16. But Jesus said to him, A man was once giving a great supper and invited many;
17. And at the hour for the supper he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, Come, for all is now ready.
18. But they all alike began to make excuses and to beg off. The first said to him, I have bought a piece of land, and I have to go out and see it; I beg you, have me excused.
19. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to examine and put my approval on them; I beg you, have me excused.
20. And another said, I have married a wife, and because of this I am unable to come. [Deut. 24:5.]
21. So the servant came and reported these [answers] to his master. Then the master of the house said in wrath to his servant, Go quickly into the great streets and the small streets of the city and bring in here the poor and the disabled and the blind and the lame.
22. And the servant [returning] said, Sir, what you have commanded me to do has been done, and yet there is room.
23. Then the master said to the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges and urge and constrain [them] to yield and come in, so that my house may be filled.
24. For I tell you, not one of those who were invited shall taste my supper.
25. Now huge crowds were going along with [Jesus], and He turned and said to them,
26. If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his [own] father and mother [in the sense of indifference to or relative disregard for them in comparison with his attitude toward God] and [likewise] his wife and children and brothers and sisters–[yes] and even his own life also–he cannot be My disciple.
27. Whoever does not persevere and carry his own cross and come after (follow) Me cannot be My disciple.
28. For which of you, wishing to build a farm building, does not first sit down and calculate the cost [to see] whether he has sufficient means to finish it?
29. Otherwise, when he has laid the foundation and is unable to complete [the building], all who see it will begin to mock and jeer at him,
30. Saying, This man began to build and was not able (worth enough) to finish.
31. Or what king, going out to engage in conflict with another king, will not first sit down and consider and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand [men] to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?
32. And if he cannot [do so], when the other king is still a great way off, he sends an envoy and asks the terms of peace.