Luke 14 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
BBE Bible in Basic English
WEB World English Bible (Classic, with Deuterocanon)
PT1904 Patriarchal Text 1904 (accented, eBible edition)
1 And it came about that when he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees on the Sabbath, to have a meal, they were watching him.
1 When he went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees on a Sabbath to eat bread, they were watching him.
1 Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ ἐλθεῖν αὐτὸν εἰς οἶκόν τινος τῶν ἀρχόντων τῶν Φαρισαίων σαββάτῳ φαγεῖν ἄρτον, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἦσαν παρατηρούμενοι αὐτόν.
2 And a certain man was there who had a disease.
2 Behold, a certain man who had dropsy was in front of him.
2 καὶ ἰδοὺ ἄνθρωπός τις ἦν ὑδρωπικὸς ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ.
3 And Jesus, answering, said to the scribes and Pharisees, Is it right to make people well on the Sabbath or not?
3 Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”
3 καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπε πρὸς τοὺς νομικοὺς καὶ Φαρισαίους λέγων· εἰ ἔξεστι τῷ σαββάτῳ θεραπεύειν;
4 But they said nothing. And he made him well and sent him away.
4 But they were silent. He took him, and healed him, and let him go.
4 οἱ δὲ ἡσύχασαν. καὶ ἐπιλαβόμενος ἰάσατο αὐτὸν καὶ ἀπέλυσε.
5 And he said to them, Which of you, whose ox or ass has got into a water-hole, will not straight away get him out on the Sabbath?
5 He answered them, “Which of you, if your son or an ox fell into a well, wouldn’t immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day?”
5 καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς πρὸς αὐτοὺς εἶπε· τίνος ὑμῶν υἱὸς ἢ βοῦς εἰς φρέαρ ἐμπεσεῖται, καὶ οὐκ εὐθέως ἀνασπάσει αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ σαββάτου;
6 And they had no answer to that question.
6 They couldn’t answer him regarding these things.
6 καὶ οὐκ ἴσχυσαν ἀνταποκριθῆναι αὐτῷ πρὸς ταῦτα.
7 And he gave teaching in the form of a story to the guests who came to the feast, when he saw how they took the best seats; saying to them,
7 He spoke a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the best seats, and said to them,
7 Ἔλεγε δὲ πρὸς τοὺς κεκλημένους παραβολήν, ἐπέχων πῶς τὰς πρωτοκλισίας ἐξελέγοντο, λέγων πρὸς αὐτούς·
8 When you get a request to come to a feast, do not take the best seat, for a more important man than you may be coming,
8 “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the best seat, since perhaps someone more honorable than you might be invited by him,
8 ὅταν κληθῇς ὑπό τινος εἰς γάμους, μὴ κατακλιθῇς εἰς τὴν πρωτοκλισίαν, μήποτε ἐντιμότερός σου ᾖ κεκλημένος ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ,
9 And then the giver of the feast will come to you and say, Give your place to this man; and you, with shame, will have to take the lowest seat.
9 and he who invited both of you would come and tell you, ‘Make room for this person.’ Then you would begin, with shame, to take the lowest place.
9 καὶ ἐλθὼν ὁ σὲ καὶ αὐτὸν καλέσας ἐρεῖ σοι· δὸς τούτῳ τόπον· καὶ τότε ἄρξῃ μετ᾽ αἰσχύνης τὸν ἔσχατον τόπον κατέχειν.
10 But when you come, go and take the lowest seat, so that when the giver of the feast comes, he may say to you, Friend, come up higher; and then you will have honour in the eyes of all the others who are there.
10 But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes, he may tell you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you.
10 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.
11 For every man who gives himself a high place will be put down, but he who takes a low place will be lifted up.
11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
11 ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ὑψῶν ἑαυτὸν ταπεινωθήσεται καὶ ὁ ταπεινῶν ἑαυτὸν ὑψωθήσεται.
12 And he said to the master of the house, When you give a feast, do not send for your friends and your brothers and your family or your neighbours who have wealth, for they may give a feast for you, and so you will get a reward.
12 He also said to the one who had invited him, “When you make a dinner or a supper, don’t call your friends, nor your brothers, nor your kinsmen, nor rich neighbors, or perhaps they might also return the favor, and pay you back.
12 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 γενήσεταί σοι ἀνταπόδομα.
13 But when you give a feast, send for the poor and the blind and those who are broken in body:
13 But when you make a feast, ask the poor, the maimed, the lame, or the blind;
13 ἀλλ᾽ ὅταν ποιῇς δοχήν, κάλει πτωχούς, ἀναπήρους, χωλούς, τυφλούς,
14 And you will have a blessing, because they will not be able to give you any payment, and you will get your reward when the upright come back from the dead.
14 and you will be blessed, because they don’t have the resources to repay you. For you will be repaid in the resurrection of the righteous.”
14 καὶ μακάριος ἔσῃ, ὅτι οὐκ ἔχουσιν ἀνταποδοῦναί σοι· ἀνταποδοθήσεται γάρ σοι ἐν τῇ ἀναστάσει τῶν δικαίων.
15 And, hearing these words, one of those who were at table with him said to him, Happy is the man who will be a guest in the kingdom of God.
15 When one of those who sat at the table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is he who will feast in God’s Kingdom!”
15 Ἀκούσας δέ τις τῶν συνανακειμένων ταῦτα εἶπεν αὐτῷ· μακάριος ὃς φάγεται ἄριστον ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ.
16 And he said to them, A certain man gave a great feast, and sent word of it to a number of people.
16 But he said to him, “A certain man made a great supper, and he invited many people.
16 ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ἄνθρωπός τις ἐποίησε δεῖπνον μέγα καὶ ἐκάλεσε πολλούς·
17 And when the time had come, he sent his servants to say to them, Come, for all things are now ready.
17 He sent out his servant at supper time to tell those who were invited, ‘Come, for everything is ready now.’
17 καὶ ἀπέστειλε τὸν δοῦλον αὐτοῦ τῇ ὥρᾳ τοῦ δείπνου εἰπεῖν τοῖς κεκλημένοις· ἔρχεσθε, ὅτι ἤδη ἕτοιμά ἐστι πάντα.
18 And they all gave reasons why they were not able to come. The first said to him, I have got a new field, and it is necessary for me to go and see it: I am full of regret that I am unable to come.
18 They all as one began to make excuses. “The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please have me excused.’
18 καὶ ἤρξαντο ἀπὸ μιᾶς παραιτεῖσθαι πάντες. ὁ πρῶτος εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ἀγρὸν ἠγόρασα, καὶ ἔχω ἀνάγκην ἐξελθεῖν καὶ ἰδεῖν αὐτόν· ἐρωτῶ σε, ἔχε με παρῃτημένον.
19 And another said, I have got some cattle, and I am going to make a test of them: I am full of regret that I am unable to come.
19 “Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I must go try them out. Please have me excused.’
19 καὶ ἕτερος εἶπε· ζεύγη βοῶν ἠγόρασα πέντε, καὶ πορεύομαι δοκιμάσαι αὐτά· ἐρωτῶ σε, ἔχε με παρῃτημένον.
20 And another said, I have been married, and so I am not able to come.
20 “Another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I can’t come.’
20 καὶ ἕτερος εἶπε· γυναῖκα ἔγημα, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο οὐ δύναμαι ἐλθεῖν.
21 And the servant came back and gave his master an account of these things. Then the master of the house was angry and said to the servant, Go out quickly into the streets of the town and get the poor, the blind, and those who are broken in body.
21 “That servant came, and told his lord these things. 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 the poor, maimed, blind, and lame.’
21 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.
22 And the servant said, Lord, your orders have been done, and still there is room.
22 “The servant said, ‘Lord, it is done as you commanded, and there is still room.’
22 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ δοῦλος· κύριε, γέγονεν ὡς ἐπέταξας, καὶ ἔτι τόπος ἐστί.
23 And the lord said to the servant, Go out into the roads and the fields, and make them come in, so that my house may be full.
23 “The lord said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
23 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ κύριος πρὸς τὸν δοῦλον· ἔξελθε εἰς τὰς ὁδοὺς καὶ φραγμοὺς καὶ ἀνάγκασον εἰσελθεῖν, ἵνα γεμισθῇ ὁ οἶκος μου.
24 For I say to you that not one of those who were requested to come will have a taste of my feast.
24 For I tell you that none of those men who were invited will taste of my supper. For many are called, but few are chosen.’”
24 λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν ὅτι οὐδεὶς τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐκείνων τῶν κεκλημένων γεύσεταί μου τοῦ δείπνου.
25 Now a great number of people went with him.
25 Now great multitudes were going with him. He turned and said to them,
25 Συνεπορεύοντο δὲ αὐτῷ ὄχλοι πολλοί. καὶ στραφεὶς εἶπε πρὸς αὐτούς·
26 And turning round, he said to them, If any man comes to me, and has not hate for his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, and even for his life, he may not be my disciple.
26 “If anyone comes to me, and doesn’t disregard his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he can’t be my disciple.
26 εἴ τις ἔρχεται πρός με καὶ οὐ μισεῖ τὸν πατέρα ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τὴν μητέρα καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα καὶ τὰ τέκνα καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς καὶ τὰς ἀδελφάς, ἔτι δὲ καὶ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχήν, οὐ δύναταί μου μαθητὴς εἶναι.
27 Whoever does not take up his cross and come after me may not be my disciple.
27 Whoever doesn’t bear his own cross and come after me, can’t be my disciple.
27 καὶ ὅστις οὐ βαστάζει τὸν σταυρὸν ἑαυτοῦ καὶ ἔρχεται ὀπίσω μου, οὐ δύναται εἶναί μου μαθητής.
28 For which of you, desiring to put up a tower, does not first give much thought to the price, if he will have enough to make it complete?
28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and count the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it?
28 τίς γὰρ ἐξ ὑμῶν, θέλων πύργον οἰκοδομῆσαι, οὐχὶ πρῶτον καθίσας ψηφίζει τὴν δαπάνην, εἰ ἔχει τὰ πρὸς ἀπαρτισμόν;
29 For fear that if he makes a start and is not able to go on with it to the end, all who see it will be laughing at him,
29 Or perhaps, when he has laid a foundation and isn’t able to finish, everyone who sees begins to mock him,
29 ἵνα μήποτε, θέντος αὐτοῦ θεμέλιον καὶ μὴ ἰσχύσαντος ἐκτελέσαι, πάντες οἱ θεωροῦντες ἄρξωνται αὐτῷ ἐμπαίζειν,
30 And saying, This man made a start at building and is not able to make it complete.
30 saying, ‘This man began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’
30 λέγοντες ὅτι οὗτος ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἤρξατο οἰκοδομεῖν καὶ οὐκ ἴσχυσεν ἐκτελέσαι;
31 Or what king, going to war with another king, will not first take thought if he will be strong enough, with ten thousand men, to keep off him who comes against him with twenty thousand?
31 Or what king, as he goes to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?
31 ἢ τίς βασιλεύς, πορευόμενος συμβαλεῖν ἑτέρῳ βασιλεῖ εἰς πόλεμον, οὐχὶ πρῶτον καθίσας βουλεύεται εἰ δυνατός ἐστιν ἐν δέκα χιλιάσιν ἀπαντῆσαι τῷ μετὰ εἴκοσι χιλιάδων ἐρχομένῳ ἐπ᾽ αὐτόν;
32 Or while the other is still a great distance away, he sends representatives requesting conditions of peace.
32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an envoy and asks for conditions of peace.
32 εἰ δὲ μήγε, ἔτι πόρρω αὐτοῦ ὄντος πρεσβείαν ἀποστείλας ἐρωτᾷ τὰ πρὸς εἰρήνην.
33 And so whoever is not ready to give up all he has may not be my disciple.
33 So therefore, whoever of you who doesn’t renounce all that he has, he can’t be my disciple.
33 οὕτως οὖν πᾶς ἐξ ὑμῶν, ὃς οὐκ ἀποτάσσεται πᾶσι τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ ὑπάρχουσιν, οὐ δύναται εἶναί μου μαθητής.
34 For salt is good, but if the taste goes from it, of what use is it?
34 “Salt is good, but if the salt becomes flat and tasteless, with what do you season it?
34 Καλὸν τὸ ἅλας· ἐὰν δὲ καὶ τὸ ἅλας μωρανθῇ, ἐν τίνι ἀρτυθήσεται;
35 It is no good for the land or for the place of waste; no one has a use for it. He who has ears, let him give ear.
35 It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. It is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
35 οὔτε εἰς γῆν οὔτε εἰς κοπρίαν εὔθετόν ἐστιν· ἔξω βάλλουσιν αὐτό. ὁ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκούειν ἀκουέτω.
Cross references (32)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Mark 3:2; Psalm 62:4; Luke 20:20; Proverbs 23:7; Luke 6:7
- 3 Luke 6:9; Matthew 12:10; Mark 3:4; Luke 13:14–16; John 7:23
- 4 Matthew 22:46; Matthew 21:25–27
- 5 Luke 13:15; Exodus 23:4–5; Matthew 12:11–12
- 6 Luke 20:40; Acts 6:10; Luke 20:26; Luke 21:15; Luke 13:17
- 7 Philippians 2:3; Luke 11:43; Matthew 23:6; Luke 20:46; Mark 12:38–39
- 8 Proverbs 25:6–7
- 9 Proverbs 16:18; Proverbs 11:2; Proverbs 3:35; Esther 6:6–12; Ezekiel 28:2–10
- 10 Proverbs 25:6–7; Proverbs 15:33; Isaiah 60:14; Revelation 3:9; 1 Samuel 15:17
- 11 Luke 18:14; Matthew 23:12; Proverbs 29:23; James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5
- 12 James 2:1–6; Matthew 5:46; Proverbs 22:16; Luke 6:32–36; Proverbs 14:20
- 13 Luke 14:21; Isaiah 58:10; Proverbs 14:31; Isaiah 58:7; Job 29:15–16
- 14 Proverbs 19:17; Acts 24:15; John 5:29; Matthew 6:4; Matthew 25:34–40
- 15 Revelation 19:9; Luke 22:30; Luke 13:29; Matthew 25:10; Matthew 8:11
- 16 Matthew 22:2–14; Revelation 22:17; Isaiah 55:1–7; Luke 14:16–24; Isaiah 25:6–7
- 17 Proverbs 9:1–5; John 7:37; Matthew 22:3–4; Luke 3:4–6; Matthew 10:1–4
- 18 Luke 18:24; Luke 17:26–31; 1 Timothy 6:9–10; Isaiah 29:11–12; Acts 18:5–6
- 20 Deuteronomy 24:5; 1 Corinthians 7:33; Luke 18:29–30; Luke 14:26–28; 1 Corinthians 7:29–31
- 21 Luke 14:13; Matthew 11:5; Luke 14:24; Matthew 22:7–8; Hebrews 2:3
- 22 John 14:2; 1 Timothy 2:5–6; Colossians 2:9; Ephesians 3:8; Revelation 7:4–9
- 23 Matthew 22:9–10; Colossians 1:28; 2 Corinthians 5:11; Acts 13:47–48; 2 Timothy 4:2
- 24 Matthew 21:43; Acts 13:46; Matthew 22:8; John 3:36; John 8:24
- 25 John 6:24–27
- 26 Matthew 10:37; John 12:25; Philippians 3:8; Acts 20:24; Psalm 73:25–26
- 27 Matthew 10:38; Luke 9:23–25; Mark 10:21; Matthew 16:24–26; Mark 8:34–37
- 28 Proverbs 24:27; Matthew 10:22; Joshua 24:19–24; Luke 14:33; Acts 21:13
- 30 Hebrews 6:11; 2 John 8; Hebrews 6:4–8; 2 Peter 2:19–22; Hebrews 10:38
- 31 Proverbs 20:18; Proverbs 25:8; 1 Kings 20:11; 2 Kings 18:20–22
- 32 Acts 12:20; 2 Kings 10:4–5; Job 40:9; Luke 12:58; James 4:6–10
- 33 Philippians 3:7–8; 1 John 2:15–16; Luke 5:28; Luke 14:26; Luke 18:28–30
- 34 Matthew 5:13; Colossians 4:6; Mark 9:49–50; Hebrews 2:4–8
- 35 Matthew 11:15; Revelation 2:11; Revelation 2:7; Luke 9:44; Matthew 13:9
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
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 observations. In the Apostolic lesson thanks are rendered unto the Lord for the faith of the Gentiles, of course, because it was His work.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
They then represent the Saviour as having indicated this twofold faculty: first, the sustaining power, when He said, "Whosoever doth not bear his cross (Stauros), and follow after me, cannot be my disciple;" and again, "Taking up the cross, follow me;" but the separating power when He said, "I came not to send peace, but a sword." They also maintain …
Thus both of them, being now Thine, were building a tower at the necessary cost, --of forsaking all that they had and following Thee.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
For this reason Luke saith, "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple;" not commanding simply to hate them, since this were even quite contrary to the law; but "when one desires to be loved more …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
John, therefore, did distinctly foresee the first "resurrection of the just," and the inheritance in the kingdom of the earth; and what the prophets have prophesied concerning it harmonize [with his vision].