1And it happened, when he went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees on a Sabbath to eat bread, that they were watching him. 2And look, a certain man who had dropsy was in front of him. 3Jesus, answering, spoke to the Law scholars and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?" 4But they were silent. He took him, and healed him, and let him go. 5He answered them, "Which of you, if your son or an ox fell into a well, would not immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day?" 6But they could make no reply to this.

7He spoke a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the best seats, and said to them, 8"When you are invited by anyone to a marriage feast, do not sit in the best seat, since perhaps someone more honorable than you might be invited by him, 9and he who invited both of you would come and tell you, 'Make room for this person.' Then you would begin, with shame, to take the lowest place. 10But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes, he may tell you, 'Friend, move up higher.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. 11For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."

12He also said to the one who had invited him, "When you make a dinner or a supper, do not call your friends, nor your brothers, nor your kinsmen, nor rich neighbors, or perhaps they might also return the favor, and pay you back. 13But when you make a feast, ask the poor, the maimed, the lame, or the blind; 14and you will be blessed, because they do not have the resources to repay you. For you will be repaid in the resurrection of the righteous."

15Now when one of those who were reclining with him heard these things, he said to him, "Blessed is he who will eat bread in the Kingdom of God."

16But he said to him, "A certain man made a great supper, and he invited many people. 17And he sent his servant at the hour for supper to tell those who were invited, 'Come, for everything is ready now.' 18They all as one began to make excuses. "The first said to him, 'I have bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please have me excused.' 19"Another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I must go try them out. Please have me excused.' 20"Another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' 21"That servant came, and told 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 the poor, maimed, blind, and lame.' 22"The servant said, 'Lord, it is done as you commanded, and there is still room.' 23"The lord said to the servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24For I tell you that none of those individuals who were invited will taste of my supper.'"

25Now large crowds were going with him. He turned and said to them, 26"If anyone comes to me, and does not hate his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. 27Whoever does not bear his own cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 28For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? 29Or perhaps, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, everyone who sees begins to mock him, 30saying, 'This man began to build, and was not able to finish.' 31Or what king, as he goes to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an envoy, and asks for conditions of peace. 33So therefore whoever of you who does not renounce all that he has, he cannot be my disciple.

34Salt is good, but if the salt becomes flat and tasteless, with what do you season it? 35It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. It is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."