Luke 14:1–24

¹And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the rulers, who was of the Pharisees, to eat bread on the sabbath, that they were watching him. ²And behold, there was a certain dropsical man before him. ³And Jesus answering spoke unto the doctors of the law and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath? ⁴But they were silent. And taking him he healed him and let him go. ⁵And answering he said to them, Of which of you shall an ass or ox fall into a well, that he does not straightway pull him up on the sabbath day? ⁶And they were not able to answer him to these things.

⁷And he spoke a parable to those that were invited, remarking how they chose out the first places, saying to them, ⁸When thou art invited by any one to a wedding, do not lay thyself down in the first place at table, lest perhaps a more honourable than thou be invited by him, ⁹and he who invited thee and him come and say to thee, Give place to this man, and then thou begin with shame to take the last place. ¹⁰But when thou hast been invited, go and put thyself down in the last place, that when he who has invited thee comes, he may say to thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have honour before all that are lying at table with thee; ¹¹for every one that exalts himself shall be abased, and he that abases himself shall be exalted. ¹²And he said also to him that had invited him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, nor thy kinsfolk, nor rich neighbours, lest it may be they also should invite thee in return, and a recompense be made thee. ¹³But when thou makest a feast, call poor, crippled, lame, blind: ¹⁴and thou shalt be blessed; for they have not the means to recompense thee; for it shall be recompensed thee in the resurrection of the just.

¹⁵And one of those that were lying at table with them, hearing these things, said to him, Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. ¹⁶And he said to him, A certain man made a great supper and invited many. ¹⁷And he sent his bondman at the hour of supper to say to those who were invited, Come, for already all things are ready. ¹⁸And all began, without exception, to excuse themselves. The first said to him, I have bought land, and I must go out and see it; I pray thee hold me for excused. ¹⁹And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them; I pray thee hold me for excused. ²⁰And another said, I have married a wife, and on this account I cannot come. ²¹And the bondman came up and brought back word of these things to his lord. Then the master of the house, in anger, said to his bondman, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring here the poor and crippled and lame and blind. ²²And the bondman said, Sir, it is done as thou hast commanded, and there is still room. ²³And the lord said to the bondman, Go out into the ways and fences and compel to come in, that my house may be filled; ²⁴for I say to you, that not one of those men who were invited shall taste of my supper.