He said: A man prepared a great dinner, and invited many people, and at the time of the dinner he sent his slave to say to those invited, ‘Come, for everything is ready.’ And one after another they made excuses. The first said ‘I have bought some land and must go and look at it: please excuse me.’ Another said ‘I have bought five pairs of oxen and am on my way to try them out: please excuse me.’ Another said ‘I have married a wife, and for that reason I cannot come.’ The slave came back and told his master. Then the master of the house was angry, and said to the slave ‘Go quickly to the streets and the lanes of the city, and bring here the beggars and the cripples and the blind and the lame.’ The slave said ‘Master, your order has been carried out, and there is still room.’ The master said to the slave ‘Go out to the roads and the roadsides and make them come in, so that my house shall be full. I tell you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my dinner.’