Luke 14
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 14
Healing of the Man with Dropsy on the Sabbath.[a] 1 (A)On a sabbath he went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully.(B) 2 In front of him there was a man suffering from dropsy.[b] 3 Jesus spoke to the scholars of the law and Pharisees in reply, asking, “Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?”(C) 4 But they kept silent; so he took the man and, after he had healed him, dismissed him. 5 Then he said to them, “Who among you, if your son or ox[c] falls into a cistern, would not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day?”(D) 6 But they were unable to answer his question.(E)
Conduct of Invited Guests and Hosts.[d] 7 (F)He told a parable to those who had been invited, noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table. 8 (G)“When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him, 9 and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place. 10 Rather, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say, ‘My friend, move up to a higher position.’ Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”(H) 12 Then he said to the host who invited him, “When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment.(I) 13 Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; 14 blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”(J)
The Parable of the Great Feast.[e] 15 One of his fellow guests on hearing this said to him, “Blessed is the one who will dine in the kingdom of God.” 16 (K)He replied to him, “A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many. 17 When the time for the dinner came, he dispatched his servant to say to those invited, ‘Come, everything is now ready.’ 18 But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves. The first said to him, ‘I have purchased a field and must go to examine it; I ask you, consider me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have purchased five yoke of oxen and am on my way to evaluate them; I ask you, consider me excused.’ 20 And another said, ‘I have just married a woman, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21 The servant went and reported this to his master. Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ 22 The servant reported, ‘Sir, your orders have been carried out and still there is room.’ 23 The master then ordered the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedgerows and make people come in that my home may be filled. 24 For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.’”
Sayings on Discipleship.[f] 25 Great crowds were traveling with him, and he turned and addressed them, 26 (L)“If any one comes to me without hating his father[g] and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.(M) 27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.(N) 28 Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? 29 Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him 30 and say, ‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’ 31 Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops? 32 But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms. 33 In the same way, everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.(O)
The Simile of Salt.[h] 34 “Salt is good, but if salt itself loses its taste, with what can its flavor be restored?(P) 35 It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”(Q)
Footnotes
- 14:1–6 See note on Lk 13:10–17.
- 14:2 Dropsy: an abnormal swelling of the body because of the retention and accumulation of fluid.
- 14:5 Your son or ox: this is the reading of many of the oldest and most important New Testament manuscripts. Because of the strange collocation of son and ox, some copyists have altered it to “your ass or ox,” on the model of the saying in Lk 13:15.
- 14:7–14 The banquet scene found only in Luke provides the opportunity for these teachings of Jesus on humility and presents a setting to display Luke’s interest in Jesus’ attitude toward the rich and the poor (see notes on Lk 4:18; 6:20–26; 12:13–34).
- 14:15–24 The parable of the great dinner is a further illustration of the rejection by Israel, God’s chosen people, of Jesus’ invitation to share in the banquet in the kingdom and the extension of the invitation to other Jews whose identification as the poor, crippled, blind, and lame (Lk 14:21) classifies them among those who recognize their need for salvation, and to Gentiles (Lk 14:23). A similar parable is found in Mt 22:1–10.
- 14:25–33 This collection of sayings, most of which are peculiar to Luke, focuses on the total dedication necessary for the disciple of Jesus. No attachment to family (Lk 14:26) or possessions (Lk 14:33) can stand in the way of the total commitment demanded of the disciple. Also, acceptance of the call to be a disciple demands readiness to accept persecution and suffering (Lk 14:27) and a realistic assessment of the hardships and costs (Lk 14:28–32).
- 14:26 Hating his father…: cf. the similar saying in Mt 10:37. The disciple’s family must take second place to the absolute dedication involved in following Jesus (see also Lk 9:59–62).
- 14:34–35 The simile of salt follows the sayings of Jesus that demanded of the disciple total dedication and detachment from family and possessions and illustrates the condition of one who does not display this total commitment. The halfhearted disciple is like salt that cannot serve its intended purpose. See the simile of salt in Mt 5:13 and the note there.
Luke 14
English Standard Version
Healing of a Man on the Sabbath
14 One Sabbath, (A)when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were (B)watching him carefully. 2 And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. 3 And Jesus responded to (C)the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, (D)“Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” 4 But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away. 5 And he said to them, (E)“Which of you, having a son[a] or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” 6 (F)And they could not reply to these things.
The Parable of the Wedding Feast
7 Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed (G)how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, 8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, 9 and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, (H)so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. 11 For (I)everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
The Parable of the Great Banquet
12 He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give (J)a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers[b] or your relatives or rich neighbors, (K)lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, (L)invite (M)the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid (N)at (O)the resurrection of the just.”
15 When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, (P)“Blessed is everyone who will (Q)eat bread in the kingdom of God!” 16 But he said to him, (R)“A man once (S)gave a great banquet and invited many. 17 And at the time for the banquet he (T)sent his servant[c] to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ 20 And another said, (U)‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21 So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in (V)the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ 22 And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ 23 And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I tell you,[d] (W)none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’”
The Cost of Discipleship
25 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 (X)“If anyone comes to me and (Y)does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, (Z)yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 (AA)Whoever does not (AB)bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not (AC)first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not (AD)sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 (AE)So therefore, any one of you who (AF)does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
Salt Without Taste Is Worthless
34 (AG)“Salt is good, (AH)but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? 35 It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. (AI)He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Footnotes
- Luke 14:5 Some manuscripts a donkey
- Luke 14:12 Or your brothers and sisters
- Luke 14:17 Or bondservant; also verses 21 (twice), 22, 23
- Luke 14:24 The Greek word for you here is plural
路 加 福 音 14
Chinese Union Version (Traditional)
14 安 息 日 ， 耶 穌 到 一 個 法 利 賽 人 的 首 領 家 裡 去 吃 飯 ， 他 們 就 窺 探 他 。
2 在 他 面 前 有 一 個 患 水 臌 的 人 。
3 耶 穌 對 律 法 師 和 法 利 賽 人 說 ： 安 息 日 治 病 ， 可 以 不 可 以 ？
4 他 們 卻 不 言 語 。 耶 穌 就 治 好 那 人 ， 叫 他 走 了 ；
5 便 對 他 們 說 ： 你 們 中 間 誰 有 驢 或 有 牛 ， 在 安 息 日 掉 在 井 裡 ， 不 立 時 拉 他 上 來 呢 ？
6 他 們 不 能 對 答 這 話 。
7 耶 穌 見 所 請 的 客 揀 擇 首 位 ， 就 用 比 喻 對 他 們 說 ：
8 你 被 人 請 去 赴 婚 姻 的 筵 席 ， 不 要 坐 在 首 位 上 ， 恐 怕 有 比 你 尊 貴 的 客 被 他 請 來 ；
9 那 請 你 們 的 人 前 來 對 你 說 ： 讓 座 給 這 一 位 罷 ！ 你 就 羞 羞 慚 慚 的 退 到 末 位 上 去 了 。
10 你 被 請 的 時 候 ， 就 去 坐 在 末 位 上 ， 好 叫 那 請 你 的 人 來 對 你 說 ： 朋 友 ， 請 上 坐 。 那 時 ， 你 在 同 席 的 人 面 前 就 有 光 彩 了 。
11 因 為 ， 凡 自 高 的 ， 必 降 為 卑 ， 自 卑 的 ， 必 升 為 高 。
12 耶 穌 又 對 請 他 的 人 說 ： 你 擺 設 午 飯 或 晚 飯 ， 不 要 請 你 的 朋 友 、 弟 兄 、 親 屬 ， 和 富 足 的 鄰 舍 ， 恐 怕 他 們 也 請 你 ， 你 就 得 了 報 答 。
13 你 擺 設 筵 席 ， 倒 要 請 那 貧 窮 的 、 殘 廢 的 、 瘸 腿 的 、 瞎 眼 的 ， 你 就 有 福 了 ！
14 因 為 他 們 沒 有 甚 麼 可 報 答 你 。 到 義 人 復 活 的 時 候 ， 你 要 得 著 報 答 。
15 同 席 的 有 一 人 聽 見 這 話 ， 就 對 耶 穌 說 ： 在 神 國 裡 吃 飯 的 有 福 了 ！
16 耶 穌 對 他 說 ： 有 一 人 擺 設 大 筵 席 ， 請 了 許 多 客 。
17 到 了 坐 席 的 時 候 ， 打 發 僕 人 去 對 所 請 的 人 說 ： 請 來 罷 ！ 樣 樣 都 齊 備 了 。
18 眾 人 一 口 同 音 的 推 辭 。 頭 一 個 說 ： 我 買 了 一 塊 地 ， 必 須 去 看 看 。 請 你 准 我 辭 了 。
19 又 有 一 個 說 ： 我 買 了 五 對 牛 ， 要 去 試 一 試 。 請 你 准 我 辭 了 。
20 又 有 一 個 說 ： 我 才 娶 了 妻 ， 所 以 不 能 去 。
21 那 僕 人 回 來 ， 把 這 事 都 告 訴 了 主 人 。 家 主 就 動 怒 ， 對 僕 人 說 ： 快 出 去 ， 到 城 裡 大 街 小 巷 ， 領 那 貧 窮 的 、 殘 廢 的 、 瞎 眼 的 、 瘸 腿 的 來 。
22 僕 人 說 ： 主 阿 ， 你 所 吩 咐 的 已 經 辦 了 ， 還 有 空 座 。
23 主 人 對 僕 人 說 ， 你 出 去 到 路 上 和 籬 笆 那 裡 ， 勉 強 人 進 來 ， 坐 滿 我 的 屋 子 。
24 我 告 訴 你 們 ， 先 前 所 請 的 人 ， 沒 有 一 個 得 嘗 我 的 筵 席 。
25 有 極 多 的 人 和 耶 穌 同 行 。 他 轉 過 來 對 他 們 說 ：
26 人 到 我 這 裡 來 ， 若 不 愛 我 勝 過 愛 （ 愛 我 勝 過 愛 ： 原 文 是 恨 ） 自 己 的 父 母 、 妻 子 、 兒 女 、 弟 兄 、 姐 妹 ， 和 自 己 的 性 命 ， 就 不 能 作 我 的 門 徒 。
27 凡 不 背 著 自 己 十 字 架 跟 從 我 的 ， 也 不 能 作 我 的 門 徒 。
28 你 們 那 一 個 要 蓋 一 座 樓 ， 不 先 坐 下 算 計 花 費 ， 能 蓋 成 不 能 呢 ？
29 恐 怕 安 了 地 基 ， 不 能 成 功 ， 看 見 的 人 都 笑 話 他 ， 說 ：
30 這 個 人 開 了 工 ， 卻 不 能 完 工 。
31 或 是 一 個 王 出 去 和 別 的 王 打 仗 ， 豈 不 先 坐 下 酌 量 ， 能 用 一 萬 兵 去 敵 那 領 二 萬 兵 來 攻 打 他 的 麼 ？
32 若 是 不 能 ， 就 趁 敵 人 還 遠 的 時 候 ， 派 使 者 去 求 和 息 的 條 款 。
33 這 樣 ， 你 們 無 論 甚 麼 人 ， 若 不 撇 下 一 切 所 有 的 ， 就 不 能 作 我 的 門 徒 。
34 鹽 本 是 好 的 ； 鹽 若 失 了 味 ， 可 用 甚 麼 叫 他 再 鹹 呢 ？
35 或 用 在 田 裡 ， 或 堆 在 糞 裡 ， 都 不 合 式 ， 只 好 丟 在 外 面 。 有 耳 可 聽 的 ， 就 應 當 聽 ！
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