Luke 14:29

29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you,

Luke 14:29 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
English Standard Version (ESV)
29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him,
New Living Translation (NLT)
29 Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you.
The Message Bible (MSG)
29 If you only get the foundation laid and then run out of money, you're going to look pretty foolish. Everyone passing by will poke fun at you:
American Standard Version (ASV)
29 Lest haply, when he hath laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all that behold begin to mock him,
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
29 Otherwise, if you lay a foundation and can't finish the building, everyone who watches will make fun of you.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
29 Otherwise, after he has laid the foundation and cannot finish it, all the onlookers will begin to make fun of him,
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
29 Suppose he starts building and is not able to finish. Then everyone who sees what he has done will laugh at him.

Luke 14:29 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 14:29

Lest haply after he hath laid the foundation
Has begun to build, has taken up a profession, has submitted to ordinances, and got into a church state:

and is not able to finish it;
a foundation may be laid, and the building may never be finished, because the foundation is not laid right; was it, it would continue, and the building go on, and at last be finished; though no man is able to finish it of himself, yet those hands which have laid the foundation, will raise up the superstructure, and complete the whole building, through the power and efficacy of divine grace: but where there is a beginning, and which at first looks well, and there is no progress, but the work is dropped and left unfinished,

all that behold it, begin to mock;
as follows;

Luke 14:29 In-Context

27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?
29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you,
30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’
31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?
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