Matthew 10
English Standard Version
The Twelve Apostles
10 (A)And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. 2 (B)The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, (C)who is called Peter, and (D)Andrew his brother; (E)James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and (F)Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;[a] 4 Simon the Zealot,[b] and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles
5 (G)These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of (H)the Samaritans, 6 (I)but go rather to (J)the lost sheep of (K)the house of Israel. 7 And proclaim as you go, saying, (L)‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’[c] 8 (M)Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers,[d] cast out demons. (N)You received without paying; give without pay. 9 (O)Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, 10 no bag for your journey, or two tunics[e] or sandals or a staff, for (P)the laborer deserves his food. 11 And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. 12 As you enter the house, (Q)greet it. 13 And if the house is (R)worthy, let (S)your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let (T)your peace return to you. 14 And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, (U)shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. 15 Truly, I say to you, (V)it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for (W)the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.
Persecution Will Come
16 (X)“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be (Y)wise as serpents and (Z)innocent as doves. 17 Beware of men, for (AA)they will deliver you over to courts and flog you (AB)in their synagogues, 18 (AC)and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, (AD)to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. 19 (AE)When (AF)they deliver you over, (AG)do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for (AH)what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. 20 (AI)For it is not you who speak, but (AJ)the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 (AK)Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, 22 (AL)and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. (AM)But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they (AN)persecute you in one town, (AO)flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel (AP)before the Son of Man comes.
24 (AQ)“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant[f] above his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. (AR)If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign[g] those of his household.
Have No Fear
26 “So have no fear of them, (AS)for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on (AT)the housetops. 28 And (AU)do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him (AV)who can destroy both soul and body in hell.[h] 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?[i] And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But (AW)even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; (AX)you are of more value than many sparrows. 32 (AY)So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but (AZ)whoever denies me before men, (BA)I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
Not Peace, but a Sword
34 (BB)“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. (BC)I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 (BD)For I have come (BE)to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 (BF)And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. 37 (BG)Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And (BH)whoever does not take his cross and (BI)follow me is not worthy of me. 39 (BJ)Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Rewards
40 (BK)“Whoever receives you receives me, and (BL)whoever receives me receives him who sent me. 41 (BM)The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward. 42 And (BN)whoever gives one of (BO)these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 10:3 Some manuscripts Lebbaeus, or Lebbaeus called Thaddaeus
- Matthew 10:4 Greek kananaios, meaning zealot
- Matthew 10:7 Or The kingdom of heaven has come near
- Matthew 10:8 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13
- Matthew 10:10 Greek chiton, a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin
- Matthew 10:24 Or bondservant; also verse 25
- Matthew 10:25 Greek lacks will they malign
- Matthew 10:28 Greek Gehenna
- Matthew 10:29 Greek assarion, Roman copper coin (Latin quadrans) worth about 1/16 of a denarius (which was a day's wage for a laborer)
Matthew 10
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Commissioning the Twelve
10 Summoning His 12 disciples,(A) He gave them authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out and to heal every[a] disease and sickness.(B) 2 These are the names of the 12 apostles:(C)
First, Simon, who is called Peter,
and Andrew his brother;
James the son of Zebedee,
and John his brother;
3 Philip and Bartholomew;[b]
Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;
James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;[c]
4 Simon the Zealot,[d] and Judas Iscariot,[e]
who also betrayed Him.(D)
5 Jesus sent out these 12 after giving them instructions: “Don’t take the road leading to other nations, and don’t enter any Samaritan(E) town. 6 Instead, go to the lost sheep(F) of the house of Israel.(G) 7 As you go, announce this: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’(H) 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with skin diseases, drive out demons.(I) You have received free of charge; give free of charge. 9 Don’t take along gold, silver, or copper for your money-belts.(J) 10 Don’t take a traveling bag for the road, or an extra shirt, sandals, or a walking stick, for the worker(K) is worthy of his food.
11 “When you enter any town or village, find out who is worthy, and stay there until you leave. 12 Greet a household when you enter it,(L) 13 and if the household is worthy, let your peace be on it. But if it is unworthy, let your peace return to you.(M) 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet(N) when you leave that house or town. 15 I assure you: It will be more tolerable on the day of judgment(O) for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.(P)
Persecutions Predicted
16 “Look, I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as harmless as doves.(Q) 17 Because people will hand you over to sanhedrins[f] and flog you in their synagogues,(R) beware of them. 18 You will even be brought before governors and kings because of Me, to bear witness to them and to the nations.(S) 19 But when they hand you over, don’t worry about how or what you should speak.(T) For you will be given what to say at that hour, 20 because you are not speaking, but the Spirit(U) of your Father is speaking through you.(V)
21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will even rise up against their parents and have them put to death.(W) 22 You will be hated by everyone because of My name.(X) But the one who endures to the end will be delivered.[g](Y) 23 When they persecute you in one town, escape to another.(Z) For I assure you: You will not have covered the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. 24 A disciple[h] is not above his teacher, or a slave above his master.(AA) 25 It is enough for a disciple to become like his teacher and a slave like his master. If they called the head of the house ‘Beelzebul,’ how much more the members of his household!(AB)
Fear God
26 “Therefore,(AC) don’t be afraid of them, since there is nothing covered that won’t be uncovered and nothing hidden that won’t be made known.(AD) 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light. What you hear in a whisper,[i] proclaim on the housetops.(AE) 28 Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul;(AF) rather, fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.(AG) 29 Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny?[j] Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s(AH) consent.[k] 30 But even the hairs of your head have all been counted.(AI) 31 So don’t be afraid therefore; you are worth more than many sparrows.(AJ)
Acknowledging Christ
32 “Therefore, everyone who will acknowledge Me before men, I will also acknowledge him before My Father in heaven.(AK) 33 But whoever denies Me before men,(AL) I will also deny him before My Father in heaven. 34 Don’t assume that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.(AM) 35 For I came to turn
a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
36 and a man’s enemies will be
the members of his household.(AN)[l]
37 The person who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me;(AO) the person who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow[m] Me is not worthy of Me. 39 Anyone finding[n] his life will lose it,(AP) and anyone losing[o] his life because of Me will find it.(AQ)
A Cup of Cold Water
40 “The one who welcomes you welcomes Me,(AR) and the one who welcomes Me welcomes Him who sent Me.(AS) 41 Anyone who[p] welcomes a prophet(AT) because he is a prophet[q] will receive a prophet’s reward. And anyone who[r] welcomes a righteous person because he’s righteous[s] will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And whoever gives(AU) just a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple[t](AV)—I assure you: He will never lose his reward!”
Footnotes
- Matthew 10:1 Or every kind of
- Matthew 10:3 Probably the Nathanael of Jn 1:45-51
- Matthew 10:3 Other mss read and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus
- Matthew 10:4 Lit the Cananaean
- Matthew 10:4 Iscariot is probably “a man of Kerioth,” a town in Judea.
- Matthew 10:17 Local Jewish courts or local councils
- Matthew 10:22 Or saved
- Matthew 10:24 Or student
- Matthew 10:27 Lit in the ear
- Matthew 10:29 Gk assarion, a small copper coin
- Matthew 10:29 Lit ground apart from your Father
- Matthew 10:36 Mc 7:6
- Matthew 10:38 Lit follow after
- Matthew 10:39 Or The one who finds
- Matthew 10:39 Or and the one who loses
- Matthew 10:41 Or The one who
- Matthew 10:41 Lit prophet in the name of a prophet
- Matthew 10:41 Or And the one who
- Matthew 10:41 Lit person in the name of a righteous person
- Matthew 10:42 Lit little ones in the name of a disciple
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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