Matthew 22:1-14

Living Bible

22 ^1-2 Jesus told several other stories to show what the Kingdom of Heaven is like.

“For instance,” he said, “it can be illustrated by the story of a king who prepared a great wedding dinner for his son. ³ Many guests were invited, and when the banquet was ready, he sent messengers to notify everyone that it was time to come. But all refused! ⁴ So he sent other servants to tell them, ‘Everything is ready and the roast is in the oven. Hurry!’

⁵ “But the guests he had invited merely laughed and went on about their business, one to his farm, another to his store; ⁶ others beat up his messengers and treated them shamefully, even killing some of them.

⁷ “Then the angry king sent out his army and destroyed the murderers and burned their city. ⁸ And he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, and the guests I invited aren’t worthy of the honor. ⁹ Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.’

¹⁰ “So the servants did, and brought in all they could find, good and bad alike; and the banquet hall was filled with guests. ¹¹ But when the king came in to meet the guests, he noticed a man who wasn’t wearing the wedding robe provided for him.^[a]

¹² “‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how does it happen that you are here without a wedding robe?’ And the man had no reply.

¹³ “Then the king said to his aides, ‘Bind him hand and foot and throw him out into the outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ ¹⁴ For many are called, but few are chosen.”