Matthew 22:2-13

2He said, ‘This is what the kingdom of heaven is like. A king prepared a special meal for his son's marriage.

3He asked many people to come. When the meal was ready, he sent his servants out to tell those people to come. But they refused to come.

4So the king then sent out other servants. He said to them, “Tell this message to all those people that I have asked to come. Tell them that the master says, ‘My servants have prepared the meal. They have killed my large oxen and some fat young cows to eat. Everything is ready. Now come to the marriage party!’ ”

5But the people did not think that the king's message was important. They went away to do their own work. One man went to his farm and another man went to his business.

6Other people took hold of the king's servants. They hurt them and then they killed them.

7The king was very angry. He sent his soldiers to the city where those people lived. They killed the people who killed the king's servants. They destroyed their city with fire.

8Then the king said to his other servants, “The meal for my son's marriage is ready. But the people that I had asked to come did not deserve to come.

9So go out now to the town's streets where people meet together. Ask all the people that you find there to come to the marriage party.”

10Then those servants went out into the streets. They brought to the king's house all the people that they met. Some were good people and some were bad people. Very many people came. The room for the marriage was full!

11Then the king came into the room to see all the people. He saw one man who was not wearing the right clothes for a marriage.

12The king said to the man, “How did you come in here, my friend? You are not wearing the right clothes for a marriage.” The man could not answer the king.

13The king said to his servants, “Tie his hands and his feet. Take him and throw him into the dark place outside. There, people will cry and they will bite their teeth together.”