14:15 When 4 one of those at the meal with Jesus 5 heard this, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone 6 who will feast 7 in the kingdom of God!” 8 14:16 But Jesus 9 said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet 10 and invited 11 many guests. 12 14:17 At 13 the time for the banquet 14 he sent his slave 15 to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.’ 14:18 But one after another they all 16 began to make excuses. 17 The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, 18 and I must go out and see it. Please excuse me.’ 19 14:19 Another 20 said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, 21 and I am going out 22 to examine them. Please excuse me.’ 14:20 Another 23 said, ‘I just got married, and I cannot come.’ 24 14:21 So 25 the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the master of the household was furious 26 and said to his slave, ‘Go out quickly 27 to the streets and alleys of the city, 28 and bring in the poor, 29 the crippled, 30 the blind, and the lame.’ 14:22 Then 31 the slave said, ‘Sir, what you instructed has been done, and there is still room.’ 32 14:23 So 33 the master said to his 34 slave, ‘Go out to the highways 35 and country roads 36 and urge 37 people 38 to come in, so that my house will be filled. 39 14:24 For I tell you, not one of those individuals 40 who were invited 41 will taste my banquet!’” 42
14:25 Now large crowds 43 were accompanying Jesus, 44 and turning to them he said, 14:26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate 45 his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life, 46 he cannot be my disciple. 14:27 Whoever does not carry his own cross 47 and follow 48 me cannot be my disciple. 14:28 For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t sit down 49 first and compute the cost 50 to see if he has enough money to complete it? 14:29 Otherwise, 51 when he has laid 52 a foundation and is not able to finish the tower, 53 all who see it 54 will begin to make fun of 55 him. 14:30 They will say, 56 ‘This man 57 began to build and was not able to finish!’ 58 14:31 Or what king, going out to confront another king in battle, will not sit down 59 first and determine whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose 60 the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 14:32 If he cannot succeed, 61 he will send a representative 62 while the other is still a long way off and ask for terms of peace. 63 14:33 In the same way therefore not one of you can be my disciple if he does not renounce all his own possessions. 64
14:34 “Salt 65 is good, but if salt loses its flavor, 66 how can its flavor be restored? 14:35 It is of no value 67 for the soil or for the manure pile; it is to be thrown out. 68 The one who has ears to hear had better listen!” 69