The Parable of the Wedding Celebration

22 And 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. 3 And he sent his slaves to summon those who had been invited to the wedding celebration, and they did not want to come. 4 Again 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!” ’ 5 But they paid no attention and[fn] went away—this one to his own field, that one to his business. 6 And the others, seizing his slaves, mistreated them[fn] and killed them.[fn] 7 And the king was angry and sent his troops and[fn] destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding celebration is ready, but those who had been invited were not worthy. 9 Therefore, go out to the places where the roads exit the city and invite to the wedding celebration as many people as you find.’ 10 And those slaves went out into the roads and[fn] gathered everyone whom they found, both evil and good, and the wedding celebration was filled with dinner guests.[fn] 11 But when[fn] the king came in to see the dinner guests,[fn] he saw a man there not dressed in wedding clothes. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here, not having wedding clothes?’ But he could say nothing.[fn] 13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Tie him up hand and foot[fn] and[fn] throw him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!’ 14 For many are called but few are chosen.”