5 Jesus sent out these 12 after giving them instructions: “Don’t take the road leading to other nations, and don’t enter any * Samaritan f town. 6 Instead, go to the lost sheep g of the house of Israel. h 7 As you go, announce this: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ i 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with skin diseases, drive out demons. j You have received free of charge; give free of charge. 9 Don’t take along gold, silver, or copper for your money-belts. k 10 Don’t take a traveling bag for the road, or an extra shirt, sandals, or a walking stick, for the worker l is worthy of his food.

11 “When you enter any town or village, find out who is worthy, and stay there until you leave. 12 Greet a household when you enter it, m 13 and if the household is worthy, let your peace be on it. But if it is unworthy, let your peace return to you. n 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet o when you leave that house or town. 15 * I assure you: It will be more tolerable on the day of judgment p for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town. q

Persecutions Predicted

16 “Look, I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as harmless as doves. r 17 Because people will hand you over to sanhedrins s and flog you in their * synagogues, t beware of them. 18 You will even be brought before governors and kings because of Me, to bear witness to them and to the nations. u 19 But when they hand you over, don’t worry about how or what you should speak. v For you will be given what to say at that hour, 20 because you are not speaking, but the Spirit w of your Father is speaking through you. x

21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will even rise up against their parents and have them put to death. y 22 You will be hated by everyone because of My name. z But the one who endures to the end will be delivered. a b 23 When they persecute you in one town, escape to another. c For I assure you: You will not have covered the towns of Israel before the * Son of Man comes. 24 A disciple d is not above his teacher, or a * slave above his master. e 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! f

Fear God

26 “Therefore, g 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. h 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light. What you hear in a whisper, i proclaim on the housetops. j 28 Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; k rather, fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in * hell. l 29 Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? m Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s n consent. o 30 But even the hairs of your head have all been counted. p 31 So don’t be afraid therefore; you are worth more than many sparrows. q

Acknowledging Christ

32 “Therefore, everyone who will acknowledge Me before men, I will also acknowledge him before My Father in heaven. r 33 But whoever denies Me before men, s I will also deny him before My Father in heaven. 34 Don’t assume that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. t 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;

36 and a man’s enemies will be

the members of his household. u v

37 The person who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; w the person who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow x Me is not worthy of Me. 39 Anyone finding y his life will lose it, z and anyone losing a his life because of Me will find it. b

A Cup of Cold Water

40 “The one who welcomes you welcomes Me, c and the one who welcomes Me welcomes Him who sent Me. d 41 Anyone who e welcomes a prophet f because he is a prophet g will receive a prophet’s reward. And anyone who h welcomes a righteous person because he’s righteous i will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And whoever gives j just a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple k l—I assure you: He will never lose his reward!”