18
And all began, without exception, to excuse themselves. The first said to him, I have bought land, and I must go out and see it; I pray thee hold me for excused.
19
And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them; I pray thee hold me for excused.
20
And another said, I have married a wife, and on this account I cannot come.
21
And the bondman came up and brought back word of these things to his lord. Then the master of the house, in anger, said to his bondman, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring here the poor and crippled and lame and blind.
22
And the bondman said, Sir, it is done as thou hast commanded, and there is still room.
23
And the lord said to the bondman, Go out into the ways and fences and compel to come in, that my house may be filled;
24
for I say to you, that not one of those men who were invited shall taste of my supper.
25
And great crowds went with him; and, turning round, he said to them,
26
If any man come to me, and shall not hate his own father and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, yea, and his own life too, he cannot be my disciple;
27
and whoever does not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
28
For which of you, desirous of building a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, if he have what [is needed] to complete it;
29
in order that, having laid the foundation of it, and not being able to finish it, all who see it do not begin to mock at him,
30
saying, This man began to build and was not able to finish?
31
Or what king, going on his way to engage in war with another king, does not, sitting down first, take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him coming against him with twenty thousand?
32
and if not, while he is yet far off, having sent an embassy, he asks for terms of peace.
33
Thus then every one of you who forsakes not all that is his own cannot be my disciple.
34
Salt [then] [is] good, but if the salt also has become savourless, wherewith shall it be seasoned?
35
It is proper neither for land nor for dung; it is cast out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.