Common English Bible CEB
GOD'S WORD Translation GW
1 One Sabbath, when Jesus went to share a meal in the home of one of the leaders of the Pharisees, they were watching him closely.
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On a day of worship Jesus went to eat at the home of a prominent Pharisee. The guests were watching Jesus very closely.
2 A man suffering from an abnormal swelling of the body was there.
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A man whose body was swollen with fluid was there.
3 Jesus asked the lawyers and Pharisees, "Does the Law allow healing on the Sabbath or not?"
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Jesus reacted by asking the Pharisees and the experts in Moses' Teachings, "Is it right to heal on the day of worship or not?"
4 But they said nothing. Jesus took hold of the sick man, cured him, and then let him go.
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But they didn't say a thing. So Jesus took hold of the man, healed him, and sent him away.
5 He said to them, "Suppose your child or ox fell into a ditch on the Sabbath day. Wouldn't you immediately pull it out?"
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Jesus asked them, "If your son or your ox falls into a well on a day of worship, wouldn't you pull him out immediately?"
6 But they had no response.
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They couldn't argue with him about this.
7 When Jesus noticed how the guests sought out the best seats at the table, he told them a parable.
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Then Jesus noticed how the guests always chose the places of honor. So he used this illustration when he spoke to them:
8 "When someone invites you to a wedding celebration, don't take your seat in the place of honor. Someone more highly regarded than you could have been invited by your host.
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"When someone invites you to a wedding, don't take the place of honor. Maybe someone more important than you was invited.
9 The host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give your seat to this other person.' Embarrassed, you will take your seat in the least important place.
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Then your host would say to you, 'Give this person your place.' Embarrassed, you would have to take the place of least honor.
10 Instead, when you receive an invitation, go and sit in the least important place. When your host approaches you, he will say, ‘Friend, move up here to a better seat.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests.
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So when you're invited, take the place of least honor. Then, when your host comes, he will tell you, 'Friend, move to a more honorable place.' Then all the other guests will see how you are honored.
11 All who lift themselves up will be brought low, and those who make themselves low will be lifted up."
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Those who honor themselves will be humbled, but people who humble themselves will be honored."
12 Then Jesus said to the person who had invited him, "When you host a lunch or dinner, don't invite your friends, your brothers and sisters, your relatives, or rich neighbors. If you do, they will invite you in return and that will be your reward.
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Then he told the man who had invited him, "When you invite people for lunch or dinner, don't invite only your friends, family, other relatives, or rich neighbors. Otherwise, they will return the favor.
13 Instead, when you give a banquet, invite the poor, crippled, lame, and blind.
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Instead, when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the handicapped, the lame, and the blind.
14 And you will be blessed because they can't repay you. Instead, you will be repaid when the just are resurrected."
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Then you will be blessed because they don't have any way to pay you back. You will be paid back when those who have God's approval come back to life."
15 When one of the dinner guests heard Jesus' remarks, he said to Jesus, "Happy are those who will feast in God's kingdom."
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One of those eating with him heard this. So he said to Jesus, "The person who will be at the banquet in the kingdom of God is blessed."
16 Jesus replied, "A certain man hosted a large dinner and invited many people.
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Jesus said to him, "A man gave a large banquet and invited many people.
17 When it was time for the dinner to begin, he sent his servant to tell the invited guests, ‘Come! The dinner is now ready.'
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When it was time for the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who were invited, 'Come! Everything is ready now.'
18 One by one, they all began to make excuses. The first one told him, ‘I bought a farm and must go and see it. Please excuse me.'
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"Everyone asked to be excused. The first said to him, 'I bought a field, and I need to see it. Please excuse me.'
19 Another said, ‘I bought five teams of oxen, and I'm going to check on them. Please excuse me.'
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Another said, 'I bought five pairs of oxen, and I'm on my way to see how well they plow. Please excuse me.'
20 Another said, ‘I just got married, so I can't come.'
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Still another said, 'I recently got married, and that's why I can't come.'
21 When he returned, the servant reported these excuses to his master. The master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go quickly to the city's streets, the busy ones and the side streets, and bring the poor, crippled, blind, and lame.'
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"The servant went back to report this to his master. Then the master of the house became angry. He told his servant, 'Run to every street and alley in the city! Bring back the poor, the handicapped, the blind, and the lame.'
22 The servant said, ‘Master, your instructions have been followed and there is still room.'
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"The servant said, 'Sir, what you've ordered has been done. But there is still room for more people.'
23 The master said to the servant, ‘Go to the highways and back alleys and urge people to come in so that my house will be filled.
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"Then the master told his servant, 'Go to the roads and paths! Urge the people to come to my house. I want it to be full.
24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will taste my dinner.'"
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I can guarantee that none of those invited earlier will taste any food at my banquet.'"
25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus. Turning to them, he said,
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Large crowds were traveling with Jesus. He turned to them and said,
26 “Whoever comes to me and doesn't hate father and mother, spouse and children, and brothers and sisters—yes, even one's own life—cannot be my disciple.
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"If people come to me and are not ready to abandon their fathers, mothers, wives, children, brothers, and sisters, as well as their own lives, they cannot be my disciples.
27 Whoever doesn't carry their own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
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So those who do not carry their crosses and follow me cannot be my disciples.
28 “If one of you wanted to build a tower, wouldn't you first sit down and calculate the cost, to determine whether you have enough money to complete it?
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"Suppose you want to build a tower. You would first sit down and figure out what it costs. Then you would see if you have enough money to finish it.
29 Otherwise, when you have laid the foundation but couldn't finish the tower, all who see it will begin to belittle you.
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Otherwise, if you lay a foundation and can't finish the building, everyone who watches will make fun of you.
30 They will say, ‘Here's the person who began construction and couldn't complete it!'
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They'll say, 'This person started to build but couldn't finish the job.'
31 Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down to consider whether his ten thousand soldiers could go up against the twenty thousand coming against him?
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"Or suppose a king is going to war against another king. He would first sit down and think things through. Can he and his 10,000 soldiers fight against a king with 20,000 soldiers?
32 And if he didn't think he could win, he would send a representative to discuss terms of peace while his enemy was still a long way off.
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If he can't, he'll send ambassadors to ask for terms of peace while the other king is still far away.
33 In the same way, none of you who are unwilling to give up all of your possessions can be my disciple.
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In the same way, none of you can be my disciples unless you give up everything.
34 "Salt is good. But if salt loses its flavor, how will it become salty again?
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"Salt is good. But if salt loses its taste, how will you restore its flavor?
35 It has no value, neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. People throw it away. Whoever has ears to hear should pay attention."
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It's not any good for the ground or for the manure pile. People throw it away. "Let the person who has ears listen!"
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.