Luke 14:7-15

Parable of the Guests

7 And He began speaking a parable to the invited guests when He noticed how ¹they had been picking out the places of honor at the table, saying to them,

8 "When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, ²do not take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him,

9 and he who invited you both * will come and say to you, 'Give your place to this man,' and then ³in disgrace you proceed to occupy the last place.

10 "But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, 'Friend, ⁴move up higher '; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you.

11 "⁵For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

12 And He also went on to say to the one who had invited Him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return and that will be your repayment.

13 "But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,

14 and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at ⁶the resurrection of the righteous."

15 When one of those who were reclining at the table with Him heard this, he said to Him, "⁷Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!"

Cross References

• 1. Matthew 23:6
• 2. Proverbs 25:6, 7
• 3. Luke 3:8
• 4. Proverbs 25:6, 7
• 5. 2 Samuel 22:28; Proverbs 29:23; Matthew 23:12; Luke 1:52; Luke 18:14; James 4:10
• 6. John 5:29; Acts 24:15; Revelation 20:4, 5
• 7. Revelation 19:9

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "recline at"
• [b] Lit "begin"
• [c] Lit "recline" at the table
• [d] Or "banquet"
• [e] Or "are unable to"