29 Bible Verses about Hospitality, A Duty Of God's People

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for by this some have entertained angels unawares.

Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou shouldst bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou shouldst cover him; and that thou shouldst not hide thyself from thy own flesh?

So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said to them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master, and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.read more.
For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.

Use hospitality one to another without grudging.

A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

Let not a widow be taken into the number under sixty years old, having been the wife of one man. Well reported of for good works; if she hath brought up children, if she hath lodged strangers, if she hath washed the saints' feet, if she hath relieved the afflicted, if she hath diligently followed every good work.

But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;

The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveler.

For I was hungry, and ye gave me food: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

And if a stranger shall sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not oppress him. But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be to you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger; for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Then said he also to him that invited him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbors; lest they also invite thee again, and a recompense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: And thou shalt be blessed: for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

For if there come into your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say to him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?

I commend to you Phebe our sister, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea: That ye receive her in the Lord, as it becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succorer of many, and of myself also.

Aristarchus, my fellow-prisoner, saluteth you; and Marcus, sister's son to Barnabas, (concerning whom ye received commandments: if he should come to you, receive him;)

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: If any man shall hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

And on this mountain will the LORD of hosts make to all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.

And Jesus answered, and spoke to them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like to a certain king, who made a marriage for his son, And sent his servants to call them that were invited to the wedding: and they would not come.read more.
Again, he sent other servants, saying, Tell them who are invited, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come to the marriage. But they made light of it, and went, one to his farm, another to his merchandise. And the remnant took his servants, and treated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard of it, he was wroth: and he sent his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then he saith to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they who were invited were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, invite to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and collected all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man who had not a wedding-garment: And he saith to him, Friend, how camest thou in hither, not having a wedding-garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into utter darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.

And when one of them that sat at table with him heard these things, he said to him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. Then said he to him, A certain man made a great supper, and invited many: And sent his servant at supper-time, to say to them that were invited, Come, for all things are now ready.read more.
And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said to him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife: and therefore I cannot come. So that servant came, and showed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry, said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord said to the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say to you, that none of those men who were invited, shall taste my supper.

And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And behold, there was a man named Zaccheus, who was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the crowd, because he was little of stature.read more.
And he ran before, and climbed up upon a sycamore-tree to see him; for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said to him, Zaccheus, make haste, and come down: for to-day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. And Zaccheus stood, and said to the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him four-fold. And Jesus said to him, This day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the LORD for ever: Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth from Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee.

And whoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart from that house, or city, shake off the dust of your feet.

And whoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence shake off the dust under your feet, for a testimony against them. Verily I say to you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.

And whoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them.

Then will he say also to them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was hungry, and ye gave me no food: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.read more.
Then will they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to thee? Then will he answer them, saying, Verily I say to you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.