Matthew 22:1-14

The Parable of the Wedding Banquet

1 Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables:

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

3 He sent out his slaves to summon those invited to the banquet, but they didn't want to come.

4 Again, he sent out other slaves, and said, 'Tell those who are invited: Look, I've prepared my dinner; my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet. '

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

6 And the others seized his slaves, treated them outrageously and killed them.

7 The king ^[a] was enraged, so he sent out his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned down their city.

8 "Then he told his slaves, 'The banquet is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.

9 Therefore, go to where the roads exit the city and invite everyone you find to the banquet.'

10 So those slaves went out on the roads and gathered everyone they found, both evil and good. The wedding banquet was filled with guests. ^[b]

11 But when the king came in to view the guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed for a wedding.

12 So he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless.

13 "Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him up hand and foot, ^[c] and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

14 "For many are invited, but few are chosen."

Footnotes

• [a] Other mss read But when the (that) king heard about it he
• [b] Lit those reclining (to eat)
• [c] Other mss add take him away