The Parable of the Wedding Feast

Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed (A)how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, (B)so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. 11 For (C)everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

The Parable of the Great Banquet

12 He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give (D)a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers[a] or your relatives or rich neighbors, (E)lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, (F)invite (G)the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid (H)at (I)the resurrection of the just.”

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 14:12 Or your brothers and sisters

A Lesson about Guests

When Jesus[a] noticed how the guests were choosing the places of honor, he told them a parable. “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, don’t sit down at the place of honor in case someone more important than you was invited by the host.[b] Then the host who invited both of you would come to you and say, ‘Give this person your place.’ In disgrace, you would have to take the place of least honor. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit down at the place of least honor. Then, when your host comes, he will tell you, ‘Friend, move up higher,’ and you will be honored in the presence of everyone who eats with you. 11 Because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the person who humbles himself will be exalted.”

12 Then he told the man who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, stop inviting only[c] your friends, brothers, relatives, or rich neighbors. Otherwise, they may invite you in return and you would be repaid. 13 Instead, when you give a banquet, make it your habit to invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14 Then you will be blessed because they can’t repay you. And you will be repaid when the righteous are resurrected.”

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 14:7 Lit. he
  2. Luke 14:8 Lit. by him
  3. Luke 14:12 The Gk. lacks only