¶ And it came to pass, as¹ he went into the house of one of the chief² Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they³ watched him.

And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy.

And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers⁴ and Pharisees, saying, Is⁵ it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?

⁶And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go;

And answered them, saying, Which⁷ of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?

⁸And they could not answer him again to these things.

¶ And he put⁹ forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they¹⁰ chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them,

When¹¹ thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him;

And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou¹² begin with shame to take the lowest room.

¶ But when thou art bidden, go¹³ and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then¹⁴ shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.

For whosoever¹⁵ exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Then said he also to him that bade him, When¹⁶ thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a¹⁷ recompence be made thee.

But when thou makest a feast, call¹⁸ the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:

And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou¹⁹ shalt be recompensed at the resurrection²⁰ of the just.

¶ And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed²¹ is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.

Then said he unto him, A certain²² man made a great supper, and bade²³ many:

And sent his²⁴ servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come²⁵; for all things are now ready.

And they all²⁶ with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have²⁷ bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.

And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.

¶²⁸And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.

So that servant came, and shewed²⁹ his lord these things. Then the master of the house being³⁰ angry said to his servant, Go³¹ out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor³², and the maimed, and the halt³³, and the blind.

And the servant said, Lord, it is³⁴ done as thou hast commanded, and yet³⁵ there is room.

And the lord said unto the servant, Go³⁶ out into the highways and hedges, and compel³⁷ them to come in, that my house may be filled.

³⁸For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.

¶³⁹And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,

If any⁴⁰ man come to me, and hate⁴¹ not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea⁴², and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

And whosoever doth⁴³ not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot⁴⁴ be my disciple.

For which of you, intending⁴⁵ to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth⁴⁶ the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?

Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,

¶⁴⁷Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

⁴⁸Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?

Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth⁴⁹ conditions of peace.

⁵⁰So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

Salt⁵¹ is good: but⁵² if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?

It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but⁵³ men cast it out. He⁵⁴ that hath ears to hear, let him hear.