Matthew 22:1-14

The Parable of the Banquet

1 Once again, Jesus spoke to them in parables: ¹

2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.

3 He sent his servants to call those he had invited to the banquet, but they refused to come.

4 Again, he sent other servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner. My oxen and fattened cattle have been killed, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

5 But they paid no attention and went away, one to his field, another to his business.

6 The rest seized his servants, mistreated them, and killed them.

7 The king was enraged, and he sent his troops to destroy those murderers and burn their city.

8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited were not worthy.

9 Go therefore to the crossroads and invite to the banquet as many as you can find.’

10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered everyone they could find, both evil and good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11 But when the king came in to see the guests, he spotted a man who was not dressed in wedding clothes.

12 ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ But the man was speechless.

13 Then the king told the servants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Cross References

• 1. (Luke 14:15–24)