⁹ “Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts^(A)— ¹⁰ no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep.^{(B) 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.^{(C) 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.^{(D) 15} Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah^(E) on the day of judgment^(F) than for that town.^(G)

¹⁶ “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.^(H) Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.^{(I) 17} Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils^(J) and be flogged in the synagogues.^{(K) 18} On my account you will be brought before governors and kings^(L) 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.^(M) At that time you will be given what to say, ²⁰ for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father^(N) speaking through you.

²¹ “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents^(O) and have them put to death.^{(P) 22} You will be hated by everyone because of me,^(Q) but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.^{(R) 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.^(S)

²⁴ “The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master.^{(T) 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,^(U) 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.^{(V) 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^(W) 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.^{[a] 30} And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.^{(X) 31} So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.^(Y)

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

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.^{(AD) 38} Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.^{(AE) 39} Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.^(AF)

⁴⁰ “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me,^(AG) and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.^{(AH) 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.”^(AI)

⁸ These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts.

³ He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt.^{(A) 4} Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. ⁵ If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”^{(B) 6} So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.

⁷ Now Herod^(C) the tetrarch heard about all that was going on. And he was perplexed because some were saying that John^(D) had been raised from the dead,^{(E) 8} others that Elijah had appeared,^(F) and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life.^{(G) 9} But Herod said, “I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?” And he tried to see him.^(H)

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand^(I)(J)

¹⁰ When the apostles^(K) returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida,^{(L) 11} but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God,^(M) and healed those who needed healing.

¹² Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.”

¹³ He replied, “You give them something to eat.”

They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.” ¹⁴ (About five thousand men were there.)

But he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” ¹⁵ The disciples did so, and everyone sat down. ¹⁶ Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them.^(N) Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. ¹⁷ They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah^(O)(P)

¹⁸ Once when Jesus was praying^(Q) in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”

¹⁹ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist;^(R) others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”^(S)

²⁰ “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.”^(T)

Jesus Predicts His Death

²¹ Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone.^{(U) 22} And he said, “The Son of Man^(V) must suffer many things^(W) and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law,^(X) and he must be killed^(Y) and on the third day^(Z) be raised to life.”^(AA)

²³ Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.^{(AB) 24} For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.^{(AC) 25} What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? ²⁶ Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them^(AD) when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.^(AE)

²⁷ “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”

The Transfiguration^(AF)

²⁸ About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James^(AG) with him and went up onto a mountain to pray.^{(AH) 29} As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. ³⁰ Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. ³¹ They spoke about his departure,^[a](AI) which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. ³² Peter and his companions were very sleepy,^(AJ) but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. ³³ As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master,^(AK) it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)

³⁴ While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. ³⁵ A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen;^(AL) listen to him.”^{(AM) 36} When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.^(AN)

Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy^(AO)

³⁷ The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. ³⁸ A man in the crowd called out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. ³⁹ A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him. ⁴⁰ I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.”

⁴¹ “You unbelieving and perverse generation,”^(AP) Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”

⁴² Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the impure spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father. ⁴³ And they were all amazed at the greatness of God.

Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time

While everyone was marveling at all that Jesus did, he said to his disciples, ⁴⁴ “Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.”^{(AQ) 45} But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it,^(AR) and they were afraid to ask him about it.

⁴⁶ An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest.^{(AS) 47} Jesus, knowing their thoughts,^(AT) took a little child and had him stand beside him. ⁴⁸ Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.^(AU) For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.”^(AV)

⁴⁹ “Master,”^(AW) said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.”

⁵⁰ “Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”^(AX)

Samaritan Opposition

⁵¹ As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven,^(AY) Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.^{(AZ) 52} And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan^(BA) village to get things ready for him; ⁵³ but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. ⁵⁴ When the disciples James and John^(BB) saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them^[b]?”^{(BC) 55} But Jesus turned and rebuked them. ⁵⁶ Then he and his disciples went to another village.

The Cost of Following Jesus^(BD)

⁵⁷ As they were walking along the road,^(BE) a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

⁵⁸ Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man^(BF) has no place to lay his head.”

⁵⁹ He said to another man, “Follow me.”^(BG)

But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

⁶⁰ Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”^(BH)

⁶¹ Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”^(BI)

⁶² Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

⁴ Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.