Matthew 10:1-23

Contemporary English Version

Jesus Chooses His Twelve Apostles

(Mark 3.13-19; Luke 6.12-16)

10 Jesus called together his twelve disciples. He gave them the power to force out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and sickness. ²The first of the twelve apostles was Simon, better known as Peter. His brother Andrew was an apostle, and so were James and John, the two sons of Zebedee. ³Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew the tax collector,^[a] James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus were also apostles. ⁴The others were Simon, known as the Eager One,^[b] and Judas Iscariot,^[c] who later betrayed Jesus.

Instructions for the Twelve Apostles

(Mark 6.7-13; Luke 9.1-6)

⁵Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions:

Stay away from the Gentiles and don't go to any Samaritan town. ⁶Go only to the people of Israel, because they are like a flock of lost sheep. ⁷^(A) As you go, announce that the kingdom of heaven will soon be here.^[d] ⁸Heal the sick, raise the dead to life, heal people who have leprosy,^[e] and force out demons. You received without paying, now give without being paid. ⁹Don't take along any gold, silver, or copper coins. ¹⁰^(B) And don't carry^[f] a traveling bag or an extra shirt or sandals or a walking stick.

Workers deserve their food. ¹¹So when you go to a town or a village, find someone able and willing to have you as their guest and stay with them until you leave. ¹²When you go to a home, give it your blessing of peace. ¹³If the home is deserving, let your blessing remain with them. But if the home doesn't accept you, take back your blessing of peace. ¹⁴^(C) If someone won't welcome you or listen to your message, leave their home or town. And shake the dust from your feet at them.^[g] ¹⁵^(D) I promise you the day of judgment will be easier for the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah^[h] than for that town.

Warning about Trouble

(Mark 13.9-13; Luke 21.12-17)

¹⁶^(E) I am sending you like lambs into a pack of wolves. So be as wise as snakes and as innocent as doves. ¹⁷^(F) Watch out for people who will take you to court and have you beaten in their synagogues. ¹⁸Because of me, you will be dragged before rulers and kings to tell them and the Gentiles about your faith. ¹⁹But when someone arrests you, don't worry about what you will say or how you will say it. At that time you will be given the words to say. ²⁰But you will not really be the one speaking. The Spirit from your Father will tell you what to say.

²¹^(G) Brothers and sisters will betray one another and have each other put to death. Parents will betray their own children, and children will turn against their parents and have them killed. ²²^(H) Everyone will hate you because of me. But if you remain faithful until the end, you will be saved. ²³When people mistreat you in one town, hurry to another one. I promise you before you have gone to all the towns of Israel, the Son of Man will come.

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Footnotes

10.3 tax collector: See the note at 5.46.
10.4 known as the Eager One: The Greek text has “Cananaean,” which probably comes from a Hebrew word meaning “zealous” (see Luke 6.15). “Zealot” was the name later given to the members of a Jewish group that resisted and fought against the Romans.
10.4 Iscariot: This may mean “a man from Kerioth” (a place in Judea). But more probably it means “a man who was a liar” or “a man who was a betrayer.”
10.7 will soon be here: Or “is already here.”
10.8 leprosy: See the note at 8.2.
10.9,10 Don't take along … don't carry: Or “Don't accept … don't accept.”
10.14 shake the dust from your feet at them: This was a way of showing rejection (see Acts 13.51).
10.15 Sodom and Gomorrah: During the time of Abraham the Lord destroyed these towns because the people there were so evil.