Moffatt(i)
1 Now when he entered the house of a ruler who belonged to the Pharisees to take a meal, they watched him closely.
2 In front of him there was a man who had dropsy;
3 so Jesus asked the jurists and Pharisees, "Is it right to heal on the sabbath or not?"
4 They held their peace. Then Jesus took hold of the man and cured him and sent him off.
5 "Which of you," he said to them, "when an ass or an ox has fallen into a well, will not pull him out at once upon the sabbath day?"
6 This they could not dispute.
7 He also told a parable to the guests, when he observed how they picked out the best places.
8 "When anyone invites you to a marriage-banquet," he said, "never lie down in the best place, in case a more distinguished guest than yourself has been invited;
9 then the host will tell you, 'Make room for him,' and you will proceed in shame to take the lowest place.
10 No, when you are invited, go and recline in the lowest place, so that when your host comes in he will tell you, 'Move higher up, my friend.' Then you will be honoured before your fellow guests.
11 For everyone who uplifts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be uplifted."
12 He also said to his host, "When you give a dinner or supper, do not ask your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your rich neighbours, in case they invite you back again and you get repaid.
13 No, when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind.
14 Then you will be blessed; for as they have no means of repaying you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just."
15 Hearing this, one of his fellow guests said to him, "Blessed is he who feasts in the Realm of God!"
16 Jesus said to him, "There was a man who was giving a large supper, to which he had invited a number of guests.
17 At the hour for supper he sent his servant to tell the guests, 'Come, things are all ready.'
18 But they all alike proceeded to decline. The first said to him, 'I have bought a farm and I am obliged to go and look at it. Pray consider me excused.'
19 The second said, 'I have bought five pair of oxen and I am going to try them. Pray consider me excused.'
20 Another said, 'I have married a wife; that is why I cannot come.'
21 The servant went and reported this to his master. Then the master of the house was enraged, and said to his servant, 'Quick, go out to the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the maimed, the blind, and the lame.'
22 When the servant announced, 'Your order has been carried out, sir, but there is still room,'
23 the master said to the servant, 'Go out to the roads and hedges and make people come in, to fill up my house.
24 For I tell you that not one of those who were invited shall taste my supper.'"
25 There were large crowds travelling with him; so he turned and 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, aye and his own life, he cannot be a disciple of mine;
27 whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me, he cannot be a disciple of mine.
28 For which of you wants to build a tower and does not first sit down to calculate the expense, to see if he has enough money to complete it? —
29 in case, after he has laid the foundation and then is unable to finish the building, all the spectators start to make fun of him,
30 saying, 'This fellow started to build but he could not finish it.'
31 Or what king sets out to fight against another king without first sitting down to deliberate whether with ten thousand men he can encounter the king who is attacking him with twenty thousand?
32 If he cannot, when the other is still at a distance he will send an embassy to do homage to him.
33 So with everyone of you who will not part with all his goods he cannot be a disciple of mine.
34 Salt is excellent indeed: but if salt becomes insipid, what will restore its flavour?
35 It is no use for either soil or dunghill, it is flung out. He who has an ear let him listen to this."