7 And He began speaking a parable to the invitedguests when He noticedhow6they had been picking out the places of honor at the table, saying to them,
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"When you are invited by someone to a weddingfeast, 7do not take the place of honor, for someone moredistinguished than you may have beeninvited by him,
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and he who invited you both* will come and say to you, 'Give your place to thisman,' and then8in disgrace you proceed to occupy the lastplace.
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"But when you are invited, go and recline at the lastplace, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, 'Friend, 9move up higher '; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you.
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"10For everyone who exaltshimself will be humbled, and he who humbleshimself will be exalted."
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And He also went on to say to the one who had invited Him, "When you give a luncheonor a dinner, do not invite your friendsor your brothersor your relativesorrichneighbors, otherwise they may alsoinvite you in return and that will be your repayment.
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"But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,
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and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at 11the resurrection of the righteous."
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When one of those who were reclining at the table with Him heardthis, he said to Him, "12Blessed is everyonewho will eatbread in the kingdom of God!"
Parable of the Dinner
16 But He said to him, "13A man was giving a bigdinner, and he invitedmany;
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and at the dinnerhour he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, 'Come; for everything is readynow.'
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"But they allalike*began to makeexcuses. The firstonesaid to him, 'I have bought a piece of land and I need to go out and look at it; pleaseconsider me excused.'
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"Anotheronesaid, 'I have boughtfiveyoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; pleaseconsider me excused.'
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"Anotheronesaid, '14I have married a wife, and for that reason I cannot*come.'
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"And the slavecame back and reportedthis to his master. Then the head of the household became angry and said to his slave, 'Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame.'
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"And the slavesaid, 'Master, what you commanded has beendone, and still there is room.'
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"And the mastersaid to the slave, 'Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled.
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'For I tell you, none of thosemen who were invited shall taste of my dinner.' "