Luke 14:12-24

New International Reader's Version

¹² Then Jesus spoke to his host. “Suppose you give a lunch or a dinner,” he said. “Do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, or your relatives, or your rich neighbors. If you do, they may invite you to eat with them. So you will be paid back. ¹³ But when you give a banquet, invite those who are poor. Also invite those who can’t see or walk. ¹⁴ Then you will be blessed. Your guests can’t pay you back. But you will be paid back when those who are right with God rise from the dead.”

The Story of the Great Banquet

¹⁵ One of the people at the table with Jesus heard him say those things. So he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in God’s kingdom.”

¹⁶ Jesus replied, “A certain man was preparing a great banquet. He invited many guests. ¹⁷ Then the day of the banquet arrived. He sent his servant to those who had been invited. The servant told them, ‘Come. Everything is ready now.’

¹⁸ “But they all had the same idea. They began to make excuses. The first one said, ‘I have just bought a field. I have to go and see it. Please excuse me.’

¹⁹ “Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen. I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’

²⁰ “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’

²¹ “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry. He ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the town. Bring in those who are poor. Also bring those who can’t see or walk.’

²² “ ‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done. But there is still room.’

²³ “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads. Go out to the country lanes. Make the people come in. I want my house to be full. ²⁴ I tell you, not one of those people who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’ ”