Luke 14:28-32

New International Version

²⁸“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? ²⁹For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, ³⁰saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

³¹“Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? ³²If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.

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Luke 14:28-32

English Standard Version

²⁸For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not ^(A)first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? ²⁹Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, ³⁰saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ ³¹Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not ^(B)sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? ³²And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.

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Luke 14:28-32

New American Standard Bible

²⁸For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? ²⁹Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who are watching it will begin to ridicule him, ³⁰saying, ‘This person began to build, and was not able to finish!’ ³¹Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and ^(A)consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to face the one coming against him with twenty thousand? ³²Otherwise, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and requests terms of peace.

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Luke 14:28-32

Common English Bible

²⁸“If one of you wanted to build a tower, wouldn’t you first sit down and calculate the cost, to determine whether you have enough money to complete it? ²⁹Otherwise, when you have laid the foundation but couldn’t finish the tower, all who see it will begin to belittle you. ³⁰They will say, ‘Here’s the person who began construction and couldn’t complete it!’ ³¹Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down to consider whether his ten thousand soldiers could go up against the twenty thousand coming against him? ³²And if he didn’t think he could win, he would send a representative to discuss terms of peace while his enemy was still a long way off.

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Luke 14:28-32

Contemporary English Version

²⁸Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. What is the first thing you will do? Won't you sit down and figure out how much it will cost and if you have enough money to pay for it? ²⁹Otherwise, you will start building the tower, but not be able to finish. Then everyone who sees what is happening will laugh at you. ³⁰They will say, “You started building, but could not finish the job.”

³¹What will a king do if he has only 10,000 soldiers to defend himself against a king who is about to attack him with 20,000 soldiers? Before he goes out to battle, won't he first sit down and decide if he can win? ³²If he thinks he won't be able to defend himself, he will send messengers and ask for peace while the other king is still a long way off.

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