The Scriptures (ISR 1998) 1And it came to be, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they were watching Him closely. 2And see, there was a certain man before Him suffering from dropsy. 3And יהושע responding, spoke to those learned in the Torah and the Pharisees, saying, “Is it right to heal on the Sabbath?” 4But they were silent. So taking hold of him He healed him, and let him go. 5And to them He said, “Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, shall not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?” 6And they were unable to answer Him regarding these matters. 7And He spoke a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them: 8“When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more distinguished than you be invited by him, 9and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give this one place,’ and then you begin with shame to take the last place. 10“Rather, when you are invited, go and sit down in the last place, so that when he who invited you comes he shall say to you, ‘Friend, come up higher.’ Then you shall have esteem in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. 11“For everyone who is exalting himself shall be humbled, and he who is humbling himself shall be exalted.” 12And He also said to him who invited Him, “When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, nor your brothers, nor your relatives, nor your rich neighbours, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. 13“But when you give a feast, invite poor ones, crippled ones, lame ones, blind ones, 14and you shall be blessed, because they do not have to repay you. For you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” 15And when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard this, he said to Him, “Blessed is he who eats bread in the reign of Elohim!” 16But He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, 17and he sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all is now ready.’ 18“But one by one they all began making excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I need to go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ 19“And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out. I ask you to have me excused.’ 20“And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and because of this I am unable to come.’ 21“And that servant came and reported this to his master. Then the master of the house, being wroth, said to his servant, ‘Hurry out into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor, and crippled, and lame, and blind.’ 22“And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’ 23“And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the street corners and hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house is filled. 24‘For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’ ” 25And large crowds were going with Him, and turning, He said to them, 26“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, and his own life too, he is unable to be My taught one. 27“And whoever does not bear his stake and come after Me is unable to be My taught one. 28“For who of you, wishing to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29“Otherwise, when he has laid the foundation, and is unable to finish it, all who see it begin to mock him, 30saying, ‘This man began to build and was unable to finish.’ 31“Or what sovereign, going to fight against another sovereign, does not sit down first and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32“And if not, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. 33“So, then, everyone of you who does not give up all that he has, is unable to be My taught one. 34“The salt is good, but if the salt becomes tasteless, with what shall it be seasoned? 35“It is not fit for land, nor for manure, they throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” |