Luke 14:7–14

Parable of the Guests

⁷And He began speaking a parable to the invited guests when He noticed how ^athey 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, ^ado not ¹take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him,

⁹and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then ^ain disgrace you ¹proceed 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, ^amove up higher’; then you will have honor in the sight of all who ¹are at the table with you.

¹¹“^aFor everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

¹²And 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 ¹reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,

¹⁴and you will be blessed, since they ¹do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at ^athe resurrection of the righteous.”