LUK 14:15-24

The Parable of the Banquet

15When one of those reclining with him heard these things, he said to him, "Blessed is the one who will eat bread in the kingdom of God."

16Jesus said to him: "A man was giving a great supper and invited many.

17And he sent his slave at the hour of the supper to say to those invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.'

18And they all alike began to beg off. The first said to him, 'I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. I ask you, have me excused.'

19And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you, have me excused.'

20And another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.'

21So the slave came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house was angry and said to his slave, 'Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the destitute and crippled and blind and lame.'

22And the slave said, 'Master, what you commanded has been done, and there is still room.'

23And the master said to the slave, 'Go out to the roads and hedgerows and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled.

24For I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my supper.'"

In the world it was spoken into

In the 1st century, a (banquet) was a significant social event, deeply tied to honor and reciprocity. Invitations were not merely casual; they carried obligations of attendance and reinforced social bonds. The host’s honor depended on the presence of esteemed guests, while guests were expected to reciprocate with loyalty or future invitations. The parable’s host, preparing a great supper, would have been a figure of wealth and status, likely seeking to display his generosity and secure his social standing. The excuses given by the invited guests—buying a field, testing oxen—reflect common economic activities but also reveal their prioritization of personal gain over social obligation. The host’s response, sending his (slave) to bring in the (destitute) and marginalized, overturns social expectations. In a culture where honor was paramount, this act would have been shocking, as it elevated the lowly and excluded the elite, redefining the criteria for inclusion in the banquet.

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How other translations render this

LUK 14:15

KJV: And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.
BSB: When one of those reclining with Him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is everyone who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
Koinōnos: When one of those reclining with him heard these things, he said to him, "Blessed is the one who will eat bread in the kingdom of God.

LUK 14:16

KJV: Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:
BSB: But Jesus replied, “A certain man prepared a great banquet and invited many guests.
Koinōnos: Jesus said to him: "A man was giving a great supper and invited many.

LUK 14:17

KJV: And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.
BSB: When it was time for the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’
Koinōnos: And he sent his slave at the hour of the supper to say to those invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.

LUK 14:18

KJV: And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.
BSB: But one after another they all began to make excuses. The first one said, ‘I have bought a field, and I need to go see it. Please excuse me.’
Koinōnos: And they all alike began to beg off. The first said to him, 'I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. I ask you, have me excused.

LUK 14:19

KJV: And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.
BSB: Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out. Please excuse me.’
Koinōnos: And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you, have me excused.

LUK 14:20

KJV: And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.
BSB: Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, so I cannot come.’
Koinōnos: And another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.

LUK 14:21

KJV: So that servant came, and shewed 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.
BSB: The servant returned and reported all this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’
Koinōnos: So the slave came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house was angry and said to his slave, 'Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the destitute and crippled and blind and lame.

LUK 14:22

KJV: And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.
BSB: ‘Sir,’ the servant replied, ‘what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’
Koinōnos: And the slave said, 'Master, what you commanded has been done, and there is still room.

LUK 14:23

KJV: And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
BSB: So the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.
Koinōnos: And the master said to the slave, 'Go out to the roads and hedgerows and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled.

LUK 14:24

KJV: For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.
BSB: For I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will taste my banquet.’”
Koinōnos: For I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my supper.'

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

LUK 14:16

a supper:The word translated 'a supper' refers specifically to the main meal of the day, typically eaten in the evening, which was often the most elaborate and significant social gathering.

LUK 14:17

servant:The word translated 'servant' here refers to a slave, someone who was legally owned and had no personal rights, rather than a hired employee.

LUK 14:18

to excuse themselves.:The phrase translated 'to excuse themselves' carries the sense of begging off or asking to be spared from an obligation, often with a plea or an appeal.

LUK 14:21

the:The word translated 'the poor' describes someone who is utterly destitute, a beggar dependent on charity, not merely someone of low economic status.