Luke 14:12-24 - The Parable Of The Great Banquet

¹² Also to his host who had invited him, he continued, saying. "When you are making a dinner-party or a supper, do not invite your friends, or your brothers, or your relatives, or your rich neighbors, lest it chance that they invite you in return, and a recompense be made by you. ¹³ "But when you make a reception, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. ¹⁴ "Then you will be blessed, because they have no means to repay you, but you shall be paid in the Resurrection of the Just."

¹⁵ One of his fellow guest who was listening to him, said to him, "Blessed are those who eat bread in the kingdom of God."

¹⁶ Jesus answered. "A certain man was making a great feast to which he invited many guests. ¹⁷ "At dinnertime he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, 'Come, for all things are now ready.'

¹⁸ "And they all, without exception, proceeded to excuse themselves. The first told him. 'I have bought a field, and must needs go and see it. Pray have me excused.'

¹⁹ "The second said: 'I have bought five yolk of oxen and am on my way to try them. I pray that you will have me excused.'

²⁰ "'I have taken a wife,' said the another, 'and for that reason I am unable to come.'

²¹ "So the slave came and presented all these answers to his master. Then the master of the house was indignant, and said to his slave. 'Go out, quickly, into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in hither the poor, the maimed, the blind, the lame.'

²² "And the slave said, 'My master, your orders have been carried out, but yet there is room.'

²³ "Said the master to his slave. 'Go out into the roads and the hedges, and make them come in, so that my house may be filled. ²⁴ "'For I tell you that not one of those invited guests shall taste my supper.'"