Luke 14 Later, it occurred during the situation for Him to go (or: come) into the house of a certain one of the leaders (or: rulers; officials; chief or prominent men) of the Pharisees, on a sabbath, to eat bread (= a meal) – and they, themselves, were continuing in closely observing Him from the side, scrutinizing Him.

JMNT⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ Later, it occurred during the [situation for] Him to go (or: come) into the house of a certain one of the leaders (or: rulers; officials; chief or prominent men) of the Pharisees, on a sabbath, to eat bread (= a meal) – and they, themselves, were continuing in closely observing Him from the side, scrutinizing Him. ² And then – look and take note! – there was [suddenly] a certain person (human) suffering from edema (dropsy; excess swelling from fluid retention) in front of Him. ³ And so, giving a discerning response, Jesus said to the men versed in the Law (the Torah and legal experts) and [to the] Pharisees, "Is it [other MSS: Does it continue being] allowed by custom and Law to give care, attentively treat or cure on the sabbath, or not?" ⁴ But they were quiet (or: kept silent). And so, after taking a strong hold upon [him], He healed him and set [him] free (or: loosed [the disease] off of [him]; or: released [him]; or: dismissed [him]). ⁵ Then, making a discerning response, He said to them [either: to the men watching Him; or: to all present], "Which one of you folks, [if your] son [other MSS: ass] or ox will fall into a cistern (sealed-in well; or: a pit) on a sabbath day, will [you] not also proceed immediately pulling (or: dragging) him, or it, back up again [the same day]?" ⁶ And they did not have strength or ability to give a decided response in opposition to (or: to direct back an answer in contradiction toward) these [reasonings]. ⁷ So He went on to tell an illustration (a parable) to the folks having been invited [to the meal] – as He was holding His attention on how, one after another, they continued choosing (picking out) for themselves the first reclining places (= the most prominent seats that were considered places of honor and importance) – while saying to them, ⁸ "Whenever you may be invited (or: called) unto wedding festivities (or: a marriage feast) by someone, you should not recline (= sit down) into the first (= most honorable or important) place, lest at some point there may be a person having been invited by him [who is held] in more honor ([who is] more distinguished) than you, ⁹ "and then, upon coming [up], the person inviting both you and him will proceed saying to you, 'Give [the] place to this person.' And at that point you begin, with shame and disgrace, to continue holding down (= occupying and retaining) the last place (= the place of least honor). ¹⁰ "But instead, whenever you may be invited (or: called), after going on your way, fall back into (= assume a position in) the last (= least distinguished) place, so that, whenever the person having invited you may come, he will proceed saying to you, 'Friend, walk (or: move) on up to a higher (more upward) [position].' At that point it will continue being a manifestation of esteem for you (or: there will proceed being glory on you; it will habitually be a good reputation to you) in the sight and presence of all those reclining back [at the dinner] with you (i.e., all your fellow guests), ¹¹ "because everyone habitually exalting himself (lifting himself up; = promoting himself) will be habitually brought (or: made) low (be progressively humbled; be constantly demoted), and yet the person habitually making and bringing himself low (humbling and demoting himself) will be habitually exalted (lifted up; promoted)." ¹² Now He also continued saying to the person having invited Him, "Whenever you should normally make (or: provide; = give) a luncheon or a dinner, do not be habitually (or: stop) summoning your friends, nor even your brothers, nor yet your relatives, and not rich neighbors – lest at some point (or: lest perchance) they themselves should be inviting you in return, and it could (or: may; would) become a repayment-effect to (or: for) you. ¹³ "But to the contrary, whenever you normally make a reception (provide entertainment; = give a banquet; = throw a dinner party), make it a practice to be inviting destitute folks, crippled, maimed or mutilated people, lame folks, [the] blind, ¹⁴ "and you will continually be a happy, blessed and fortunate person, because they continue having nothing [with which] to repay you, so you see, it will proceed being repaid to you within (or: in union with) the resurrection of the fair and equitable folks (or: the standing, placing, putting or setting back up again of the just and rightwised people who are in right relationships and are in union with the Way pointed out)." ¹⁵ Now on hearing these things, someone of the fellow guests (a certain one of those lying back together [at the meal]) said to Him, "Whoever will continue eating bread (= a meal) within God's reign (kingdom; royal rule and domain) [will be] happy, blessed and fortunate." ¹⁶ Yet He said to him, "A certain person (human) was in the process of preparing (making) a great dinner (main meal of the day), and he [had] invited many people. ¹⁷ "So he sent off his slave on an errand, at the hour of the dinner, to say to those having been invited, 'Be now progressively coming, because already the results of [our] preparation are ready.' ¹⁸ "And then one by one (or: from one [mind or motive]) they all began to proceed in making excuses and to beg off with declining requests. The first one said to him, 'I just bought a field and I continue having necessity of going out to see it. I am now asking you, Have me excused.' ¹⁹ "And a different person said, 'I just bought five yokes (= pairs; teams) of oxen (or: cattle), and I am presently on my way to prove them (to examine and test them out), I am now asking you, Have me excused.' ²⁰ "Then still another person said, 'I just married a wife, and because of this, I am unable to come.' ²¹ "And so the slave, after coming to be alongside, reported back to his owner (master; lord) these [responses]. At that point the master of the house (or: householder), being indignant from the internal fervor of his natural disposition, said to his slave, 'At once go out quickly into the squares and streets of the city and at once bring here the destitute folks as well as crippled, maimed and mutilated people, even blind folks and lame ones!' ²² "And so later, the slave said, 'Sir (or: Master), what you ordered and instructed has happened, and yet there is still a place (= room). ²³ "So the owner (lord; master) said to the slave, "At once go out into the roads and fenced areas (or: hedgerows; boundary walls), and at once compel (force) [them] to come in, so that my house may be filled to capacity! ²⁴ "'For I am now saying to you that not even one of the adult men of those having been invited will proceed in having a taste of my dinner.'" ²⁵ Now many (or: large) crowds (= hordes of people) continued traveling together with Him, and so, upon turning, He said to them, ²⁶ "If anyone continues coming to (or: toward) Me, and does not habitually regard with a negative will (= put lesser importance to; hate, in the sense of giving less preference to) his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters – and still [more], even his own soul-life (his inner being and its concerns; the person which is himself) – he has no power and is unable to be My disciple! ²⁷ "Whoever is not habitually picking up and carrying his own execution stake (or: the cross of himself; the cross which pertains to, or is, himself) and then continuing in coming behind Me – he has no power and is unable to be My disciple! ²⁸ "For example, who among you people – wanting and intending to build a tower – is not first sitting down [and] progressively calculating (reckoning by use of pebbles) the expense – [to see] if he continues having (holding; possessing) sufficient resources [to bring it] into completion? ²⁹ "– so that, after his laying a foundation and then not being [financially] strong enough to finish everything out, those folks continuing in watching might not at some point start to repeatedly ridicule and make fun of him, ³⁰ "one after another saying, 'This person (human) started to progressively build, and yet he was not [financially] strong [enough] to finish [it] out.' ³¹ "Or, what king, continuing on his way to progressively engage into the midst of a war with a different king, will not first – after sitting down – proceed taking counsel with himself (consider, deliberate, ponder and plan) [to see] if he is powerful and able to undertake a face to face meeting, [himself being] in the midst of ten thousand [troops], with the [king] constantly coming upon him with twenty thousand [troops]? ³² "Now if in fact [he decides that he could] not, [at] his still being far away, through sending off a delegation of representatives he proceeds asking for the [terms that lead] toward peace. ³³ "Thus, then (or: Therefore, in the same manner), everyone from among you folks who is not in the habit of setting-off and arranging-away from himself all his own possessions which are continuing to be his subsistence, he continues with no power and is unable to be My disciple. ³⁴ "To be sure, salt [is] excellent (ideal; beautiful; fine). Yet if the salt also should be made dull (or: tasteless; insipid; flat), in what [way or situation] will it proceed in being made fit for seasoning? ³⁵ "It is neither well placed (thus: fit to be put) into soil nor into manure. Folks normally throw it outside. Let the person presently having ears to now hear (or: to continue to listen and hear), continue listening and habitually hearing."