Matthew 22:1-14

The Parable of the Wedding Feast

1 And again Jesus ¹spoke to them in parables, saying,

2 ²“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave ³a wedding feast for his son,

3 and ⁴sent his servants^[a] to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come.

4 ⁵Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my ⁶dinner, ⁷my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast. ”’

5 But ⁸they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business,

6 while the rest seized his servants, ⁹treated them shamefully, and ¹⁰killed them.

7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and ¹¹destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not ¹²worthy.

9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find. ’

10 And those servants went out into the roads and ¹³gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11 “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there ¹⁴a man who had no wedding garment.

12 And he said to him, ¹⁵‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment? ’ And he was speechless.

13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and ¹⁶cast him into the outer darkness. In that place ¹⁷there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ’

14 For many are ¹⁸called, but few are ¹⁹chosen. ”

Cross References

• 1. 22:1 ch. 13:34
• 2. 22:2 For ver. 2-14, [Luke 14:16-24]
• 3. 22:2 See Rev. 19:7
• 4. 22:3 [Esth. 6:14; Prov. 9:3, 5]
• 5. 22:4 ch. 21:36
• 6. 22:4 Luke 11:38; John 21:12, 15 (Gk.)
• 7. 22:4 Prov. 9:2
• 8. 22:5 [Heb. 2:3]
• 9. 22:6 Luke 18:32; Acts 14:5; 1 Thess. 2:2
• 10. 22:6 See ch. 21:35
• 11. 22:7 ch. 21:41; Luke 19:27
• 12. 22:8 ch. 10:11; Acts 13:46; Rev. 3:4; [Luke 20:35]
• 13. 22:10 See ch. 13:47
• 14. 22:11 [Rev. 19:8; 22:14]
• 15. 22:12 ch. 20:13; 26:50
• 16. 22:13 See ch. 8:12
• 17. 22:13 See ch. 8:12
• 18. 22:14 Rev. 17:14
• 19. 22:14 Rev. 17:14

Footnotes

• [a] 22:3 Greek 'bondservants'; also verses 4, 6, 8, 10