Matthew 22:1-14 - The Parable Of The Wedding Celebration

¹ Once more Jesus answered them in parables. ² "The kingdom of heaven," he said, "may be compared to a king who made a wedding-feast for his son. ³ "He sent out his slaves to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they did not want to come. ⁴ "Again he sent out other slaves. 'Tell the invited guests,' he said, 'that my luncheon is now ready; my oxen and fat cattle are killed; everything is ready; come to the wedding-feast.'

⁵ "They, however, paid no attention, but went off, one to his own farm, another to his business; ⁶ "while the rest seized his slaves and maltreated and murdered them. ⁷ "Then the king's wrath was roused, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.

⁸ "Then he said to his slaves, "'The wedding-feast indeed is ready, but the invited guests were not worthy. ⁹ "'So go out into the partings of the highways, and summon everybody you find there to the wedding-feast.' ¹⁰ "So those slaves went out into the roads, and gathered together all whom they found, good or bad, and the banquet-hall was filled with the guests. ¹¹ "Then the king came in to inspect his guests, and he discovered there a man who had not put on a wedding-garment. He said to him, ¹² "'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding-garment?' "The man was speechless.

¹³ "'Bind him hand and foot, 'said the king to his officers, 'and cast him into the outer darkness; there will be the wailing and the gnashing of teeth.'

¹⁴ "For there are many called, but few are chosen."