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)

¹⁰ At this I fell at his feet to worship him.^(O) But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God!^(P) For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”^(Q)

The Heavenly Warrior Defeats the Beast

¹¹ I saw heaven standing open^(R) and there before me was a white horse, whose rider^(S) is called Faithful and True.^(T) With justice he judges and wages war.^{(U) 12} His eyes are like blazing fire,^(V) and on his head are many crowns.^(W) He has a name written on him^(X) that no one knows but he himself.^{(Y) 13} He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood,^(Z) and his name is the Word of God.^{(AA) 14} The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen,^(AB) white^(AC) and clean. ¹⁵ Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword^(AD) with which to strike down^(AE) the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.”^[a](AF) He treads the winepress^(AG) of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. ¹⁶ On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:^(AH)

¹⁷ And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds^(AJ) flying in midair,^(AK) “Come,^(AL) gather together for the great supper of God,^{(AM) 18} so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people,^(AN) free and slave,^(AO) great and small.”^(AP)

¹⁹ Then I saw the beast^(AQ) and the kings of the earth^(AR) and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse^(AS) and his army. ²⁰ But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet^(AT) who had performed the signs^(AU) on its behalf.^(AV) With these signs he had deluded^(AW) those who had received the mark of the beast^(AX) and worshiped its image.^(AY) The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake^(AZ) of burning sulfur.^{(BA) 21} The rest were killed with the sword^(BB) coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse,^(BC) and all the birds^(BD) gorged themselves on their flesh.

Jesus Questioned About Fasting^(A)

¹⁴ Then John’s^(B) disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often,^(C) but your disciples do not fast?”

¹⁵ Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them?^(D) The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.^(E)

The Parable of the Wedding Banquet^(A)

22 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: ² “The kingdom of heaven is like^(B) a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. ³ He sent his servants^(C) to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.

⁴ “Then he sent some more servants^(D) and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

⁵ “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. ⁶ The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. ⁷ The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers^(E) and burned their city.

⁸ “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. ⁹ So go to the street corners^(F) and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ ¹⁰ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good,^(G) and 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 wedding clothes. ¹² He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend^(H)?’ The man was speechless.

¹³ “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’^(I)

¹⁴ “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”^(J)

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) 2} Five of them were foolish and five were wise.^{(D) 3} The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. ⁴ The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. ⁵ The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.^(E)

⁶ “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

⁷ “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’^(F)

⁹ “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

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.^(G) And the door was shut.

¹¹ “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’

¹² “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’^(H)

¹³ “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.^(I)

Jesus Questioned About Fasting^(A)

¹⁸ Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting.^(B) Some people came and asked Jesus, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?”

¹⁹ Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. ²⁰ But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them,^(C) and on that day they will fast.

Jesus Questioned About Fasting^(A)

³³ They said to him, “John’s disciples^(B) often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.”

³⁴ Jesus answered, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom^(C) fast while he is with them? ³⁵ But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them;^(D) in those days they will fast.”

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)