The Parable of the Guests at the Wedding Feast

7 Now he told a parable to those who had been invited when he* noticed how they were choosing for themselves the places of honor, saying to them, 8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast,c do not recline at the table in the place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you has been invited by him, 9 and the one who invited you ⌊both⌋d will come and* say to you, ‘Give the place to this person,’ and then with shame you will begin to take the last place. 10 But when you are invited, go and* recline at the table in the last place, so that when the one who invited you comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then it will be an honor to you in the presence of all those who are reclining at the table with you. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

The Parable of the Great Banquet

12 And he also said to the one who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or wealthy neighbors, lest they also invite you in return, and repayment come to you. 13 But whenever you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, because they are not able to repay you. For it will be paid back to you at the resurrection of the righteous.”

15 Now when* one of those reclining at the table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is ⌊everyone who⌋e will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” 16 But he said to him, “A certain man was giving a large banquet and invited many. 17 And he sent his slave at the hour of the banquet to say to those who have been invited, ‘Come, because now it is ready!’ 18 And they all ⌊alike⌋f began to excuse themselves. The first said to him, ‘I have purchased a field, and ⌊I must⌋g go out to look at it. I ask you, consider me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have purchased five yoke of oxen, and I am going to examine them. I ask you, consider me excused.’ 20 And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and for this reason I am not able to come.’ 21 And the slave came and* reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and* said to his slave, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame!’ 22 And the slave said, ‘Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’ 23 And the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges and press them* to come in, so that my house will be filled! 24 For I say to you that none of those persons who were invited will taste my banquet!’ ”