Matthew 22:2–14

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 11}But when^* the king came in to see the dinner guests,^b he saw a man there not dressed in wedding clothes. ¹²And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here, not having wedding clothes?’ But he could say nothing.^{c 13}Then the king said to the servants, ‘Tie him up hand and foot^d and^* throw him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!’ ¹⁴For many are called but few are chosen.”