Jesus Appoints Seventy-Two

10 After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two^[a] others and sent them out two by two ahead of him^[b] to every town and place where he was about to go.

² He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. So ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest field. ³ Go your way. Look, I am sending you out as lambs among wolves. ⁴ Do not carry a money bag or traveler’s bag or sandals. Do not greet anyone along the way. ⁵ Whenever you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’ ⁶ And if a peaceful person is there, your peace will rest on him, but if not, it will return to you. ⁷ Remain in that same house, eating and drinking what they give you, because the worker is worthy of his pay. Do not keep moving from house to house. ⁸ Whenever you enter a town and they welcome you, eat what is set before you. ⁹ Heal the sick who are in the town and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near you.’

¹⁰ “But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ¹¹ ‘Even the dust from your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this: The kingdom of God has come near.’ ¹² I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom on that day than for that town.

¹⁶ Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”

¹⁷ The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name!”

¹⁸ He told them, “I was watching Satan fall like lightning from heaven. ¹⁹ Look, I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy. And nothing will ever harm you. ²⁰ Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names have been written in heaven.”