Matthew 10:14-42

English Standard Version

¹⁴ And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, ^(A)shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. ¹⁵ Truly, I say to you, ^(B)it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for ^(C)the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

Persecution Will Come

^16 (D)“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be ^(E)wise as serpents and ^(F)innocent as doves. ¹⁷ Beware of men, for ^(G)they will deliver you over to courts and flog you ^(H)in their synagogues, ^18 (I)and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, ^(J)to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. ^19 (K)When ^(L)they deliver you over, ^(M)do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for ^(N)what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. ^20 (O)For it is not you who speak, but ^(P)the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. ^21 (Q)Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, ^22 (R)and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. ^(S)But the one who endures to the end will be saved. ²³ When they ^(T)persecute you in one town, ^(U)flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel ^(V)before the Son of Man comes.

^24 (W)“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant^[a] above his master. ²⁵ It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. ^(X)If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign^[b] those of his household.

Have No Fear

²⁶ “So have no fear of them, ^(Y)for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. ²⁷ What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on ^(Z)the housetops. ²⁸ And ^(AA)do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him ^(AB)who can destroy both soul and body in hell.^{[c] 29} Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?^[d] And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. ³⁰ But ^(AC)even the hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ Fear not, therefore; ^(AD)you are of more value than many sparrows. ^32 (AE)So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, ³³ but ^(AF)whoever denies me before men, ^(AG)I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

Not Peace, but a Sword

^34 (AH)“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. ^(AI)I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. ^35 (AJ)For I have come ^(AK)to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. ^36 (AL)And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. ^37 (AM)Whoever 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. ³⁸ And ^(AN)whoever does not take his cross and ^(AO)follow me is not worthy of me. ^39 (AP)Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Rewards

^40 (AQ)“Whoever receives you receives me, and ^(AR)whoever receives me receives him who sent me. ^41 (AS)The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward. ⁴² And ^(AT)whoever gives one of ^(AU)these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”