⁶¹ Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, ^(A)but let me first say farewell to those at my home.”

^26 (A)“If anyone comes to me and ^(B)does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, ^(C)yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

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, ^(A)‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’

²⁰ And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, ^(A)“Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?”

^37 (A)Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ³⁸ And ^(B)whoever does not take his cross and ^(C)follow me is not worthy of me.

¹⁰ Whatever your hand finds to do, ^(A)do it with your might,^{[a] (B)}for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.