1. Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables,
saying:
2. "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave
a wedding banquet for his son.
3. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding
banquet, but they would not come.
4. Again he sent other slaves, saying, 'Tell those who have been invited:
Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been
slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.'
5. But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another
to his business,
6. while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them.
7. The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers,
and burned their city.
8. Then he said to his slaves, 'The wedding is ready, but those invited
were not worthy.
9. Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find
to the wedding banquet.'
10. Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they
found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11. "But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed
a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe,
12. and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a
wedding robe?' And he was speechless.
13. Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot,
and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping
and gnashing of teeth.'
14. For many are called, but few are chosen."
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15. One of the dinner guests, on hearing
this, said to him, "Blessed is anyone who will eat bread in
the kingdom of God!"
16. Then Jesus said to him, "Someone gave a great dinner and invited
many.
17. At the time for the dinner he sent his slave to say to those who
had been invited, 'Come; for everything is ready now.'
18. But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him,
'I have bought a piece of land, and I must go out and see it; please
accept my regrets.'
19. Another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going
to try them out; please accept my regrets.'
20. Another said, 'I have just been married, and therefore I cannot
come.'
21. So the slave returned and reported this to his master. Then the
owner of the house became angry and said to his slave, 'Go out at once
into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled,
the blind, and the lame.'
22. And the slave said, 'Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there
is still room.'
23. Then the master said to the slave, 'Go out into the roads and lanes,
and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled.
24. For I tell you, none of those who were invited will taste my dinner.'"
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PRECEDING LUKE'S PARABLE IS THE FOLLOWING:
7. When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he
told them a parable.
8. "When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet,
do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished
than you has been invited by your host;
9. and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you,
'Give this person your place,' and then in disgrace you would start
to take the lowest place.
10. But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place,
so that when your host comes, he may say to you, 'Friend, move up
higher'; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit
at the table with you.
11. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble
themselves will be exalted."
12. He said also to the one who had invited him, "When you give
a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers
or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you
in return, and you would be repaid.
13. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the
lame, and the blind.
14. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you
will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
15. One of the dinner guests, on hearing this, said to him, "Blessed
is anyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!" |
Jesus said:
64.1 "A man had guests.
And when he had prepared the dinner,
he sent his servant so that
he might invite the guests.
64.2 He came to the first (and)
said to him: 'My master invites you.'
64.3 He said: 'I have bills for
some merchants. They are coming to me this evening.
I will go (and) give instructions
to them. Excuse me from the dinner.'
64.4 He came to another (and)
said to him: 'My master has invited you.'
64.5 He said to him: 'I have
bought a house,
and I have been called (away)
for a day. I will not have time.'
64.6 He went to another (and)
said to him: 'My master invites you.'
64.7 He said to him: 'My friend
is going to marry,
and I am the one who is going
to prepare the meal.
I will not be able to come.
Excuse me from the dinner.'
64.8 He came to another (and)
said to him: 'My master invites you.'
64.9 He said to him: 'I have
bought a village. Since I am going to collect the rent,
I will not be able to come.
Excuse me.'64.10 The servant
went away. He said to his master:
'Those whom you invited to
the dinner have asked to be excused.'
64.11 The master
said to his servant: 'Go out on the roads.
Bring (back) whomever you
find, so that they might have dinner.'
64.12 Dealers and
merchants [will] not enter the places of my Father."
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