Matthew 10-12

Contemporary English Version

Jesus Chooses His Twelve Apostles

(Mark 3.13-19; Luke 6.12-16)

10 Jesus called together his twelve disciples. He gave them the power to force out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and sickness. ² The first of the twelve apostles was Simon, better known as Peter. His brother Andrew was an apostle, and so were James and John, the two sons of Zebedee. ³ Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew the tax collector,^[a] James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus were also apostles. ⁴ The others were Simon, known as the Eager One,^[b] and Judas Iscariot,^[c] who later betrayed Jesus.

Instructions for the Twelve Apostles

(Mark 6.7-13; Luke 9.1-6)

⁵ Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions:

Stay away from the Gentiles and don't go to any Samaritan town. ⁶ Go only to the people of Israel, because they are like a flock of lost sheep. ^7 (A) As you go, announce that the kingdom of heaven will soon be here.^{[d] 8} Heal the sick, raise the dead to life, heal people who have leprosy,^[e] and force out demons. You received without paying, now give without being paid. ⁹ Don't take along any gold, silver, or copper coins. ^10 (B) And don't carry^[f] a traveling bag or an extra shirt or sandals or a walking stick.

Workers deserve their food. ¹¹ So when you go to a town or a village, find someone able and willing to have you as their guest and stay with them until you leave. ¹² When you go to a home, give it your blessing of peace. ¹³ If the home is deserving, let your blessing remain with them. But if the home doesn't accept you, take back your blessing of peace. ^14 (C) If someone won't welcome you or listen to your message, leave their home or town. And shake the dust from your feet at them.^{[g] 15 (D)} I promise you the day of judgment will be easier for the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah^[h] than for that town.

Warning about Trouble

(Mark 13.9-13; Luke 21.12-17)

^16 (E) I am sending you like lambs into a pack of wolves. So be as wise as snakes and as innocent as doves. ^17 (F) Watch out for people who will take you to court and have you beaten in their synagogues. ¹⁸ Because of me, you will be dragged before rulers and kings to tell them and the Gentiles about your faith. ¹⁹ But when someone arrests you, don't worry about what you will say or how you will say it. At that time you will be given the words to say. ²⁰ But you will not really be the one speaking. The Spirit from your Father will tell you what to say.

^21 (G) Brothers and sisters will betray one another and have each other put to death. Parents will betray their own children, and children will turn against their parents and have them killed. ^22 (H) Everyone will hate you because of me. But if you remain faithful until the end, you will be saved. ²³ When people mistreat you in one town, hurry to another one. I promise you before you have gone to all the towns of Israel, the Son of Man will come.

^24 (I) Students are not better than their teacher, and slaves are not better than their master. ^25 (J) It is enough for students to be like their teacher and for slaves to be like their master. If people call the head of the family Satan, what will they say about the rest of the family?

The One To Fear

(Luke 12.2-7)

^26 (K) Don't be afraid of anyone! Everything is hidden will be found out, and every secret will be known. ²⁷ Whatever I say to you in the dark, you must tell in the light. And you must announce from the housetops whatever I have whispered to you. ^28 (L) Don't be afraid of people. They can kill you, but they cannot harm your soul. Instead, you should fear God who can destroy both your body and your soul in hell. ²⁹ Aren't two sparrows sold for only a penny? But your Father knows when any one of them falls to the ground. ³⁰ Even the hairs on your head are counted. ³¹ So don't be afraid! You are worth much more than many sparrows.

Telling Others about Christ

(Luke 12.8,9)

³² If you tell others you belong to me, I will tell my Father in heaven you are my followers. ^33 (M) But if you reject me, I will tell my Father in heaven you don't belong to me.

Not Peace, but Trouble

(Luke 12.51-53; 14.26,27)

³⁴ Don't think I came to bring peace to the earth! I came to bring trouble, not peace. ^35 (N) I came to turn sons against their fathers, daughters against their mothers, and daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law. ³⁶ Your worst enemies will be in your own family.

^37 (O) If you love your father or mother or even your sons and daughters more than me, you are not fit to be my disciples. ^38 (P) And unless you are willing to take up your cross and follow me, you are not fit to be my disciples. ^39 (Q) If you try to save your life, you will lose it. But if you give it up for me, you will surely find it.

Rewards

(Mark 9.41)

^40 (R) Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me. And anyone who welcomes me also welcomes the one who sent me. ⁴¹ Anyone who welcomes a prophet, just because that person is a prophet, will be given the same reward as a prophet. Anyone who welcomes a good person, just because that person is good, will be given the same reward as a good person. ⁴² And anyone who gives one of my most humble followers a cup of cool water, just because that person is my follower, will be rewarded.

John the Baptist

(Luke 7.18-35)

11 After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he left and began teaching and preaching in the towns.^[i]

² John was in prison when he heard what Christ was doing. So John sent some of his followers ³ to ask Jesus, “Are you the one we should be looking for? Or must we wait for someone else?”

⁴ Jesus answered, “Go and tell John what you have heard and seen. ^5 (S) The blind are now able to see, and the lame can walk. People with leprosy^[j] are being healed, and the deaf can hear. The dead are raised to life, and the poor are hearing the good news. ⁶ God will bless everyone who doesn't reject me because of what I do.”

⁷ As John's followers were going away, Jesus spoke to the crowds about John:

What sort of person did you go out into the desert to see? Was he like tall grass blown about by the wind? ⁸ What kind of man did you go out to see? Was he someone dressed in fine clothes? People who dress like that live in the king's palace. ⁹ What did you really go out to see? Was he a prophet? He certainly was. I tell you that he was more than a prophet. ^10 (T) In the Scriptures God says about him, “I am sending my messenger ahead to get things ready for you.” ¹¹ I tell you no one ever born on this earth is greater than John the Baptist. But whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John.

^12 (U) From the time of John the Baptist until now, violent people have been trying to take over the kingdom of heaven by force. ¹³ All the Books of the Prophets and the Law of Moses^[k] told what was going to happen up to the time of John. ^14 (V) And if you believe them, John is Elijah, the prophet you are waiting for. ¹⁵ If you have ears, pay attention!

¹⁶ You people are like children sitting in the market and shouting to each other,

¹⁸ John the Baptist did not go around eating and drinking, and you said, “That man has a demon in him!” ¹⁹ But the Son of Man goes around eating and drinking, and you say, “That man eats and drinks too much! He is even a friend of tax collectors^[l] and sinners.” Yet Wisdom is shown to be right by what it does.

The Unbelieving Towns

(Luke 10.13-15)

²⁰ In the towns where Jesus had worked most of his miracles, the people refused to turn to God. So Jesus was upset with them and said:

^21 (W) You people of Chorazin are in for trouble! You people of Bethsaida are in for trouble too! If the miracles that took place here had happened in Tyre and Sidon, the people there would have turned to God long ago. They would have dressed in sackcloth and put ashes on their heads.^{[m] 22} I tell you on the day of judgment the people of Tyre and Sidon will get off easier than you will.

^23 (X) People of Capernaum, do you think you will be honored in heaven? You will go down to hell! If the miracles that took place in your town had happened in Sodom, it would still be standing. ^24 (Y) So I tell you on the day of judgment the people of Sodom will get off easier than you.

Come to Me and Rest

(Luke 10.21,22)

²⁵ At that moment Jesus said:

My Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I am grateful that you hid all this from wise and educated people and showed it to ordinary people. ²⁶ Yes, Father, this is what pleased you.

^27 (Z) My Father has given me everything, and he is the only one who knows the Son. The only one who truly knows the Father is the Son. But the Son wants to tell others about the Father, so they can know him too.

^28 (AA) If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest. ^29 (AB) Take the yoke^[n] I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest. ³⁰ This yoke is easy to bear, and this burden is light.

A Question about the Sabbath

(Mark 2.23-28; Luke 6.1-5)

12 ^(AC) One Sabbath, Jesus and his disciples were walking through some wheat fields.^[o] His disciples were hungry and began picking and eating grains of wheat. ² Some Pharisees noticed this and said to Jesus, “Why are your disciples picking grain on the Sabbath? They are not supposed to do this!”

^3 (AD) Jesus answered:

You surely must have read what David did when he and his followers were hungry. ^4 (AE) He went into the house of God, and then they ate the sacred loaves of bread that only priests are supposed to eat. ^5 (AF) Haven't you read in the Law of Moses that the priests are allowed to work in the temple on the Sabbath? But no one says they are guilty of breaking the law of the Sabbath. ⁶ I tell you there is something here greater than the temple. ^7 (AG) Don't you know what the Scriptures mean when they say, “Instead of offering sacrifices to me, I want you to be merciful to others?” If you knew what this means, you would not condemn these innocent disciples of mine. ⁸ So the Son of Man is Lord over the Sabbath.

A Man with a Paralyzed Hand

(Mark 3.1-6; Luke 6.6-11)

⁹ Jesus left and went into one of their synagogues, ¹⁰ where there was a man whose hand was paralyzed. Some Pharisees wanted to accuse Jesus of doing something wrong, so they asked him, “Is it right to heal someone on the Sabbath?”

^11 (AH) Jesus answered, “If one of your sheep fell into a ditch on the Sabbath, wouldn't you lift it out? ¹² People are worth much more than sheep, and so it is right to do good on the Sabbath.” ¹³ Then Jesus told the man, “Hold out your hand.” The man did, and it became as healthy as the other one.

¹⁴ The Pharisees left and started making plans to kill Jesus.

God's Chosen Servant

¹⁵ When Jesus found out what was happening, he left there and large crowds followed him. He healed all of their sick, ¹⁶ but warned them not to tell anyone about him. ¹⁷ So God's promise came true, just as Isaiah the prophet had said,

Jesus and the Ruler of the Demons

(Mark 3.20-30; Luke 11.14-23; 12.10)

²² Some people brought to Jesus a man who was blind and could not talk because he had a demon in him. Jesus healed the man, and then he was able to talk and see. ²³ The crowds were so amazed they asked, “Could Jesus be the Son of David?”^[p]

^24 (AJ) When the Pharisees heard this, they said, “He forces out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons!”

²⁵ Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he said to them:

Any kingdom where people fight each other will end up ruined. And a town or family that fights will soon destroy itself. ²⁶ So if Satan fights against himself, how can his kingdom last? ²⁷ If I use the power of Beelzebul to force out demons, whose power do your own followers use to force them out? Your followers are the ones who will judge you. ²⁸ But when I force out demons by the power of God's Spirit, it proves that God's kingdom has already come to you. ^29 (AK) How can anyone break into a strong man's house and steal his things, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can take everything.

^30 (AL) If you are not on my side, you are against me. If you don't gather in the harvest with me, you scatter it. ^31-32 (AM) I tell you any sinful thing you do or say can be forgiven. Even if you speak against the Son of Man, you can be forgiven. But if you speak against the Holy Spirit, you can never be forgiven, either in this life or in the life to come.

A Tree and Its Fruit

(Luke 6.43-45)

^33 (AN) A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. You can tell what a tree is like by the fruit it produces. ^34 (AO) You are a bunch of evil snakes, so how can you say anything good? Your words show what is in your hearts. ³⁵ Good people bring good things out of their hearts, but evil people bring evil things out of their hearts. ³⁶ I promise you on the day of judgment, everyone will have to account for every careless word they have spoken. ³⁷ On that day they will be told they are either innocent or guilty because of the things they have said.

A Sign from Heaven

(Mark 8.11,12; Luke 11.29-32)

^38 (AP) Some Pharisees and teachers of the Law of Moses said, “Teacher, we want you to show us a sign from heaven.”

^39 (AQ) But Jesus replied:

You want a sign because you are evil and won't believe! But the only sign you will get is the sign of the prophet Jonah. ^40 (AR) He was in the stomach of a big fish for three days and nights, just as the Son of Man will be deep in the earth for three days and nights. ^41 (AS) On the day of judgment the people of Nineveh^[q] will stand there with you and condemn you. They turned to God when Jonah preached, and yet here is something far greater than Jonah. ^42 (AT) The Queen of the South^[r] will also stand there with you and condemn you. She traveled a long way to hear Solomon's wisdom, and yet here is something much greater than Solomon.

Return of an Evil Spirit

(Luke 11.24-26)

⁴³ When an evil spirit leaves a person, it travels through the desert, looking for a place to rest. But when the demon doesn't find a place, ⁴⁴ it says, “I will go back to the home I left.” When it gets there and finds the place empty, clean, and neat, ⁴⁵ it goes off and finds seven other evil spirits even worse than itself. They all come and make their home there, and the person ends up in worse shape than before. That's how it will be with you evil people of today.

Jesus' Mother and Brothers

(Mark 3.31-35; Luke 8.19-21)

⁴⁶ While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and brothers came and stood outside because they wanted to talk with him. ⁴⁷ Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside and want to talk with you.”^[s]

⁴⁸ Jesus answered, “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” ⁴⁹ Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “These are my mother and my brothers! ⁵⁰ Anyone who obeys my Father in heaven is my brother or sister or mother.”