Jesus Sends Out the Twelve^{(A)(B)(C)(D)(E)}

10 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits^(F) and to heal every disease and sickness.^(G)

² These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; ³ Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; ⁴ Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.^(H)

⁵ These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans.^{(I) 6} Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.^{(J) 7} As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven^(K) has come near.’ ⁸ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,^[a] drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

⁹ “Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts^(L)— ¹⁰ no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep.^{(M) 11} Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. ¹² As you enter the home, give it your greeting.^{(N) 13} If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. ¹⁴ If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.^{(O) 15} Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah^(P) on the day of judgment^(Q) than for that town.^(R)

¹⁶ “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.^(S) Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.^{(T) 17} Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils^(U) and be flogged in the synagogues.^{(V) 18} On my account you will be brought before governors and kings^(W) as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹ But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it.^(X) At that time you will be given what to say, ²⁰ for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father^(Y) speaking through you.

²¹ “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents^(Z) and have them put to death.^{(AA) 22} You will be hated by everyone because of me,^(AB) but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.^{(AC) 23} When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.^(AD)

²⁴ “The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master.^{(AE) 25} It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul,^(AF) how much more the members of his household!

²⁶ “So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.^{(AG) 27} What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. ²⁸ Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One^(AH) who can destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.^{[b] 30} And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.^{(AI) 31} So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.^(AJ)

³² “Whoever acknowledges me before others,^(AK) I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. ³³ But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.^(AL)

³⁴ “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to turn

³⁷ “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.^{(AO) 38} Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.^{(AP) 39} Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.^(AQ)

⁴⁰ “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me,^(AR) and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.^{(AS) 41} Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. ⁴² And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”^(AT)

The Demand for a Sign^(A)

16 The Pharisees and Sadducees^(B) came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.^(C)

² He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ ³ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.^{[a](D) 4} A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.”^(E) Jesus then left them and went away.

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees

⁵ When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. ⁶ “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”^(F)

⁷ They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.”

⁸ Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith,^(G) why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? ⁹ Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?^{(H) 10} Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?^{(I) 11} How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” ¹² Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.^(J)

Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah^(K)

¹³ When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

¹⁴ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist;^(L) others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”^(M)

¹⁵ “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”^(N)

¹⁷ Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood,^(O) but by my Father in heaven.^{(P) 18} And I tell you that you are Peter,^[b](Q) and on this rock I will build my church,^(R) and the gates of Hades^[c] will not overcome it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys^(S) of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be^[d] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be^[e] loosed in heaven.”^{(T) 20} Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone^(U) that he was the Messiah.

Jesus Predicts His Death^(V)

²¹ From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem^(W) and suffer many things^(X) at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law,^(Y) and that he must be killed^(Z) and on the third day^(AA) be raised to life.^(AB)

²² Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

²³ Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!^(AC) You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

²⁴ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.^{(AD) 25} For whoever wants to save their life^[f] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.^{(AE) 26} What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? ²⁷ For the Son of Man^(AF) is going to come^(AG) in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.^(AH)

²⁸ “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”