Matthew 10:5-39

English Standard Version

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles

^5 (A)These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of ^(B)the Samaritans, ^6 (C)but go rather to ^(D)the lost sheep of ^(E)the house of Israel. ⁷ And proclaim as you go, saying, ^(F)‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’^{[a] 8 (G)}Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers,^[b] cast out demons. ^(H)You received without paying; give without pay. ^9 (I)Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, ¹⁰ no bag for your journey, or two tunics^[c] or sandals or a staff, for ^(J)the laborer deserves his food. ¹¹ And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. ¹² As you enter the house, ^(K)greet it. ¹³ And if the house is ^(L)worthy, let ^(M)your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let ^(N)your peace return to you. ¹⁴ And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, ^(O)shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. ¹⁵ Truly, I say to you, ^(P)it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for ^(Q)the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

Persecution Will Come

^16 (R)“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be ^(S)wise as serpents and ^(T)innocent as doves. ¹⁷ Beware of men, for ^(U)they will deliver you over to courts and flog you ^(V)in their synagogues, ^18 (W)and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, ^(X)to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. ^19 (Y)When ^(Z)they deliver you over, ^(AA)do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for ^(AB)what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. ^20 (AC)For it is not you who speak, but ^(AD)the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. ^21 (AE)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 (AF)and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. ^(AG)But the one who endures to the end will be saved. ²³ When they ^(AH)persecute you in one town, ^(AI)flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel ^(AJ)before the Son of Man comes.

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

Have No Fear

²⁶ “So have no fear of them, ^(AM)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 ^(AN)the housetops. ²⁸ And ^(AO)do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him ^(AP)who can destroy both soul and body in hell.^{[f] 29} Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?^[g] And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. ³⁰ But ^(AQ)even the hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ Fear not, therefore; ^(AR)you are of more value than many sparrows. ^32 (AS)So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, ³³ but ^(AT)whoever denies me before men, ^(AU)I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

Not Peace, but a Sword

^34 (AV)“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. ^(AW)I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. ^35 (AX)For I have come ^(AY)to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. ^36 (AZ)And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. ^37 (BA)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 ^(BB)whoever does not take his cross and ^(BC)follow me is not worthy of me. ^39 (BD)Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.