Matthew 10:5–42

^5aThese twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: “Do not ¹go ²in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the ^bSamaritans;

⁶but rather go to ^athe lost sheep of the house of Israel.

⁷“And as you go, ¹preach, saying, ‘^aThe kingdom of heaven ²is at hand.’

⁸“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.

⁹“^aDo not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts,

¹⁰or a ¹bag for your journey, or even two ²coats, or sandals, or a staff; for ^athe worker is worthy of his ³support.

¹¹“And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay ¹at his house until you leave that city.

¹²“As you enter the ¹house, ^agive it your ²greeting.

¹³“If the house is worthy, ¹give it your blessing of peace. But if it is not worthy, ²take back your blessing of peace.

¹⁴“Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, ^ashake the dust off your feet.

¹⁵“Truly I say to you, ^ait will be more tolerable for the land of ^bSodom and Gomorrah in ^cthe day of judgment than for that city.

A Hard Road before Them

¹⁶“^aBehold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so ¹be ^bshrewd as serpents and ^cinnocent as doves.

¹⁷“But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the ^acourts and scourge you ^bin their synagogues;

¹⁸and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.

¹⁹“^aBut when they hand you over, ^bdo not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say.

²⁰“For ^ait is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

²¹“^aBrother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and ^bchildren will rise up against parents and ¹cause them to be put to death.

²²“^aYou will be hated by all because of My name, but ^bit is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.

²³“But whenever they ^apersecute you in ¹one city, flee to ²the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel ^buntil the Son of Man comes.

The Meaning of Discipleship

²⁴“^aA ¹disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master.

²⁵“It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. ^aIf they have called the head of the house ^1bBeelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!

²⁶“Therefore do not ^afear them, ^bfor there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.

²⁷“^aWhat I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim ^bupon the housetops.

²⁸“Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather ^afear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in ^1bhell.

²⁹“^aAre not two sparrows sold for a ¹cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.

³⁰“But ^athe very hairs of your head are all numbered.

³¹“So do not fear; ^ayou are more valuable than many sparrows.

³²“Therefore ^aeveryone who ¹confesses Me before men, I will also confess ²him before My Father who is in heaven.

³³“But ^awhoever ¹denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.

³⁴“^aDo not think that I came to ¹bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.

³⁵“For I came to ^aset a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;

³⁶and ^aa man’s enemies will be the members of his household.

³⁷“^aHe who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

³⁸“And ^ahe who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

³⁹“^aHe who has found his ¹life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.

The Reward of Service

⁴⁰“^aHe who receives you receives Me, and ^bhe who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.

⁴¹“^aHe who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.

⁴²“And ^awhoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these ¹little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.”