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¹ AND it came to pass when he entered the house of one of the leaders of the Pharisees to eat bread on a sabbath day, they watched him.² And there was a man before him, who had dropsy.³ And Jesus answered and said to the scribes and Pharisees, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath?⁴ But they kept silent. So he took him, and healed him, and let him go.⁵ And he said to them, Which one of you, if his son or his ox should fall into a pit on the sabbath day, would not immediately pull and bring him out?⁶ And they could not answer him concerning this.

⁷ And he spoke a parable to those who were invited there, because he saw them choosing places among the front seats.⁸ When you are invited of a man to a banquet house, do not go and sit in the front seat; it might be that a more honorable man than you is invited there;⁹ And then he who has invited you and him will come, and say to you, Give the place to him; and you will be embarrassed when you get up and take a lower seat.¹⁰ But when you are invited, go and sit at the lower end, so that when he who has invited you comes, he will say to you, My friend, go up and sit higher; and you will have glory before all who sit with you.¹¹ For whoever exalts himself will be humbled; and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.¹² He also said to him who had invited him, When you give a dinner or a supper, do not invite your friends, nor your brothers, nor your relatives, nor your rich neighbors; they might probally invite you, and you will be repaid for this.¹³ But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame and the blind;¹⁴ And you will be blessed; for they have nothing to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.

¹⁵ When one of the guests heard these things, he said to him, Blessed is he who will eat bread in the kingdom of God.¹⁶ Jesus said to him, A man gave a great supper, and invited many.¹⁷ And he sent his servant at supper time to tell those who were invited, Behold, everything is made ready for you, come.¹⁸ One and all, they began to make excuse. The first said to him, I have bought a field, and I am forced to go and see it; I beg you to excuse me for being called away.¹⁹ Another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am just going to examine them; I beg you, excuse me for being called away.²⁰ Another said, I have just taken a wife, and therefore I cannot come.²¹ And the servant came and told his master these things. Then the master of the house was angry, and said to his servant, Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor, the afflicted, the maimed and the blind.²² And the servant said, My Lord, it has been done as you commanded, and yet there is more room.²³ Then the master said to his servant, Go out to the highways and hedges, and urge them to come in so that my house may be filled.²⁴ For I say to you, that not one of those men who were invited shall taste of my supper.

²⁵ And while many people were going with him, he turned and said to them,²⁶ He who comes to me and does not put aside his father, and his mother, and his brothers, and his sisters, and his wife, and his children, and even his own life, he cannot be a disciple to me.²⁷ And he who does not take up his cross and follow me, cannot be a disciple to me.²⁸ For which of you, who wishes to build a tower, does not at first sit down and consider its cost, to see if he has enough to finish it?²⁹ Lest after he has laid the foundation, he is not able to finish it, and all who see it will mock him,³⁰ Saying, This man began to build, but he was not able to finish.³¹ Or which king, who goes to war to fight against a king equal to him, would not at first reason, whether he is able with ten thousand to meet the one who is coming against him with twenty thousand?³² And if not, while he is far away from him, sends envoys and seeks peace.³³ So every man of you, who would not leave all his possessions, cannot be a disciple to me.³⁴ Salt is good; but if the salt lose its savor, with what can it be salted?³⁵ It is good neither for the ground nor for fertilizing; but it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear let him hear.