Luke 14

New Testament · English Majority Text Version with Greek parallel

Luke 14

1Now it came to pass, when He came into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they were watching Him closely.Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ ἐλθεῖν αὐτὸν εἰς οἶκόν τινος τῶν ἀρχόντων τῶν Φαρισαίων σαββάτῳ φαγεῖν ἄρτον, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἦσαν παρατηρούμενοι αὐτόν.

2And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy.Καὶ ἰδού, ἄνθρωπός τις ἦν ὑδρωπικὸς ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ.

3And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”Καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπε πρὸς τοὺς νομικοὺς καὶ Φαρισαίους, λέγων, Εἰ ἔξεστι τῷ σαββάτῳ θεραπεύειν;

4But they were silent. And taking hold of him, He healed him, and let him go.Οἱ δὲ ἡσύχασαν. Καὶ ἐπιλαβόμενος ἰάσατο αὐτόν, καὶ ἀπέλυσε.

5Then He answered them, saying, “Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?”Καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς πρὸς αὐτοὺς εἶπε, Τίνος ὑμῶν υἱὸς ἢ βοῦς εἰς φρέαρ ἐμπεσεῖται, καὶ οὐκ εὐθέως ἀνασπάσει αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ σαββάτου;

6And they were not able to answer Him regarding these things.Καὶ οὐκ ἴσχυσαν ἀνταποκριθῆναι αὐτῷ πρὸς ταῦτα.

7So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the places of honor, saying to them:Ἔλεγε δὲ πρὸς τοὺς κεκλημένους παραβολήν, ἐπέχων πῶς τὰς πρωτοκλισίας ἐξελέγοντο, λέγων πρὸς αὐτούς,

8“Whenever you are invited by someone to a wedding celebration, do not sit down in the place of honor, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him;Ὅταν κληθῇς ὑπό τινος εἰς γάμους, μὴ κατακλιθῇς εἰς τὴν πρωτοκλισίαν· μήποτε ἐντιμότερός σου ᾖ κεκλημένος ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ,

9and he who invited you and him shall come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the last place.καὶ ἐλθὼν ὁ σὲ καὶ αὐτὸν καλέσας ἐρεῖ σοι, Δὸς τούτῳ τόπον· καὶ τότε ἄρξῃ μετ᾽ αἰσχύνης τὸν ἔσχατον τόπον κατέχειν.

10But when you are invited, go and sit down in the last place, so that when he who invited you comes, he shall say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who recline with you.Ἀλλ᾽ ὅταν κληθῇς, πορευθεὶς ἀνάπεσε εἰς τὸν ἔσχατον τόπον· ἵνα, ὅταν ἔλθῃ ὁ κεκληκώς σε, εἴπῃ σοι, Φίλε, προσανάβηθι ἀνώτερον· τότε ἔσται σοι δόξα ἐνώπιον τῶν συνανακειμένων σοι.

11For everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted.”Ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ὑψῶν ἑαυτὸν ταπεινωθήσεται, καὶ ὁ ταπεινῶν ἑαυτὸν ὑψωθήσεται.

12Then He also said to him who invited Him, “When you give a dinner or a supper, do not call your friends, nor your brothers, nor your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid.Ἔλεγε δὲ καὶ τῷ κεκληκότι αὐτόν, Ὅταν ποιῇς ἄριστον ἢ δεῖπνον, μὴ φώνει τοὺς φίλους σου, μηδὲ τοὺς ἀδελφούς σου, μηδὲ τοὺς συγγενεῖς σου, μηδὲ γείτονας πλουσίους· μήποτε καὶ αὐτοί σε ἀντικαλέσωσι, καὶ γένηταί σοι ἀνταπόδομα.

13But whenever you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;Ἀλλ᾽ ὅταν ποιῇς δοχήν, κάλει πτωχούς, ἀναπήρους, χωλούς, τυφλούς·

14and you will be blessed, because they do not have anything to repay you; for it will be repaid to you in the resurrection of the just.”καὶ μακάριος ἔσῃ, ὅτι οὐκ ἔχουσιν ἀνταποδοῦναί σοι· ἀνταποδοθήσεται γάρ σοι ἐν τῇ ἀναστάσει τῶν δικαίων.

15Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, “Blessed is he who shall eat breakfast in the kingdom of God!”Ἀκούσας δέ τις τῶν συνανακειμένων ταῦτα εἶπεν αὐτῷ, Μακάριος, ὃς φάγεται ἄριστον ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ.

16Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great banquet, and he invited many,Ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῷ, Ἄνθρωπός τις ἐποίησε δεῖπνον μέγα, καὶ ἐκάλεσε πολλούς·

17and he sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’καὶ ἀπέστειλε τὸν δοῦλον αὐτοῦ τῇ ὥρᾳ τοῦ δείπνου εἰπεῖν τοῖς κεκλημένοις, Ἔρχεσθε, ὅτι ἤδη ἕτοιμά ἐστι πάντα.

18But they all with one accord began to excuse themselves. The first said to him, ‘I bought a field, and I must go and see it. I ask you, have me excused.’Καὶ ἤρξαντο ἀπὸ μιᾶς παραιτεῖσθαι πάντες. Ὁ πρῶτος εἶπεν αὐτῷ, Ἀγρὸν ἠγόρασα, καὶ ἔχω ἀνάγκην ἐξελθεῖν καὶ ἰδεῖν αὐτόν· ἐρωτῶ σε, ἔχε με παρῃτημένον.

19And another said, ‘I bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you, have me excused.’Καὶ ἕτερος εἶπε, Ζεύγη βοῶν ἠγόρασα πέντε, καὶ πορεύομαι δοκιμάσαι αὐτά· ἐρωτῶ σε, ἔχε με παρῃτημένον.

20Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, therefore I cannot come.’Καὶ ἕτερος εἶπε, Γυναῖκα ἔγημα, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο οὐ δύναμαι ἐλθεῖν.

21So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’Καὶ παραγενόμενος ὁ δοῦλος ἐκεῖνος ἀπήγγειλε τῷ κυρίῳ αὐτοῦ ταῦτα. Τότε ὀργισθεὶς ὁ οἰκοδεσπότης εἶπε τῷ δούλῳ αὐτοῦ, Ἔξελθε ταχέως εἰς τὰς πλατείας καὶ ῥύμας τῆς πόλεως, καὶ τοὺς πτωχοὺς καὶ ἀναπήρους καὶ χωλοὺς καὶ τυφλοὺς εἰσάγαγε ὧδε.

22And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ δοῦλος, Κύριε, γέγονεν ὡς ἐπέταξας, καὶ ἔτι τόπος ἐστί.

23Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the roads and hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled.Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ κύριος πρὸς τὸν δοῦλον, Ἔξελθε εἰς τὰς ὁδοὺς καὶ φραγμούς, καὶ ἀνάγκασον εἰσελθεῖν, ἵνα γεμισθῇ ὁ οἶκός μου.

24For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste of my supper.’ ”Λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν ὅτι οὐδεὶς τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐκείνων τῶν κεκλημένων γεύσεταί μου τοῦ δείπνου. Πολλοὶ γάρ εἰσι κλητοί, ὀλίγοι δὲ ἐκλεκτοί.

25Now great crowds were traveling with Him. And turning, He said to them,Συνεπορεύοντο δὲ αὐτῷ ὄχλοι πολλοί· καὶ στραφεὶς εἶπε πρὸς αὐτούς,

26“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.Εἴ τις ἔρχεται πρός με, καὶ οὐ μισεῖ τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὴν μητέρα, καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα, καὶ τὰ τέκνα, καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφούς, καὶ τὰς ἀδελφάς, ἔτι δὲ καὶ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχήν, οὐ δύναταί μου μαθητὴς εἶναι.

27And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.Καὶ ὅστις οὐ βαστάζει τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔρχεται ὀπίσω μου, οὐ δύναται εἶναί μου μαθητής.

28For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and count up the cost, whether he has the resources to complete it?Τίς γὰρ ἐξ ὑμῶν, ὁ θέλων πύργον οἰκοδομῆσαι, οὐχὶ πρῶτον καθίσας ψηφίζει τὴν δαπάνην, εἰ ἔχει τὰ εἰς ἀπαρτισμόν;

29Lest perhaps after he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all those who see it begin to mock him,Ἵνα μήποτε, θέντος αὐτοῦ θεμέλιον καὶ μὴ ἰσχύοντος ἐκτελέσαι, πάντες οἱ θεωροῦντες ἄρξωνται ἐμπαίζειν αὐτῷ,

30saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’λέγοντες, ὅτι Οὗτος ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἤρξατο οἰκοδομεῖν, καὶ οὐκ ἴσχυσεν ἐκτελέσαι.

31Or what king, going to engage another king in battle, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?Ἢ τίς βασιλεὺς πορευόμενος συμβαλεῖν ἑτέρῳ βασιλεῖ εἰς πόλεμον οὐχὶ καθίσας πρῶτον βουλεύεται εἰ δυνατός ἐστιν ἐν δέκα χιλιάσιν ἀπαντῆσαι τῷ μετὰ εἴκοσι χιλιάδων ἐρχομένῳ ἐπ᾽ αὐτόν;

32Otherwise, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks the terms for peace.Εἰ δὲ μή γε, ἔτι πόρρω αὐτοῦ ὄντος, πρεσβείαν ἀποστείλας ἐρωτᾷ τὰ πρὸς εἰρήνην.

33So likewise, every one of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be My disciple.Οὕτως οὖν πᾶς ἐξ ὑμῶν ὃς οὐκ ἀποτάσσεται πᾶσι τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ ὑπάρχουσιν, οὐ δύναταί μου εἶναι μαθητής.

34“Salt is good; but if the salt becomes tasteless, with what shall it be seasoned?Καλὸν τὸ ἅλας· ἐὰν δὲ τὸ ἅλας μωρανθῇ, ἐν τίνι ἀρτυθήσεται;

35It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men cast it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”Οὔτε εἰς γῆν οὔτε εἰς κοπρίαν εὔθετόν ἐστιν· ἔξω βάλλουσιν αὐτό. Ὁ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκούειν ἀκουέτω.

The Fathers on Luke 14

Saint Augustine comments on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.

On Luke 14:16

Saint Augustine

Latin Fathers · c. 391–430 AD · Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament

Delivered in the basilica Restituta. 1. Holy lessons have been set forth before us, to which we should both give ear, and upon which by the Lord’s help I would deliver some 447observations. In the Apostolic lesson thanks are...

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