1
And again Jesus 1spoke to them in parables, saying,
22"The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave 3a wedding feast for his son,
3and 4sent his servantsa to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come.
45Again he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, See, I have prepared my 6dinner, 7my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.'
5But 8they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business,
6while the rest seized his servants, 9treated them shamefully, and 10killed them.
7The king was angry, and he sent his troops and 11destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
8Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not 12worthy.
9Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.'
10And those servants went out into the roads and 13gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11"But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there 14a man who had no wedding garment.
12And he said to him, 15'Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless.
13Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot and 16cast him into the outer darkness. In that place 17there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
1520Then the Pharisees went and plotted how 21to entangle him in his words.
16
And they sent 22their disciples to him, along with 23the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, 24we know that you are true and teach 25the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for 26you are not swayed by appearances.b
17
Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay 27taxes to 28Caesar, or not?"
18
But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, "Why 29put me to the test, you hypocrites?
19Show me the coin for the tax." And they brought him a denarius.c
20
And Jesus said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?"
21
They said, "Caesar's." Then he said to them, 30"Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."
22
When they heard it, they marveled. And they 31left him and went away.