Matthew 10:16-42

New American Standard Bible

A Hard Road Ahead of Them

¹⁶ “^(A)Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be as ^(B)wary as serpents, and as ^(C)innocent as doves. ¹⁷ But be on guard against people, for they will hand you over to the ^(D)courts and flog you ^(E)in their synagogues; ¹⁸ and you will even be brought before governors and kings on My account, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. ^19 (F)But when they hand you over, ^(G)do not worry about how or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given you in that hour. ²⁰ For ^(H)it is not you who are speaking, but it is the Spirit of your Father who is speaking ^[a]in you.

²¹ “Now ^(I)brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and ^(J)children will rise up against parents and ^[b]cause them to be put to death. ²² And ^(K)you will be hated by all because of My name, but ^(L)it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.

²³ “But whenever they ^(M)persecute you in ^[c]one city, flee to the ^[d]next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel ^(N)until the Son of Man comes.

The Meaning of Discipleship

²⁴ “^(O)A ^[e]disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. ²⁵ It is enough for the disciple that he may become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. ^(P)If they have called the head of the house ^[f](Q)Beelzebul, how much more will they insult the members of his household!

²⁶ “So do not ^(R)fear them, ^(S)for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. ^27 (T)What I tell you in the darkness, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim ^(U)on the housetops. ²⁸ And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather ^(V)fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in ^[g](W)hell. ^29 (X)Are two sparrows not sold for an ^[h]assarion? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. ³⁰ But ^(Y)even the hairs of your head are all counted. ³¹ So do not fear; ^(Z)you are more valuable than a great number of sparrows.

³² “Therefore, ^(AA)everyone who ^[i]confesses Me before people, I will also confess ^[j]him before My Father who is in heaven. ³³ But ^(AB)whoever denies Me before people, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.

³⁴ “^(AC)Do not think that I came to ^[k]bring peace on the earth; I did not come to ^[l]bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ For I came to ^(AD)turn a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; ³⁶ and ^(AE)a person’s enemies will be the members of his household.

³⁷ “^(AF)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 ^(AG)the one who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. ^39 (AH)The one who has found his ^[m]life will lose it, and the one who has lost his ^[n]life on My account will find it.

The Reward for Service

⁴⁰ “^(AI)The one who ^[o]receives you ^[p]receives Me, and ^(AJ)the one who ^[q]receives Me ^[r]receives Him who sent Me. ^41 (AK)The one who ^[s]receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and the one who ^[t]receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person shall receive a righteous person’s reward. ⁴² And ^(AL)whoever gives one of these ^[u]little ones just a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”