The Mission of the Seventy

10 After this, the Lord appointed 70^[a] other disciples^[b] and was about to send them ahead of him in pairs to every town and place that he intended to go. ² So he instructed them, “The harvest is vast, but the workers are few. So ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers out into his harvest. ³ Get going! See, I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. ⁴ Don’t carry a wallet, a traveling bag, or sandals, and don’t greet anyone on the way.

⁵ “Whatever house you go into, first say, ‘May there be peace in this house.’ ⁶ If a peaceful person lives there, your greeting of peace will remain with him. But if that’s not the case, your greeting^[c] will come back to you. ⁷ Stay with the same family, eating and drinking whatever they provide, because the worker deserves his pay. Don’t move from house to house.

⁸ “Whenever you go into a town and the people^[d] welcome you, eat whatever they serve you, ⁹ heal the sick that are there, and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you!’ ¹⁰ But whenever you go into a town and people^[e] don’t welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ¹¹ ‘We’re wiping off your town’s dust that clings to our feet in protest against you! But realize this: the kingdom of God is near!’ ¹² I tell you, on the last^[f] day it will be easier for Sodom than for that town!”