But they could not reply to this.

They will say, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish!’

Now a woman was there who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years but could not be healed by anyone.

“Exert every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.

Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish the tower, all who see it will begin to make fun of him.

Thus they were unable in the presence of the people to trap him with his own words. And stunned by his answer, they fell silent.

Then the manager said to himself, ‘What should I do, since my master is taking my position away from me? I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m too ashamed to beg.

He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep, and laid the foundation on bedrock. When a flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built.