Luke 10:1-12

Expanded Bible

Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two^(A)

10 After this, the Lord ·chose [appointed] ·seventy-two^[a] [^Cthe number may reflect the 70 nations listed in the “table of nations” in Genesis 10 (the Greek text of which reads “72”) and so foreshadows the mission to the Gentiles] others and sent them out in pairs ahead of him into every town and place where he ·planned [was about] to go. ² He said to them, “·There are a great many people to harvest [^LThe harvest is great/large], but ·there are only a few workers [^Lthe workers/laborers are few]. So pray to the Lord ·who owns [who is in charge of; ^Lof] the harvest, that he will send more ·workers [laborers] ·to gather [^Linto] his harvest. ³ Go now, but ·listen [^Llook; ^Tbehold]! I am sending you out like ·sheep [lambs] among wolves. ⁴ Don’t carry ·a purse [money bag], a ·bag [traveling bag], or sandals, and don’t ·waste time talking with people [greet anyone] on the road [^Cbecause of the urgency of the task]. ⁵ ·Before [When] you go into a house, [^Lfirst] say, ‘Peace be with this house.’ ⁶ If ·peace-loving people [^La son/child of peace] live there, your ·blessing of peace [^Lpeace] will ·stay with [rest on] them, but if not, then ·your blessing [^Lit] will come back to you. ⁷ Stay in the same house, eating and drinking what the people there give you. [^LFor] A worker ·should be given his pay [deserves his wages; ^Tis worthy of his hire; 1 Tim. 5:18]. Don’t move from house to house [^Cto avoid the temptation of constantly seeking better accommodations]. ⁸ If you go into a town and the people welcome you, eat what they give you. ⁹ Heal the sick who live there, and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’ ¹⁰ But if you go into a town, and the people don’t welcome you, then go into the streets and say, ¹¹ ‘Even the ·dirt [dust] from your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you [^Cin protest and as a warning of judgment]. But ·remember [know; recognize] that the kingdom of God ·is near [has come near; is at hand].’ ¹² I tell you, on ·the Judgment Day [^Lthat day] it will be ·better [more bearable/tolerable] for the people of Sodom [^Ca city God destroyed because the people were so evil; Gen. 19] than for the people of that town.