1. Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables:
2. “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son.
3. He sent out his slaves to summon those invited to the banquet, but they didn’t want to come.
4. Again, he sent out other slaves, and said, ‘Tell those who are invited: Look, I’ve prepared my dinner; my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’
5. “But they paid no attention and went away, one to his own farm, another to his business.
6. And the others seized his slaves, treated them outrageously and killed them.
7. The king was enraged, so he sent out his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned down their city.
8. “Then he told his slaves, ‘The banquet is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.