and ‘with their hands they will lift you up, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” ¹ 

“A sower went out to sow ¹  his seed. ²  And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled on, and the wild birds ³  devoured it.

So ¹  the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this man your place.’ Then, ashamed, ²  you will begin to move to the least important ³  place.

As he approached the road leading down from ¹  the Mount of Olives, ²  the whole crowd of his ³  disciples began to rejoice ⁴  and praise ⁵  God with a loud voice for all the mighty works ⁶  they had seen: ⁷ 

They ¹  will fall by the edge ²  of the sword and be led away as captives ³  among all nations. Jerusalem ⁴  will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. ⁵ 

For Jesus ¹  had started commanding ²  the evil ³  spirit to come out of the man. (For it had seized him many times, so ⁴  he would be bound with chains and shackles ⁵  and kept under guard. But ⁶  he would break the restraints and be driven by the demon into deserted ⁷  places.) ⁸ 

But when you are invited, go and take the least important place, so that when your host ¹  approaches he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up here to a better place.’ ²  Then you will be honored in the presence of all who share the meal with you.