1Jesus called for his 12 disciples to come to him. He gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every illness and disease.2Here are the names of the 12 apostles. First there were Simon Peter and his brother Andrew. Then came James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John.3Next were Philip and Bartholomew, and also Thomas and Matthew the tax collector. Two more were James, son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus.4The last were Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot. Judas was the one who was later going to hand Jesus over to his enemies.5Jesus sent these 12 out with the following orders. ‘Do not go among the Gentiles,’ he said. ‘Do not enter any town of the Samaritans.6Instead, go to the people of Israel. They are like sheep that have become lost.7As you go, preach this message, “The kingdom of heaven has come near.”8Heal those who are ill. Bring those who are dead back to life. Make those who have skin diseases “clean” again. Drive out demons. You have received freely, so give freely.9‘Do not get any gold, silver or copper to take with you in your belts.10Do not take a bag for the journey. Do not take extra clothes or sandals or walking sticks. A worker should be given what he needs.11When you enter a town or village, look for someone who is willing to welcome you. Stay at their house until you leave.12As you enter the home, greet those who live there.13If that home welcomes you, give it your blessing of peace. If it does not, don’t bless it.14Some people may not welcome you or listen to your words. If they don’t, leave that home or town, and shake the dust off your feet.15What I’m about to tell you is true. On judgment day it will be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.16‘I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. So be as wise as snakes and as harmless as doves.17Watch out! You will be handed over to the local courts. You will be whipped in the synagogues.18You will be brought to governors and kings because of me. You will be witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.19But when they arrest you, don’t worry about what you will say or how you will say it. At that time you will be given the right words to say.20It will not be you speaking. The Spirit of your Father will be speaking through you.21‘Brothers will hand over brothers to be killed. Fathers will hand over their children. Children will rise up against their parents and have them put to death.22You will be hated by everyone because of me. But anyone who remains strong in the faith will be saved.23When people attack you in one place, escape to another. What I’m about to tell you is true. You will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.24‘The student is not better than the teacher. A slave is not better than his master.25It is enough for students to be like their teachers. And it is enough for slaves to be like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, what can the others who live there expect?26‘So don’t be afraid of your enemies. Everything that is secret will be brought out into the open. Everything that is hidden will be uncovered.27What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight. What is whispered in your ear, shout from the rooftops.28Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but can’t kill the soul. Instead, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell.29Aren’t two sparrows sold for only a penny? But not one of them falls to the ground outside your Father’s care.30He even counts every hair on your head!31So don’t be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.32‘What if someone says in front of others that they know me? I will also say in front of my Father who is in heaven that I know them.33But what if someone says in front of others that they don’t know me? I will say in front of my Father who is in heaven that I don’t know them.34‘Do not think that I came to bring peace to the earth. I didn’t come to bring peace. I came to bring a sword.35I have come to turn ‘ “sons against their fathers. Daughters will refuse to obey their mothers. Daughters-in-law will be against their mothers-in-law.36A man’s enemies will be the members of his own family.” (Mic 7:6)37‘Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. Anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.38Whoever does not pick up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.39Whoever finds their life will lose it. Whoever loses their life because of me will find it.40‘Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me. And anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.41Suppose someone welcomes a prophet as a prophet. They will receive a prophet’s reward. And suppose someone welcomes a godly person as a godly person. They will receive a godly person’s reward.42Suppose someone gives even a cup of cold water to a little one who follows me. What I’m about to tell you is true. That person will certainly be rewarded.’
Matthew 10
English Standard Version
The Twelve Apostles
1And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. (Mr 3:13; Mr 6:7; Lu 6:13; Lu 9:1)2The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; (Mt 4:18; Mt 4:21; Mt 16:18; Mr 3:16; Lu 6:14; Joh 1:42; Ac 1:13)3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;[1] (Mt 9:9)4Simon the Zealot,[2] and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles
5These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, (2Ki 17:24; Ezr 4:10; Mt 10:1; Lu 9:52; Lu 10:33; Lu 17:16; Joh 4:9; Joh 4:39; Joh 8:48; Ac 1:8; Ac 8:25)6but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. (Ps 119:176; Isa 53:6; Jer 50:6; Mt 9:36; Mt 15:24; Mt 18:12; Ac 2:36; Ac 3:25; Ac 7:42; Ac 13:46; Heb 8:8; Heb 8:10)7And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’[3] (Mt 3:2; Mt 4:17; Lu 10:9)8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers,[4] cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. (Isa 55:1; Mt 11:5; Ac 3:6; Ac 20:33; Ac 20:35)9Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, (Mr 6:8; Lu 9:3; Lu 10:4; Lu 22:35)10no bag for your journey, or two tunics[5] or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. (1Co 9:4; 1Co 9:7; 1Ti 5:18)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, greet it. (1Sa 25:6; 1Ch 12:18)13And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. (Mt 8:8; Mt 10:12; Ac 16:15)14And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. (Ne 5:13; Ac 13:51; Ac 18:6)15Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town. (Ge 18:20; Ge 19:28; Mt 11:24; 2Pe 2:6)
Persecution Will Come
16“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. (Ge 3:1; Lu 10:3; Joh 17:18; Ro 16:19; 1Co 14:20; Php 2:15)17Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, (Mt 23:34; Mr 13:9; Mr 13:11; Lu 12:11)18and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. (Mt 8:4; Mt 10:17)19When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. (Ex 4:12; Nu 23:5; De 18:18; Mt 6:25; Mt 10:17; Mr 13:11; Lu 21:12; 2Ti 4:16)20For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. (Mt 10:40; Lu 12:12; Joh 15:26; Ac 4:8; Ac 6:10; Ac 13:9; 1Co 15:10; 2Co 13:3; 1Th 2:13; Heb 1:1)21Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, (Mt 10:35)22and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. (Da 12:12; Mt 24:9; Mt 24:13; Mr 13:13; Joh 15:18; Heb 3:6; Jas 5:11; Re 2:10)23When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. (Mt 12:15; Mt 16:28; Mt 23:34; Ac 8:1; Ac 9:25; Ac 9:30; Ac 14:6; Ac 17:10; Ac 17:14)24“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant[6] above his master. (Lu 6:40; Joh 13:16; Joh 15:20; Heb 12:3)25It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign[7] those of his household. (Mt 9:34; Mt 12:24; Mr 3:22; Lu 11:15; Joh 7:20)
Have No Fear
26“So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. (Mr 4:22; Lu 8:17; Lu 12:2; 1Ti 5:25)27What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. (Lu 5:19)28And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.[8] (Isa 8:12; Isa 51:12; Jer 1:8; Jas 4:12; 1Pe 3:14)29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?[9] And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.30But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. (1Sa 14:45)31Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. (Mt 6:26; Mt 12:12)32So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, (Ro 10:9; Heb 10:35; Re 3:5)33but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. (Mt 7:23; Mt 25:12; Mr 8:38; Lu 13:25; 2Ti 2:12; 2Pe 2:1; 1Jo 2:23)
Not Peace, but a Sword
34“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. (Lu 12:51; Re 6:4)35For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. (Mic 7:6; Mt 10:21; Mt 10:34)36And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. (Ps 41:9; Ps 55:12; Mic 7:6; Joh 13:18)37Whoever 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. (Lu 14:26)38And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. (Mt 9:9; Mt 16:24; Mr 8:34; Lu 9:23; Lu 14:27; Joh 8:12; Joh 12:26; Joh 21:19)39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (Mt 16:25; Mr 8:35; Lu 9:24; Lu 17:33; Joh 12:25)
Rewards
40“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. (Mt 10:20; Mt 18:5; Mt 25:40; Mr 9:37; Lu 9:48; Lu 10:16; Joh 12:44; Joh 13:20; Ga 4:14)41The 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. (1Ki 17:10; 1Ki 18:4; 2Ki 4:8; 3Jo 1:5)42And whoever gives one of these 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.” (Mt 18:10; Mt 25:35; Mt 25:40; Mr 9:41; Heb 6:10)