Matthew 22:1–10

The Parable of the Wedding Celebration

22And continuing, Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, ²“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man—a king—who gave a wedding celebration for his son. ³And he sent his slaves to summon those who had been invited to the wedding celebration, and they did not want to come. ⁴Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding celebration!” ’ ⁵But they paid no attention and^* went away—this one to his own field, that one to his business. ⁶And the others, seizing his slaves, mistreated them^* and killed them.^{* 7}And the king was angry and sent his troops and^* destroyed those murderers and burned their city. ⁸Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding celebration is ready, but those who had been invited were not worthy. ⁹Therefore, go out to the places where the roads exit the city and invite to the wedding celebration as many people as you find.’ ¹⁰And those slaves went out into the roads and^* gathered everyone whom they found, both evil and good, and the wedding celebration was filled with dinner guests.^a