who humbles himself (keeps a modest opinion of himself and behaves accordingly) will be exalted (elevated in rank).

12 T hen Jesus said to the man who asked Him to eat in his house, “When you have a supper, do not ask your friends or your brothers or your family or your rich neighbors. They will ask you to come to their place for a supper. That way you will be paid back for what you have done.

Jesus also said to the man who had invited Him, When you give a dinner or a supper, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, lest perhaps they also invite you in return, and so you are paid back.

13 W hen you have a supper, ask poor people. Ask those who cannot walk and those who are blind.

But when you give a banquet or a reception, invite the poor, the disabled, the lame, and the blind.

14 Y ou will be happy if you do this. They cannot pay you back. You will get your pay when the people who are right with God are raised from the dead.”

Then you will be blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied), because they have no way of repaying you, and you will be recompensed at the resurrection of the just (upright).

15 W hen one of those eating at the table with Jesus heard this, he said, “Everyone is happy who will eat in the holy nation of God.” The Picture-Story of the Big Supper

When one of those who reclined with Him heard this, he said to Him, Blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!

16 T hen Jesus said to the leader of the proud religious law-keepers, “There was a man who was giving a big supper. He asked many people to come to eat.

But Jesus said to him, A man was once giving a great supper and invited many;

17 W hen it was about time to eat, he sent one of the servants he owned to tell those he had asked, saying, ‘Come, everything is ready now.’

And at the hour for the supper he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, Come, for all is now ready.

18 T hey all gave different reasons why they could not come. The first said, ‘I have bought some land and I must go and see it. Do not expect me to come.’

But they all alike began to make excuses and to beg off. The first said to him, I have bought a piece of land, and I have to go out and see it; I beg you, have me excused.

19 A nother one said, ‘I have bought ten cows to use for working in my fields. I must go and try them out. Do not expect me to come.’

And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to examine and put my approval on them; I beg you, have me excused.

20 A nd another one said, ‘I have just been married and I cannot come.’

And another said, I have married a wife, and because of this I am unable to come.

21 “ The servant went back to his owner and told him these things. Then his owner became angry. He said to his servant, ‘Hurry into the streets and narrow roads of the city and bring poor people here. Bring those whose bodies are diseased. Bring those who cannot walk and those who are blind.’

So the servant came and reported these to his master. Then the master of the house said in wrath to his servant, Go quickly into the great streets and the small streets of the city and bring in here the poor and the disabled and the blind and the lame.

22 T he servant came back and said, ‘Sir, what you told me to do has been done. But there are still some empty places.’

And the servant said, Sir, what you have commanded me to do has been done, and yet there is room.

23 T hen the owner said to his servant, ‘Go out along the roads leading away from the city and into the fields. Tell them they must come. Do this so my house will be filled.

Then the master said to the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges and urge and constrain to yield and come in, so that my house may be filled.

24 I tell you, not one of those I had asked will eat of my supper.’” Giving Up Things of This Earth

For I tell you, not one of those who were invited shall taste my supper.

25 M any people followed Jesus. Then He turned around and said to them,

Now huge crowds were going along with, and He turned and said to them,

26 “ If any man comes to Me and does not have much more love for Me than for his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be My follower.

If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother '> in the sense of indifference to or relative disregard for them in comparison with his attitude toward God] and his wife and children and brothers and sisters— and even his own life also—he cannot be My disciple.

27 I f he does not carry his cross and follow Me, he cannot be My follower.

Whoever does not persevere and carry his own cross and come after (follow) Me cannot be My disciple.

28 “ If one of you wanted to build a large building, you would sit down first and think of how much money it would take to build it. You would see if you had enough money to finish it,

For which of you, wishing to build a farm building, does not first sit down and calculate the cost whether he has sufficient means to finish it?

29 o r when the base of the building is finished, you might see that you do not have enough money to finish it. Then all who would see it would make fun of you.

Otherwise, when he has laid the foundation and is unable to complete, all who see it will begin to mock and jeer at him,

30 T hey would say, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’

Saying, This man began to build and was not able ( worth enough) to finish.

31 “ What if a king is going to war with another king? Will he not sit down first and decide if he is able to go with 10, 000 men against the other king who is coming with 20, 000 men?

Or what king, going out to engage in conflict with another king, will not first sit down and consider and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?

32 O r, he will send a soldier to the other king while he is still a long way off. He will ask what can be done to have peace.

And if he cannot, when the other king is still a great way off, he sends an envoy and asks the terms of peace.

33 I n the same way, whoever does not give up all that he has, cannot be My follower.

So then, any of you who does not forsake (renounce, surrender claim to, give up, say good-bye to) all that he has cannot be My disciple.

34 “ Salt is good. But if salt has lost its taste, how can it be made to taste like salt again?

Salt is good, but if salt has lost its strength and has become saltless (insipid, flat), how shall its saltness be restored?

35 I t is no good for the field or the waste place. Men throw it away. You have ears, then listen!”

It is fit neither for the land nor for the manure heap; men throw it away. He who has ears to hear, let him listen and consider and comprehend by hearing!