¹⁶ Listen: I am sending you out to be sheep among wolves. You must be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves. ¹⁷ You must be careful. You must be discerning. You must be on your guard. There will be men who try to hand you over to their town councils and have you flogged in their synagogues. ¹⁸ Because of Me, naysayers and doubters will try to make an example out of you by trying you before rulers and kings.