Matthew 10

1Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out and to heal every disease and every sickness.

2These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;

3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;

4Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

5Jesus sent out these twelve with these instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles, and do not enter any town of the Samaritans.

6Go instead to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

7As you go, proclaim, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’

8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. You received without paying; give without being paid.

9Do not get any gold or silver or copper to carry in your belts,

10or a bag for the journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff, for the worker deserves his food.

11Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave.

12As you enter the house, give it your greeting.

13If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.

14If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet as you leave that house or town.

15Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

16Look, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

17Be on your guard against people, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues.

18You will be brought before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.

19When they hand you over, do not worry about how you will speak or what you will say, for what you are to say will be given to you at that time.

20For it is not you who will be speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

21Brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise up against their parents and have them put to death.

22You will be hated by everyone because of my name, but the one who endures to the end will be saved.

23When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. For truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

24A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.

25It is enough for the disciple to become like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they slander the members of his household!

26So do not be afraid of them. For there is nothing covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing hidden that will not be made known.

27What I tell you in the dark, say in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops.

28Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

29Are not two sparrows sold for an assarion? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.

30And even the hairs of your head are all counted.

31So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

32Everyone who acknowledges me before others, I too will acknowledge before my Father in heaven.

33But whoever denies me before others, I too will deny before my Father in heaven.

34Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

35For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

36A person’s enemies will be the members of their own household.

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.

38Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

39Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

40Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.

41Whoever welcomes a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person because he is righteous will receive a righteous person’s reward.

42And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because that one is a disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”