Jesus asked them, "The wedding guests can't mourn as long as the groom is with them, can they? But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast."

"A wedding song we played for you, the dance you all did scorn. A woeful dirge we chanted, too, but then you would not mourn.'

"The kingdom from heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son.

He sent his servants to call those who had been invited to the wedding, but they refused to come.

So he sent other servants after saying, "Tell those who have been invited, "Look! I've prepared my dinner. My oxen and fattened calves have been slaughtered. Everything is ready. Come to the wedding!"'

"Then he told his servants, "The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.

So go into the roads leading out of town and invite as many people as you can find to the wedding.'

Those servants went out into the streets and brought in everyone they found, evil and good alike, and the wedding hall was packed with guests.

"When the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes.

He asked him, "Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' But the man was speechless.

"While they were away buying it, the groom arrived. Those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet, and the door was closed.