²⁹ The bride belongs to the bridegroom.^(A) The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.^{(B) 30} He must become greater; I must become less.”^[a]

³¹ The one who comes from above^(C) is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth.^(D) The one who comes from heaven is above all. ³² He testifies to what he has seen and heard,^(E) but no one accepts his testimony.^{(F) 33} Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. ³⁴ For the one whom God has sent^(G) speaks the words of God, for God^[b] gives the Spirit^(H) without limit. ³⁵ The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.^{(I) 36} Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,^(J) but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

² “The kingdom of heaven is like^(A) a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

25 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like^(A) ten virgins who took their lamps^(B) and went out to meet the bridegroom.^(C)

¹⁰ “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet.^(A) And the door was shut.

³⁶ like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him.

²³ For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church,^(A) his body, of which he is the Savior.

⁶ Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude,^(A) like the roar of rushing waters^(B) and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:

(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts^(J) of God’s holy people.)

⁹ Then the angel said to me,^(K) “Write this:^(L) Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!”^(M) And he added, “These are the true words of God.”^(N)