⁵²He sent messengers ahead of him. They went into a Samaritan village to arrange a place for him to stay. ⁵³But the people didn’t welcome him, because he was on his way to Jerusalem. ⁵⁴James and John, his disciples, saw this. They asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to burn them up?”

⁵⁵But he turned and corrected them.^a⁵⁶So they went to another village.

What It Takes to Be a Disciple—Matthew 8:19–22

⁵⁷As they were walking along the road, a man said to Jesus, “I’ll follow you wherever you go.”

⁵⁸Jesus told him, “Foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to sleep.”

⁵⁹He told another man, “Follow me!”

But the man said, “Sir, first let me go to bury my father.”

⁶⁰But Jesus told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead. You must go everywhere and tell about God’s kingdom.”

⁶¹Another said, “I’ll follow you, sir, but first let me tell my family goodbye.”

⁶²Jesus said to him, “Whoever starts to plow and looks back is not fit for God’s kingdom.”

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Footnotes

a 9:55 Some manuscripts and translations add ‘You don’t know the kind of spirit that is influencing you. The Son of Man didn’t come to destroy people’s lives but to save them,’ he said.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them. And they went on to another village.

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” But Jesus turned and rebuked them. Then he and his disciples went to another village.

As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

He said to another man, “Follow me.”

But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”

Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

He sent messengers ahead of himself, and on the way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make preparations for him. But they did not welcome him, because he determined to journey to Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?”

But he turned and rebuked them, and they went to another village.

As they were traveling on the road someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Then he said to another, “Follow me.”

“Lord,” he said, “first let me go bury my father.”

But he told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.”

Another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to those at my house.”

But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

NLTNew Living Translation

He sent messengers ahead to a Samaritan village to prepare for his arrival. But the people of the village did not welcome Jesus because he was on his way to Jerusalem. When James and John saw this, they said to Jesus, “Lord, should we call down fire from heaven to burn them up?” But Jesus turned and rebuked them. So they went on to another village.

As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.”

He said to another person, “Come, follow me.”

The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.”

But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.”

Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.”

But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And he sent messengers before him, and they went and entered into a village of the Samaritans in order to prepare for him. And they did not welcome him because he was determined to go to Jerusalem. Now when the disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to call fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned around and rebuked them, and they proceeded to another village.

And as they were traveling on the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go!” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” And he said to another, “Follow me!” But he said, “Lord, first allow me to go and bury my father.” But he said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead! But you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” And another person also said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first allow me to say farewell to those in my house.” But Jesus said, “No one who puts his hand on the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God!”

KJV 1900King James Version

And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.

And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

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