Matthew 10

Commissioning the Twelve

¹Summoning his twelve disciples, ^a he gave them authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out and to heal every ^b disease and sickness. ^c,^{d 2}These are the names of the twelve apostles: ^e First, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; ³Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; ^{f 4}Simon the Zealot, ^g and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. ^h

⁵Jesus sent out these twelve after giving them instructions: “Don’t take the road that leads to the Gentiles, and don’t enter any Samaritanⁱ town. ⁶Instead, go to the lost sheep^j of the house of Israel.^{k 7}As you go, proclaim, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’^{l 8}Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy,^m drive out demons.ⁿ Freely you received, freely give. ⁹Don’t acquire gold, silver, or copper for your money-belts.^{o 10}Don’t take a traveling bag for the road, or an extra shirt, sandals, or a staff, for the worker^p is worthy of his food. ¹¹When you enter any town or village, find out who is worthy, and stay there until you leave. ¹²Greet a household when you enter it,^{q 13}and if the household is worthy, let your peace be on it; but if it is unworthy, let your peace return to you.^{r 14}If anyone does not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet^s when you leave that house or town. ¹⁵Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment^t for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.^u

Persecutions Predicted

¹⁶“Look, I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves.^{v 17}Beware of them, because they will hand you over to local courts^w and flog you in their synagogues.^{x 18}You will even be brought before governors and kings because of me, to bear witness to them and to the Gentiles.^{y 19}But when they hand you over, don’t worry about how or what you are to speak.^z For you will be given what to say at that hour, ²⁰because it isn’t you speaking, but the Spirit^aa of your Father is speaking through you.^ab

²¹“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.^{ac 22}You will be hated by everyone because of my name.^ad But the one who endures to the end will be saved.^{ae 23}When they persecute you in one town, flee to another.^af For truly I tell you, you will not have gone through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. ²⁴A disciple^ag is not above his teacher, or a slave above his master.^{ah 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!^ai

Fear God

²⁶“Therefore,^aj 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.^{ak 27}What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light. What you hear in a whisper,^al proclaim on the housetops.^{am 28}Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul;^an rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.^{ao 29}Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny?^ap Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s^aq consent.^{ar 30}But even the hairs of your head have all been counted.^{as 31}So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.^at

Acknowledging Christ

³²“Therefore, everyone who will acknowledge me before others, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.^{au 33}But whoever denies me before others,^av I will also deny him before my Father in heaven. ³⁴Don’t assume that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.^{aw 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;

³⁶and a man’s enemies will be

the members of his household.^ax,^ay

³⁷The one who loves a father or mother more than me is not worthy of me;^az the one who loves a son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ³⁸And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹Anyone who finds his life will lose it,^ba and anyone who loses his life because of me will find it.^bb

A Cup of Cold Water

⁴⁰“The one who welcomes you welcomes me,^bc and the one who welcomes me welcomes him who sent me.^{bd 41}Anyone who welcomes a prophet^be because he is a prophet^bf will receive a prophet’s reward. And anyone who welcomes a righteous person because he’s righteous^bg will receive a righteous person’s reward. ⁴²And whoever gives^bh even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple,^bi,^bj truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.”