Matthew 10

COMMISSIONING THE TWELVE

10Summoning his twelve disciples,^t he gave them authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out and to heal every^C disease and sickness.^{Eu 2}These are the names of the twelve apostles:^v First, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; ³Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;^{F 4}Simon the Zealot,^G and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.^w

⁵Jesus sent out these twelve after giving them instructions: “Don’t take the road that leads to the Gentiles, and don’t enter any Samaritan^x town. ⁶Instead, go to the lost sheep^y of the house of Israel.^{z 7}As you go, proclaim, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’^{aa 8}Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, drive out demons.^ab Freely you received, freely give. ⁹Don’t acquire gold, silver, or copper for your money-belts.^{ac 10}Don’t take a traveling bag for the road, or an extra shirt, sandals, or a staff, for the worker^ad is worthy of his food. ¹¹When you enter any town or village, find out who is worthy, and stay there until you leave. ¹²Greet a household when you enter it,^{ae 13}and if the household is worthy, let your peace be on it; but if it is unworthy, let your peace return to you.^{af 14}If anyone does not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet^ag when you leave that house or town. ¹⁵Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment^ah for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.^ai

PERSECUTIONS PREDICTED

¹⁶“Look, I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves.^{a 17}Beware of them, because they will hand you over to local courts^B and flog you in their synagogues.^{b 18}You will even be brought before governors and kings because of me, to bear witness to them and to the Gentiles.^{c 19}But when they hand you over, don’t worry about how or what you are to speak.^d For you will be given what to say at that hour, ²⁰because it isn’t you speaking, but the Spirit^e of your Father is speaking through you.^f

²¹“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.^{g 22}You will be hated by everyone because of my name.^h But the one who endures to the end will be saved.^{i 23}When they persecute you in one town, flee to another.^j For truly I tell you, you will not have gone through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. ²⁴A disciple^C is not above his teacher, or a slave above his master.^{k 25}It is enough for a disciple to become like his teacher and a slave like his master. If they called the head of the house ‘Beelzebul,’ how much more the members of his household!^l

FEAR GOD

²⁶“Therefore,^m don’t be afraid of them, since there is nothing covered that won’t be uncovered and nothing hidden that won’t be made known.^{n 27}What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light. What you hear in a whisper,^D proclaim on the housetops.^{o 28}Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul;^p rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.^{q 29}Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny?^E Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s^r consent.^{F 30}But even the hairs of your head have all been counted.^{s 31}So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.^t

ACKNOWLEDGING CHRIST

³²“Therefore, everyone who will acknowledge me before others, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.^{u 33}But whoever denies me before others,^v I will also deny him before my Father in heaven. ³⁴Don’t assume that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.^{w 35}For I came to turn

a man against his father,

a daughter against her mother,

a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;

³⁶and a man’s enemies will be

the members of his household.^Ax

³⁷The one who loves a father or mother more than me is not worthy of me;^y the one who loves a son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ³⁸And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹Anyone who finds his life will lose it,^z and anyone who loses his life because of me will find it.^aa

A CUP OF COLD WATER

⁴⁰“The one who welcomes you welcomes me,^ab and the one who welcomes me welcomes him who sent me.^{ac 41}Anyone who welcomes a prophet^ad because he is a prophet^B will receive a prophet’s reward. And anyone who welcomes a righteous person because he’s righteous^C will receive a righteous person’s reward. ⁴²And whoever gives^ae even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple,^Daf truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.”