¹⁵ But one of the fellow-guests heard this, and said to Him, "Happy will be the man who is fortunate enough to be at the feast in the kingdom of God."

¹⁶ Then Jesus said to him: "Once a man was giving a great dinner and invited many people to it. ¹⁷ And at the dinner hour he sent his slave to say to the invited guests, 'Come, for it is now ready.'

¹⁸ But they all in the same attitude began to excuse themselves. The first one said, 'I have just bought a piece of land and I must go and look it over. Please excuse me.'

¹⁹ Another said, 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I am on my way to try them. Please excuse me.'

²⁰ Another said, 'I have just gotten married, and so I cannot come.'

²¹ So the slave returned and reported these answers to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his slave, 'Hurry out into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor, the maimed, the crippled, and the blind.'

²² Then the slave said, 'Sir, what you ordered has been done, and still there is room.'

²³ "Then the master said to his slave, 'Go out on the roads and by the hedges and make the people come in, so that my house may be filled. ²⁴ For I tell you, not one of those people who were invited shall get a taste of my dinner!'"