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Jesus Sends Out His Apostles

10 Jesus called his twelve followers together and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: Simon (also called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew, the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who turned against Jesus.

Jesus sent out these twelve men with the following order: “Don’t go to the non-Jewish people or to any town where the Samaritans live. But go to the people of Israel, who are like lost sheep. When you go, preach this: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead to life again, heal those who have skin diseases, and force demons out of people. I give you these powers freely, so help other people freely. Don’t carry any money with you—gold or silver or copper. 10 Don’t carry a bag or extra clothes or sandals or a walking stick. Workers should be given what they need.

11 “When you enter a city or town, find some worthy person there and stay in that home until you leave. 12 When you enter that home, say, ‘Peace be with you.’ 13 If the people there welcome you, let your peace stay there. But if they don’t welcome you, take back the peace you wished for them. 14 And if a home or town refuses to welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake its dust off your feet.[a] 15 I tell you the truth, on the Judgment Day it will be better for the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah[b] than for the people of that town.

Jesus Warns His Apostles

16 “Listen, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. So be as clever as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17 Be careful of people, because they will arrest you and take you to court and whip you in their synagogues. 18 Because of me you will be taken to stand before governors and kings, and you will tell them and the non-Jewish people about me. 19 When you are arrested, don’t worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given the things to say. 20 It will not really be you speaking but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

21 “Brothers will give their own brothers to be killed, and fathers will give their own children to be killed. Children will fight against their own parents and have them put to death. 22 All people will hate you because you follow me, but those people who keep their faith until the end will be saved. 23 When you are treated badly in one city, run to another city. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through all the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

24 “A student is not better than his teacher, and a servant is not better than his master. 25 A student should be satisfied to become like his teacher; a servant should be satisfied to become like his master. If the head of the family is called Beelzebul, then the other members of the family will be called worse names!

Fear God, Not People

26 “So don’t be afraid of those people, because everything that is hidden will be shown. Everything that is secret will be made known. 27 I tell you these things in the dark, but I want you to tell them in the light. What you hear whispered in your ear you should shout from the housetops. 28 Don’t be afraid of people, who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul. The only one you should fear is the one who can destroy the soul and the body in hell. 29 Two sparrows cost only a penny, but not even one of them can die without your Father’s knowing it. 30 God even knows how many hairs are on your head. 31 So don’t be afraid. You are worth much more than many sparrows.

Tell People About Your Faith

32 “All those who stand before others and say they believe in me, I will say before my Father in heaven that they belong to me. 33 But all who stand before others and say they do not believe in me, I will say before my Father in heaven that they do not belong to me.

34 “Don’t think that I came to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 I have come so that

‘a son will be against his father,
    a daughter will be against her mother,
a daughter-in-law will be against her mother-in-law.
36 A person’s enemies will be members of his own family.’ Micah 7:6

37 “Those who love their father or mother more than they love me are not worthy to be my followers. Those who love their son or daughter more than they love me are not worthy to be my followers. 38 Whoever is not willing to carry the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Those who try to hold on to their lives will give up true life. Those who give up their lives for me will hold on to true life. 40 Whoever accepts you also accepts me, and whoever accepts me also accepts the One who sent me. 41 Whoever meets a prophet and accepts him will receive the reward of a prophet. And whoever accepts a good person because that person is good will receive the reward of a good person. 42 Those who give one of these little ones a cup of cold water because they are my followers will truly get their reward.”

Footnotes

  1. 10:14 shake . . . feet A warning. It showed that they had rejected these people.
  2. 10:15 Sodom and Gomorrah Two cities that God destroyed because the people were so evil.

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve(A)(B)(C)(D)(E)

10 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits(F) and to heal every disease and sickness.(G)

These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.(H)

These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans.(I) Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.(J) As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven(K) has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,[a] drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

“Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts(L) 10 no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep.(M) 11 Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. 12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting.(N) 13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.(O) 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah(P) on the day of judgment(Q) than for that town.(R)

16 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.(S) Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.(T) 17 Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils(U) and be flogged in the synagogues.(V) 18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings(W) as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it.(X) At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father(Y) speaking through you.

21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents(Z) and have them put to death.(AA) 22 You will be hated by everyone because of me,(AB) but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.(AC) 23 When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.(AD)

24 “The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master.(AE) 25 It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul,(AF) how much more the members of his household!

26 “So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.(AG) 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One(AH) who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.[b] 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.(AI) 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.(AJ)

32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others,(AK) I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.(AL)

34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn

“‘a man against his father,
    a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law(AM)
36     a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’[c](AN)

37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.(AO) 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.(AP) 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.(AQ)

40 “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me,(AR) and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.(AS) 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”(AT)

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 10:8 The Greek word traditionally translated leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin.
  2. Matthew 10:29 Or will; or knowledge
  3. Matthew 10:36 Micah 7:6