¹⁹ Then the angel of God,^(A) who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud^(B) also moved from in front and stood behind^(C) them, ²⁰ coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness^(D) to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.

²¹ Then Moses stretched out his hand^(E) over the sea,^(F) and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind^(G) and turned it into dry land.^(H) The waters were divided,^{(I) 22} and the Israelites went through the sea^(J) on dry ground,^(K) with a wall^(L) of water on their right and on their left.

²³ The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen^(M) followed them into the sea. ²⁴ During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud^(N) at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion.^{(O) 25} He jammed^[a] the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting^(P) for them against Egypt.”^(Q)

²⁶ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” ²⁷ Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place.^(R) The Egyptians were fleeing toward^[b] it, and the Lord swept them into the sea.^{(S) 28} The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea.^(T) Not one of them survived.^(U)

²⁹ But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground,^(V) with a wall^(W) of water on their right and on their left. ³⁰ That day the Lord saved^(X) Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. ³¹ And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand^(Y) of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared^(Z) the Lord and put their trust^(AA) in him and in Moses his servant.

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)