Matthew 10:5–42

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.

^24f“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant⁶ above his master. ²⁵It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. ^gIf they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign⁷ those of his household.

Have No Fear

²⁶“So have no fear of them, ⁱfor nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. ²⁷What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on ^jthe housetops. ²⁸And ^kdo not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him ^lwho can destroy both soul and body in hell.^{8 29}Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?⁹ And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. ³⁰But ^meven the hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹Fear not, therefore; ⁿyou are of more value than many sparrows. ^32oSo everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, ³³but ^pwhoever denies me before men, ^qI also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

Not Peace, but a Sword

^34r“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. ^sI have not come to bring peace, but a sword. ^35rFor I have come ^tto set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. ^36uAnd a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. ^37vWhoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ³⁸And ^wwhoever does not take his cross and ^xfollow me is not worthy of me. ^39yWhoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Rewards

^40z“Whoever receives you receives me, and ^awhoever receives me receives him who sent me. ^41bThe one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. ⁴²And ^cwhoever gives one of ^dthese little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”