When it was time for the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’
Parallel translations
- WEB He sent out his servant at supper time to tell those who were invited, ‘Come, for everything is ready now.’
- KJV And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.
- NKJV and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’
- NASB and at the dinner hour he sent his slave to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, because everything is ready now.’
- NLT When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
At supper time the host sends his servant to say everything is ready. God's call comes when His provision is fully prepared.
Overview
The second summons, announcing readiness, reflects the custom of confirming an earlier invitation. 'Everything is ready' pictures the completed provision of salvation in Christ. The gospel call goes out because God has fully prepared the feast and now bids guests to come.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Prov 9:1–5Wisdom has built her house; she has carved out her seven pillars.
- Matt 22:3–4He sent his servants to call those he had invited to the banquet, but they refused to come.
- John 7:37On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
- Matt 10:1–4And calling His twelve disciples to Him, Jesus gave them authority over unclean spirits, so that they could drive them out and heal every disease and sickness.
- Luke 3:4–6as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.
- 2 Cor 5:18All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:
- Acts 2:38–39Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
- Acts 13:26Brothers, children of Abraham, and you Gentiles who fear God, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent.
- Matt 11:27–29All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.
- Luke 9:1–5Then Jesus called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and power to cure diseases.
- Luke 10:1–12After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of Him to every town and place He was about to visit.
- Matt 3:1–12In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea
- Acts 3:24–26Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have proclaimed these days.
- Acts 13:38–39Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 14:17 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.