Chronological
14 And it was done, when he had entered into the house of a prince of Pharisees, in the sabbath, to eat bread, they espied him.
2 And lo! a man sick in the dropsy [And lo! some man sick in the dropsy] was before him.
3 And Jesus answering spake to the wise men of [the] law, and to the Pharisees, and said [saying], Whether it is leaveful to heal in the sabbath?
4 And they held peace. And Jesus took, and healed him, and let him go.
5 And he answered to them, and said, Whose ass or ox of you shall fall into a pit, and he shall not at once draw him out in the day of sabbath?[a]
6 And they might not answer to him to these things.
7 He said also a parable to men bidden to a feast, and he beheld how they chose the first sitting places, and said to them, [Forsooth he said also a parable to men bidden to a feast, beholding how they chose the first sitting places, saying to them,]
8 When thou art bidden to bridals, sit not to meat in the first place [When thou shalt be bidden to weddings, sit not at the meat in the first place]; lest peradventure a worthier than thou be bidden of him,
9 and lest he come that called thee and him, and say to thee, Give place to this, and then thou shalt begin with shame [and thou shalt begin with shame] to hold the lowest place.
10 But when thou art bidden to a feast, go, and sit down in the last place, that when he cometh, that bade thee to the feast, he say to thee, Friend, come higher [Friend, ascend up higher]. Then worship shall be to thee, before men that sit [together] at the meat.
11 For each that enhanceth himself, shall be lowed [shall be made low]; and he that meeketh himself, shall be highed.
12 And he said [also] to him, that had bidden him to the feast, When thou makest a meat, or a supper, do not thou call thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy cousins, neither neighbours, nor rich men; lest peradventure [and] they bid thee again to the feast, and it be yielded again to thee [and retribution, or yielding again, be made to thee].
13 But when thou makest a feast, call poor men, feeble [men], crooked, and blind,
14 and thou shalt be blessed; for they have not whereof to yield [again] to thee, for it shall be yielded to thee [forsooth it shall be requited to thee] in the rising again of just men.
15 And when one of them that sat together at the meat had heard these things, he said to him, Blessed is he, that shall eat bread in the realm of God.
16 And he said to him, A man made a great supper [Some man made a great supper], and called many.
17 And he sent his servant in the hour of supper, to say to men that were bidden to the feast, that they should come, for now all things be ready.
18 And all began together to excuse them(selves). The first said [to him], I have bought a town, and I have need to go out, and see it; I pray thee, have me excused.
19 And the tother said, I have bought five yokes of oxen, and I go to prove them; I pray thee, have me excused.
20 And another said, I have wedded a wife; and therefore I may not come.
21 And the servant turned again, and told these things to his lord. Then the husbandman was wroth, and said to his servant, Go out swiftly into the great streets and the small streets of the city [Then the husbandman wroth, said to his servant, Go out soon into great streets and small streets of the city], and bring in hither poor men, and feeble, [and] blind men, and crooked.
22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done, as thou hast commanded, and yet there is a void place [and yet there is a place].
23 And the lord said to the servant, Go out into ways and hedges, and constrain men to enter, that mine house be full-filled [that mine house be filled].
24 For I say to you, that none of those men that be called, shall taste my supper.
25 And much people went with him [Soothly many companies went with him]; and he turned, and said to them,
26 If any man cometh to me [If any man come to me], and hateth not his father, and mother, and wife, and sons, and brethren, and sisters, and yet [forsooth] his own life, he may not be my disciple.
27 And he that beareth not his cross, and cometh after me, may not be my disciple.
28 For who of you willing to build a tower, whether he sit not first/whether he first sitteth not, and counteth the expenses that be needful, if he have to perform?
29 Lest after that he hath set the foundament [Lest after he hath put the foundament], and be not able to perform, all that see, begin to scorn him,
30 and say [saying], For this man began to build, and might not make an end.
31 Or what king that will go to do a battle against another king, whether he sitteth not first, and bethinketh, if he may with ten thousand go to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?[b]
32 [Or] Else yet while he is afar, he sendeth a messenger, and prayeth those things that be of peace.
33 So therefore each of you, that forsaketh not all things that he hath [that renounceth not, or forsaketh not, all things that he wieldeth], may not be my disciple.
34 Salt is good; but if salt [shall] vanish, in what thing shall it be savoured?
35 Neither in earth, nor in [the] dunghill it is profitable, but it shall be cast out. He that hath ears of hearing, hear he.
15 And publicans and sinful men were approaching to him [were nighing to him], to hear him.
2 And the Pharisees and scribes grumbled [grutched], saying, For this [man] receiveth sinful men, and eateth with them.
3 And he spake to them this parable, and said [saying],
4 What man of you that hath an hundred sheep, and if he hath lost one of them, whether he leaveth not ninety and nine in desert [and if he shall lose one of them, whether he leave not ninety and nine in desert], and goeth to it that perished, till he find it?
5 And when he hath found it, he joyeth, and layeth it on his shoulders; [And when he hath found it, he joying putteth on his shoulders;]
6 and he cometh home, and calleth together his friends and neighbours, and saith to them, Be ye glad with me, for I have found my sheep, that had perished.[c]
7 And I say to you, so joy shall be in heaven on one sinful man doing penance, more than on ninety and nine just, that have no need to penance [than of ninety and nine just, that have no need of penance].
8 Or what woman having ten bezants, and if she hath lost one bezant, whether she tendeth not a lantern, and turneth upside-down the house[d], and seeketh diligently, till [that] she find it?
9 And when she hath found, she calleth together friends and neighbours, and saith, Be ye glad with me, for I have found the bezant that I had lost [saying, Glad ye with me, for I have found the drachma, which I had lost].
10 So I say to you, joy shall be before the angels of God on [upon] one sinful man doing penance.
11 And he said, A man had two sons [Some man had two sons];
12 and the younger of them said to the father, Father, give me the portion of chattel, that falleth to me. And he parted to them the chattel.[e]
13 And not after many days, when all things were gathered together, the younger son went forth in pilgrimage into a far country; and there he wasted his goods in living lecherously [and there he wasted his substance, or goods, in living lecherously].
14 And after that he had ended all things, a strong hunger was made in that country, and he began to have need.
15 And he went, and drew him(self) to one of the citizens of that country [And he went, and cleaved to one of the citizens of that country]. And he sent him into his town, to feed swine.
16 And he coveted to fill his womb of the pods that the hogs ate, and no man gave to him.
17 And he turned again to himself, and said, How many hired men in my father's house have plenty of loaves; and I perish here through hunger [forsooth I perish here in hunger].
18 I shall rise up, and go to my father, and I shall say to him, Father, I have sinned into heaven [Father, I have sinned against heaven], and before thee;
19 and now I am not worthy to be called thy son, make me as one of thine hired men.
20 And he rose up, and came to his father. And when he was yet afar, his father saw him, and was stirred by mercy. And he ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
21 And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned into heaven [Father, I have sinned against heaven], and before thee; and now I am not worthy to be called thy son.
22 And the father said to his servants, Swiftly bring ye forth the first stole, and clothe ye him [and clothe him], and give ye a ring in his hand, and shoes on his feet;
23 and bring ye a fat calf, and slay ye, and eat we, and make we feast.
24 For this my son was dead, and hath lived again; he perished, and is found. And all men began to eat [And all began for to eat gladly].
25 But his elder son was in the field; and when he came, and approached to the house [and nighed to the house], he heard a symphony and a crowd.
26 And he called one of the servants, and asked, what these things were.
27 And he said to him, Thy brother is come, and thy father slew a fat calf[f], for he received him safe.
28 And he was wroth, and would not come in. Therefore his father went out, and began to pray him.
29 And he answered to his father, and said, Lo! so many years I serve thee, and I never brake thy commandment; and thou never gave to me a kid, that I with my friends should have eaten.[g]
30 But after that this thy son, that hath devoured his substance with whores, came, thou hast slain to him a fat calf.[h]
31 And he said to him, Son, thou art evermore with me [Son, thou art ever with me], and all my things be thine.
32 But it behooved to make feast, and to have joy; for this thy brother was dead, and lived again [and liveth again]; he perished, and is found.
2001 by Terence P. Noble