¹⁶ But he said to him, ^(A)“A man once ^(B)gave a great banquet and invited many.

^2 (A)“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave ^(B)a wedding feast for his son, ³ and ^(C)sent his servants^[a] to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. ^4 (D)Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my ^(E)dinner, ^(F)my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ ⁵ But ^(G)they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, ⁶ while the rest seized his servants, ^(H)treated them shamefully, and ^(I)killed them. ⁷ The king was angry, and he sent his troops and ^(J)destroyed those murderers and burned their city. ⁸ Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not ^(K)worthy. ⁹ Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ ¹⁰ And those servants went out into the roads and ^(L)gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.

¹¹ “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there ^(M)a man who had no wedding garment. ¹² And he said to him, ^(N)‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. ¹³ Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and ^(O)cast him into the outer darkness. In that place ^(P)there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ ¹⁴ For many are ^(Q)called, but few are ^(R)chosen.”

¹⁷ The Spirit and ^(A)the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And ^(B)let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the ^(C)water of life without price.

The Compassion of the Lord

²⁰ Behold, I stand at the door and ^(A)knock. ^(B)If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, ^(C)I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

¹⁶ But he said to him, ^(A)“A man once ^(B)gave a great banquet and invited many. ¹⁷ And at the time for the banquet he ^(C)sent his servant^[a] to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ ¹⁸ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ ¹⁹ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ ²⁰ And another said, ^(D)‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ ²¹ So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in ^(E)the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ ²² And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ ²³ And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. ²⁴ For I tell you,^{[b] (F)}none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’”

¹⁵ And he said to them, ^(A)“Go into all the world and ^(B)proclaim the gospel to ^(C)the whole creation. ^16 (D)Whoever believes and is ^(E)baptized ^(F)will be saved, but ^(G)whoever ^(H)does not believe will be condemned.