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. (可3:13; 可6:7; 路6:13; 路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; (太4:18; 太4:21; 太16:18; 可3:16; 路6:14; 约1:42; 徒1:13)3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;[1] (太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, (王下17:24; 拉4:10; 太10:1; 路9:52; 路10:33; 路17:16; 约4:9; 约4:39; 约8:48; 徒1:8; 徒8:25)6but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. (诗119:176; 赛53:6; 耶50:6; 太9:36; 太15:24; 太18:12; 徒2:36; 徒3:25; 徒7:42; 徒13:46; 來8:8; 來8:10)7And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’[3] (太3:2; 太4:17; 路10:9)8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers,[4] cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. (赛55:1; 太11:5; 徒3:6; 徒20:33; 徒20:35)9Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, (可6:8; 路9:3; 路10:4; 路22:35)10no bag for your journey, or two tunics[5] or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. (林前9:4; 林前9:7; 提前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. (撒上25:6; 代上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. (太8:8; 太10:12; 徒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. (尼5:13; 徒13:51; 徒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. (创18:20; 创19:28; 太11:24; 彼后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. (创3:1; 路10:3; 约17:18; 羅16:19; 林前14:20; 腓2:15)17Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, (太23:34; 可13:9; 可13:11; 路12:11)18and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. (太8:4; 太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. (出4:12; 民23:5; 申18:18; 太6:25; 太10:17; 可13:11; 路21:12; 提后4:16)20For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. (太10:40; 路12:12; 约15:26; 徒4:8; 徒6:10; 徒13:9; 林前15:10; 林后13:3; 帖前2:13; 來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, (太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. (但12:12; 太24:9; 太24:13; 可13:13; 约15:18; 來3:6; 雅5:11; 启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. (太12:15; 太16:28; 太23:34; 徒8:1; 徒9:25; 徒9:30; 徒14:6; 徒17:10; 徒17:14)24“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant[6] above his master. (路6:40; 约13:16; 约15:20; 來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. (太9:34; 太12:24; 可3:22; 路11:15; 约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. (可4:22; 路8:17; 路12:2; 提前5:25)27What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. (路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] (赛8:12; 赛51:12; 耶1:8; 雅4:12; 彼前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. (撒上14:45)31Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. (太6:26; 太12:12)32So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, (羅10:9; 來10:35; 启3:5)33but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. (太7:23; 太25:12; 可8:38; 路13:25; 提后2:12; 彼后2:1; 约一2:23)
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. (路12:51; 启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. (弥7:6; 太10:21; 太10:34)36And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. (诗41:9; 诗55:12; 弥7:6; 约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. (路14:26)38And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. (太9:9; 太16:24; 可8:34; 路9:23; 路14:27; 约8:12; 约12:26; 约21:19)39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (太16:25; 可8:35; 路9:24; 路17:33; 约12:25)
Rewards
40“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. (太10:20; 太18:5; 太25:40; 可9:37; 路9:48; 路10:16; 约12:44; 约13:20; 加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. (王上17:10; 王上18:4; 王下4:8; 约三1:5)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.” (太18:10; 太25:35; 太25:40; 可9:41; 來6:10)