Matthew 10:5–23

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles

^5uThese twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of ^zthe Samaritans, ^6abut go rather to ^bthe lost sheep of ^cthe house of Israel. ⁷And proclaim as you go, saying, ^d‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’^{3 8e}Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers,⁴ cast out demons. ^fYou received without paying; give without pay. ^9gAcquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, ¹⁰no bag for your journey, or two tunics⁵ or sandals or a staff, for ^hthe laborer deserves his food. ¹¹And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. ¹²As you enter the house, ⁱgreet it. ¹³And if the house is ^jworthy, let ⁱyour peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let ⁱyour peace return to you. ¹⁴And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, ^lshake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. ¹⁵Truly, I say to you, ^mit will be more bearable on the day of judgment for ⁿthe land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

Persecution Will Come

^16o“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be ^pwise as serpents and ^qinnocent as doves. ¹⁷Beware of men, for ^rthey will deliver you over to courts and flog you ^sin their synagogues, ^18rand you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, ^tto bear witness before them and the Gentiles. ^19rWhen ^uthey deliver you over, ^vdo not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for ^wwhat you are to say will be given to you in that hour. ^20xFor it is not you who speak, but ^ythe Spirit of your Father speaking through you. ^21zBrother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, ^22aand you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. ^bBut the one who endures to the end will be saved. ²³When they ^cpersecute you in one town, ^dflee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel ^ebefore the Son of Man comes.