10 He called to himself his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every sickness. ² Now the names of the twelve apostles are these. The first, Simon, who is called Peter; Andrew, his brother; James the son of Zebedee; John, his brother; ³ Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus; Lebbaeus, who was also called^[a] Thaddaeus; ⁴ Simon the Zealot; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

⁵ Jesus sent these twelve out and commanded them, saying, “Don’t go among the Gentiles, and don’t enter into any city of the Samaritans. ⁶ Rather, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ⁷ As you go, preach, saying, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!’ ⁸ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers,^[b] and cast out demons. Freely you received, so freely give. ⁹ Don’t take any gold, silver, or brass in your money belts. ¹⁰ Take no bag for your journey, neither two coats, nor sandals, nor staff: for the laborer is worthy of his food. ¹¹ Into whatever city or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you go on. ¹² As you enter into the household, greet it. ¹³ If the household is worthy, let your peace come on it, but if it isn’t worthy, let your peace return to you. ¹⁴ Whoever doesn’t receive you or hear your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. ¹⁵ Most certainly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.

¹⁶ “Behold, I send you out as sheep among wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. ¹⁷ But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you. ¹⁸ Yes, and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the nations. ¹⁹ But when they deliver you up, don’t be anxious how or what you will say, for it will be given you in that hour what you will say. ²⁰ For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

²¹ “Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child. Children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. ²² You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved. ²³ But when they persecute you in this city, flee into the next, for most certainly I tell you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man has come.

²⁴ “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his lord. ²⁵ It is enough for the disciple that he be like his teacher, and the servant like his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul,^[c] how much more those of his household! ²⁶ Therefore don’t be afraid of them, for there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. ²⁷ What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in the ear, proclaim on the housetops. ²⁸ Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.^[d]

²⁹ “Aren’t two sparrows sold for an assarion coin?^[e] Not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. ³⁰ But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ Therefore don’t be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows. ³² Everyone therefore who confesses me before men, I will also confess him before my Father who is in heaven. ³³ But whoever denies me before men, I will also deny him before my Father who is in heaven.

³⁴ “Don’t think that I came to send peace on the earth. I didn’t come to send peace, but a sword. ³⁵ For I came to set a man at odds against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. ³⁶ A man’s foes will be those of his own household.Micah 7:6 ³⁷ He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me isn’t worthy of me. ³⁸ He who doesn’t take his cross and follow after me isn’t worthy of me. ³⁹ He who seeks his life will lose it; and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.

⁴⁰ “He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me. ⁴¹ He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. He who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. ⁴² Whoever gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, most certainly I tell you, he will in no way lose his reward.”