Matthew 22:2

⁷Let’s rejoice and be exceedingly glad, and let’s give the glory to him. For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready.” ⁸It was given to her that she would array herself in bright, pure, fine linen, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

⁹He said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb.’” He said to me, “These are true words of God.”

²⁴He set another parable before them, saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field,

²⁴But as the assembly is subject to Christ, so let the wives also be to their own husbands in everything.

²⁵Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the assembly and gave himself up for her, ²⁶that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, ²⁷that he might present the assembly to himself gloriously, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without defect. ²⁸Even so husbands also ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself. ²⁹For no man ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord also does the assembly, ³⁰because we are members of his body, of his flesh and bones. ³¹“For this cause a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife. Then the two will become one flesh.”³²This mystery is great, but I speak concerning Christ and the assembly.

¹⁰Listen, daughter, consider, and turn your ear. Forget your own people, and also your father’s house. ¹¹So the king will desire your beauty, honor him, for he is your lord. ¹²The daughter of Tyre comes with a gift. The rich among the people entreat your favor. ¹³The princess inside is all glorious. Her clothing is interwoven with gold. ¹⁴She shall be led to the king in embroidered work. The virgins, her companions who follow her, shall be brought to you. ¹⁵With gladness and rejoicing they shall be led. They shall enter into the king’s palace. ¹⁶Your sons will take the place of your fathers. You shall make them princes in all the earth.

²For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy. For I promised you in marriage to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

¹⁶But he said to him, “A certain man made a great supper, and he invited many people. ¹⁷He sent out his servant at supper time to tell those who were invited, ‘Come, for everything is ready now.’ ¹⁸They all as one began to make excuses. “The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please have me excused.’

¹⁹“Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I must go try them out. Please have me excused.’

²⁰“Another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I can’t come.’

²¹“That servant came, and told his lord these things. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor, maimed, blind, and lame.’

²²“The servant said, ‘Lord, it is done as you commanded, and there is still room.’

²³“The lord said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. ²⁴For I tell you that none of those men who were invited will taste of my supper. For many are called, but few are chosen.’”

²“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who made a wedding feast for his son, ³and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. ⁴Again he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner. My cattle and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding feast!”’ ⁵But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his merchandise; ⁶and the rest grabbed his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. ⁷When the king heard that, he was angry, and sent his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.

⁸“Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited weren’t worthy. ⁹Go therefore to the intersections of the highways, and as many as you may find, invite to the wedding feast.’ ¹⁰Those servants went out into the highways and gathered together as many as they found, both bad and good. The wedding was filled with guests.

¹¹“But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man who didn’t have on wedding clothing, ¹²and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here not wearing wedding clothing?’ He was speechless. ¹³Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and throw him into the outer darkness. That is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.’ ¹⁴For many are called, but few chosen.”

²⁹He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore my joy is made full. ³⁰He must increase, but I must decrease.

³¹He set another parable before them, saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took, and sowed in his field, ³²which indeed is smaller than all seeds. But when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches.”

³³He spoke another parable to them. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast which a woman took and hid in three measures^[+] of meal, until it was all leavened.”

¹“Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ²Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. ³Those who were foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them, ⁴but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. ⁵Now while the bridegroom delayed, they all slumbered and slept. ⁶But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Behold! The bridegroom is coming! Come out to meet him!’ ⁷Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.^8[+] The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ ⁹But the wise answered, saying, ‘What if there isn’t enough for us and you? You go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ ¹⁰While they went away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut. ¹¹Afterward the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us.’ ¹²But he answered, ‘Most certainly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ ¹³Watch therefore, for you don’t know the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

¹⁴“For it is like a man going into another country, who called his own servants and entrusted his goods to them.