Matthew 22:2-10
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
2 “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast[a] for his son. 3 [b]He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come. 4 A second time he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast.”’ 5 Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. 6 (A)The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. 7 [c]The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. 9 Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.’ 10 The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike,[d] and the hall was filled with guests.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 22:2 Wedding feast: the Old Testament’s portrayal of final salvation under the image of a banquet (Is 25:6) is taken up also in Mt 8:11; cf. Lk 13:15.
- 22:3–4 Servants…other servants: probably Christian missionaries in both instances; cf. Mt 23:34.
- 22:7 See note on Mt 22:1–14.
- 22:10 Bad and good alike: cf. Mt 13:47.
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