Matthew 10

1 And calling his twelve disciples to him, he gave them authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out, and to heal every disease and every sickness. 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first Simon, the one called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; [a] 4 Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who also handed him over. [b]

5 These twelve Jesus sent out, charging them: “Do not go off onto a road of the nations, and do not enter a town of Samaritans; 6 but go instead to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as you go, proclaim and say, ‘The kingdom of the heavens has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you received; freely give. [c]

9 “Do not get gold, or silver, or copper for your belts; 10 no bag for the road, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff — for the worker is worthy of his food. 11 And into whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. 12 And as you go into the house, greet it. 13 And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And whoever does not receive you or listen to your words — as you go out of that house or that town, shake the dust off your feet. 15 Amen I tell you, it will be more bearable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. [d]

16 “Look, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so become discerning as the serpents and innocent as the doves. [e] † 17 But watch out for people, for they will hand you over to councils, and in their synagogues they will flog you; 18 and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake, as a testimony to them and to the nations. 19 But when they hand you over, do not be anxious how or what you are to say; for it will be given to you in that hour what you are to say. 20 For you are not the ones speaking, but the Spirit of your Father is the one speaking in you.

21 “And brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and put them to death. 22 And you will be hated by everyone because of my name; but the one who endures to the end, this one will be saved. 23 And when they persecute you in this town, flee to the next; for amen I tell you, you will not finish the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. [f]

24 “A disciple is not above the 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. If they called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household! [g]

26 “So do not fear them; for nothing is covered that will not be uncovered, and nothing hidden that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, say in the light; and what you hear in the ear, proclaim on the housetops. 28 And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; be afraid instead of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. [h] †

29 “Are not two sparrows sold for an assarion? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. [i] 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

32 “So everyone who acknowledges me before people, I also will acknowledge him before my Father who is in the heavens; 33 but whoever denies me before people, I also will deny him before my Father who is in the heavens.

34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I came to divide a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household. [j]

37 “The one who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and the one who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and whoever does not take his cross and follow behind me is not worthy of me. 39 The one who finds his life will lose it, and the one who loses his life for my sake will find it. [k]

40 “The one who receives you receives me, and the one who receives me receives the one who sent me. 41 The one who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple — amen I tell you, he will not lose his reward.”