Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two

10 After this the Lord chose another seventy-two^[a] men and sent them out two by two, to go ahead of him to every town and place where he himself was about to go. ^2 (A)He said to them, “There is a large harvest, but few workers to gather it in. Pray to the owner of the harvest that he will send out workers to gather in his harvest. ^3 (B)Go! I am sending you like lambs among wolves. ⁴ Don't take a purse or a beggar's bag or shoes; don't stop to greet anyone on the road. ⁵ Whenever you go into a house, first say, ‘Peace be with this house.’ ⁶ If someone who is peace-loving lives there, let your greeting of peace remain on that person; if not, take back your greeting of peace. ^7 (C)Stay in that same house, eating and drinking whatever they offer you, for workers should be given their pay. Don't move around from one house to another. ⁸ Whenever you go into a town and are made welcome, eat what is set before you, ⁹ heal the sick in that town, and say to the people there, ‘The Kingdom of God has come near you.’ ^10 (D)But whenever you go into a town and are not welcomed, go out in the streets and say, ^11 (E)‘Even the dust from your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. But remember that the Kingdom of God has come near you!’ ^12 (F)I assure you that on the Judgment Day God will show more mercy to Sodom than to that town!

The Return of the Seventy-Two

¹⁷ The seventy-two^[a] men came back in great joy. “Lord,” they said, “even the demons obeyed us when we gave them a command in your name!”

¹⁸ Jesus answered them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. ^19 (A)Listen! I have given you authority, so that you can walk on snakes and scorpions and overcome all the power of the Enemy, and nothing will hurt you. ²⁰ But don't be glad because the evil spirits obey you; rather be glad because your names are written in heaven.”