Matthew 10
10
Jesus Sends His Apostles on a Mission
(Mk. 3:13–19; 6:7–13; Lk. 6:12–16; 9:1–6)
1Jesus called his twelve followers together. He gave them power over evil spirits and power to heal every kind of disease and sickness. 2These are the names of the twelve apostles:
Simon (also called Peter),
Andrew, the brother of Peter,
James, the son of Zebedee,
John, the brother of James,
3Philip,
Bartholomew,
Thomas,
Matthew, the tax collector,
James, the son of Alphaeus,
Thaddaeus,
4Simon, the Zealot,
Judas Iscariot (the one who handed Jesus over to his enemies).
5Jesus sent the twelve men out with these instructions: “Don’t go to the non-Jewish people. And don’t go into any town where the Samaritans live. 6But go to the people of Israel. They are like sheep that are lost. 7When you go, tell them this: ‘God’s kingdom is now very near.#10:7 is now very near Or “is coming soon” or “has come.”’ 8Heal the sick. Bring the dead back to life. Heal the people who have leprosy. And force demons out of people. I give you these powers freely, so help others freely. 9Don’t carry any money with you—gold or silver or copper. 10Don’t carry a bag. Take only the clothes and sandals you are wearing. And don’t take a walking stick. A worker should be given what he needs.
11“When you enter a city or town, find some worthy person there and stay in his home until you leave. 12When you enter that home, say, ‘Peace be with you.’ 13If the people in that home welcome you, they are worthy of your peace. May they have the peace you wished for them. But if they don’t welcome you, they are not worthy of your peace. Take back the peace you wished for them. 14And if the people in a home or a town refuse to welcome you or listen to you, then leave that place and shake the dust off your feet.#10:14 shake the dust off your feet A warning. It would show that they were finished talking to these people. 15I can assure you that on the judgment day it will be worse for that town than for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Jesus Warns About Troubles
(Mk. 13:9–13; Lk. 21:12–17)
16“Listen! I am sending you, and you will be like sheep among wolves. So be smart like snakes. But also be like doves and don’t hurt anyone. 17Be careful! There are people who will arrest you and take you to be judged. They will whip you in their synagogues. 18You will be taken to stand before governors and kings. People will do this to you because you follow me. You will tell about me to those kings and governors and to the non-Jewish people. 19When you are arrested, don’t worry about what to say or how you should say it. At that time you will be given the words to say. 20It will not really be you speaking; the Spirit of your Father will be speaking through you.
21“Brothers will turn against their own brothers and hand them over to be killed. Fathers will hand over their own children to be killed. Children will fight against their own parents and will have them killed. 22Everyone will hate you because you follow me. But the one who remains faithful to the end will be saved. 23When you are treated badly in one city, go to another city. I promise you that you will not finish going to all the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes again.
24“Students are not better than their teacher. Servants are not better than their master. 25Students should be happy to be treated the same as their teacher. And servants should be happy to be treated the same as their master. If those people call me ‘the ruler of demons,’ and I am the head of the family,#10:25 call me … family Literally, “call the head of the household Beelzebul.” See verse 9:34. then it is even more certain that they will insult you, the members of the family!
Fear God, Not People
(Lk. 12:2–7)
26“So don’t be afraid of those people. Everything that is hidden will be shown. Everything that is secret will be made known. 27I tell you all this secretly,#10:27 secretly Literally, “in the dark.” but I want you to tell it publicly.#10:27 publicly Literally, “in the light.” Whatever I tell you privately,#10:27 privately Literally, “in the ear.” you should shout for everyone to hear.#10:27 for everyone to hear Literally, “on the housetops.”
28“Don’t be afraid of people. They can kill the body, but they cannot kill the soul. The only one you should fear is God, the one who can send the body and the soul to be destroyed in hell. 29When birds are sold, two small birds cost only a penny. But not even one of those little birds can die without your Father knowing it. 30God even knows how many hairs are on your head. 31So don’t be afraid. You are worth more than a whole flock of birds.
Don’t Be Ashamed of Your Faith
(Lk. 12:8–9)
32“If you stand before others and are willing to say you believe in me, then I will tell my Father in heaven that you belong to me. 33But if you stand before others and say you do not believe in me, then I will tell my Father in heaven that you do not belong to me.
Following Jesus May Bring You Trouble
(Lk. 12:51–53; 14:26–27)
34“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace. I came to bring trouble.#10:34 trouble Literally, “a sword.” 35I have come to make this happen:
‘A son will turn against his father.
A daughter will turn against her mother.
A daughter-in-law will turn against her mother-in-law.
36Even members of your own family will be your enemies.’ Micah 7:6
37“Those who love their father or mother more than they love me are not worthy of me. And those who love their son or daughter more than they love me are not worthy of me. 38Those who will not accept the cross that is given to them when they follow me are not worthy of me. 39Those who try to keep the life they have will lose it. But those who give up their life for me will find true life.
God Will Bless Those Who Welcome You
(Mk. 9:41)
40“Whoever accepts you also accepts me. And whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me. 41Whoever accepts a prophet because he is a prophet will get the same reward a prophet gets. And whoever accepts a godly person just because that person is godly will get the same reward a godly person gets. 42Whoever helps any of these little ones because they are my followers will definitely get a reward, even if they only give them a cup of cold water.”
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Matthew 10
10
1And having called to him his twelve disciples, he gave them power over unclean spirits, so that they should cast them out, and heal every disease and every bodily weakness. 2Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the tax-gatherer; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, who was surnamed Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Cananaean, and Judas the Iscariote, who also delivered him up.
5These twelve Jesus sent out when he had charged them, saying, Go not off into the way of the nations, and into a city of Samaritans enter ye not; 6but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of the heavens has drawn nigh. 8Heal the infirm, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons: ye have received gratuitously, give gratuitously. 9Do not provide yourselves with gold, or silver, or brass, for your belts, 10nor scrip for the way, nor two body coats, nor sandals, nor a staff: for the workman is worthy of his nourishment. 11But into whatsoever city or village ye enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and there remain till ye go forth. 12And as ye enter into a house salute it. 13And if the house indeed be worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, as ye go forth out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. 15Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in judgment-day than for that city.
16Behold, I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves; be therefore prudent as the serpents, and guileless as the doves. 17But beware of men; for they will deliver you up to sanhedrims, and scourge you in their synagogues; 18and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the nations. 19But when they deliver you up, be not careful how or what ye shall speak; for it shall be given to you in that hour what ye shall speak. 20For ye are not the speakers, but the Spirit of your Father which speaks in you. 21But brother shall deliver up brother to death, and father child; and children shall rise up against parents and shall put them to death; 22and ye shall be hated of all on account of my name. But he that has endured to the end, he shall be saved. 23But when they persecute you in this city, flee to the other; for verily I say to you, Ye shall not have completed the cities of Israel until the Son of man be come. 24The disciple is not above his teacher, nor the bondman above his lord. 25It is sufficient for the disciple that he should become as his teacher, and the bondman as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more those of his household? 26Fear them not therefore; for there is nothing covered which shall not be revealed, and secret which shall not be known. 27What I say to you in darkness speak in the light, and what ye hear in the ear preach upon the houses. 28And be not afraid of those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul; but fear rather him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall to the ground without your Father; 30but of you even the hairs of the head are all numbered. 31Fear not therefore; ye are better than many sparrows. 32Every one therefore who shall confess me before men, I also will confess him before my Father who is in the heavens. 33But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in the heavens. 34Do not think that I have come to send peace upon the earth: I have not come to send peace, but a sword. 35For I have come to set a man at variance with his father, and the daughter with her mother, and the daughter-in-law with her mother-in-law; 36and they of his household shall be a man's enemies. 37He who loves father or mother above me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter above me is not worthy of me. 38And he who does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. 39He that finds his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for my sake shall find it. 40He that receives you receives me, and he that receives me receives him that sent me. 41He that receives a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man, shall receive a righteous man's reward. 42And whosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.