Matthew 10
Modern English Version
The Mission of the Twelve Apostles(A)
10 He called His twelve disciples to Him and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.
2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother; James, the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew, the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus; and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.
The Commissioning of the Twelve Apostles(B)
5 These twelve Jesus sent out, and commanded them, saying, “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans. 6 But go rather 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, raise the dead, and cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.
9 “Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper for your purses, 10 nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor shoes, nor even staffs. For the workman is worthy of his keep.
11 “In whatever city or town you enter, inquire in it who is worthy. And live there until you leave. 12 When you come into a house, greet it. 13 If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 Whoever will not receive you, nor hear your words, when you depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. 15 Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the Day of Judgment than for that town.
Coming Persecutions(C)
16 “Look, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. 17 But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues. 18 You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. 19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought of how or what you will speak. For it will be given you at that time what you will speak. 20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks through you.
21 “The brother will deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child. And the children will rise up against their 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, escape into another. For truly I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24 “The disciple is not above his teacher, nor the servant above his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple that he be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household?
Whom to Fear(D)
26 “Therefore do not fear them. For nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in darkness, speak in the light. And what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. 28 Do not fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Therefore do not fear. You are more valuable than many sparrows.
Confessing and Denying Christ(E)
32 “Whoever will confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever will deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
Not Peace, but a Sword(F)
34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn
‘a man against his father,
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.’[a]
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 is not worthy of Me. 38 And He who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
Rewards(G)
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 shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple, truly I tell you, he shall in no way lose his reward.”
Footnotes
Matthew 10
Living Bible
10 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of sickness and disease.
2-4 Here are the names of his twelve disciples: Simon (also called Peter), Andrew (Peter’s brother), James (Zebedee’s son), John (James’s brother), Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew (the tax collector), James (Alphaeus’s son), Thaddaeus, Simon (a member of “The Zealots,” a subversive political party), Judas Iscariot (the one who betrayed him).
5 Jesus sent them out with these instructions: “Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, 6 but only to the people of Israel—God’s lost sheep. 7 Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near.[a] 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure the lepers, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!
9 “Don’t take any money with you; 10 don’t even carry a duffle bag with extra clothes and shoes, or even a walking stick; for those you help should feed and care for you. 11 Whenever you enter a city or village, search for a godly man and stay in his home until you leave for the next town. 12 When you ask permission to stay, be friendly, 13 and if it turns out to be a godly home, give it your blessing; if not, keep the blessing. 14 Any city or home that doesn’t welcome you—shake off the dust of that place from your feet as you leave. 15 Truly, the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be better off at Judgment Day than they.
16 “I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. Be as wary as serpents and harmless as doves. 17 But beware! For you will be arrested and tried, and whipped in the synagogues. 18 Yes, and you must stand trial before governors and kings for my sake. This will give you the opportunity to tell them about me, yes, to witness to the world.
19 “When you are arrested, don’t worry about what to say at your trial, for you will be given the right words at the right time. 20 For it won’t be you doing the talking—it will be the Spirit of your heavenly Father speaking through you!
21 “Brother shall betray brother to death, and fathers shall betray their own children. And children shall rise against their parents and cause their deaths. 22 Everyone shall hate you because you belong to me. But all of you who endure to the end shall be saved.
23 “When you are persecuted in one city, flee to the next! I[b] will return before you have reached them all! 24 A student is not greater than his teacher. A servant is not above his master. 25 The student shares his teacher’s fate. The servant shares his master’s! And since I, the master of the household, have been called ‘Satan,’[c] how much more will you! 26 But don’t be afraid of those who threaten you. For the time is coming when the truth will be revealed: their secret plots will become public information.
27 “What I tell you now in the gloom, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ears, proclaim from the housetops!
28 “Don’t be afraid of those who can kill only your bodies—but can’t touch your souls! Fear only God who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Not one sparrow (What do they cost? Two for a penny?) can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. 30 And the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t worry! You are more valuable to him than many sparrows.
32 “If anyone publicly acknowledges me as his friend, I will openly acknowledge him as my friend before my Father in heaven. 33 But if anyone publicly denies me, I will openly deny him before my Father in heaven.
34 “Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! No, rather, a sword. 35 I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— 36 a man’s worst enemies will be right in his own home! 37 If you love your father and mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. 38 If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine.
39 “If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give it up for me, you will save it.
40 “Those who welcome you are welcoming me. And when they welcome me they are welcoming God who sent me. 41 If you welcome a prophet because he is a man of God, you will be given the same reward a prophet gets. And if you welcome good and godly men because of their godliness, you will be given a reward like theirs.
42 “And if, as my representatives, you give even a cup of cold water to a little child, you will surely be rewarded.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 10:7 is near, or “at hand” or “has arrived.”
- Matthew 10:23 I, literally, “The Son of Man.”
- Matthew 10:25 have been called ‘Satan’; see 9:34 where they call him this.
Matthew 10
New King James Version
The Twelve Apostles(A)
10 And (B)when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. 2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, (C)who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and [a]Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; 4 (D)Simon the [b]Cananite, and Judas (E)Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.
Sending Out the Twelve(F)
5 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: (G)“Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of (H)the Samaritans. 6 (I)But go rather to the (J)lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 (K)And as you go, preach, saying, (L)‘The kingdom of heaven [c]is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, [d]cleanse the lepers, [e]raise the dead, cast out demons. (M)Freely you have received, freely give. 9 (N)Provide neither gold nor silver nor (O)copper in your money belts, 10 nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; (P)for a worker is worthy of his food.
11 (Q)“Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out. 12 And when you go into a household, greet it. 13 (R)If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. (S)But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 (T)And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, (U)shake off the dust from your feet. 15 Assuredly, I say to you, (V)it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!
Persecutions Are Coming(W)
16 (X)“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. (Y)Therefore be wise as serpents and (Z)harmless[f] as doves. 17 But beware of men, for (AA)they will deliver you up to councils and (AB)scourge you in their synagogues. 18 (AC)You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 (AD)But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For (AE)it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 (AF)for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
21 (AG)“Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 22 And (AH)you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. (AI)But he who endures to the end will be saved. 23 (AJ)When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have (AK)gone through the cities of Israel (AL)before the Son of Man comes.
24 (AM)“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If (AN)they have called the master of the house [g]Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! 26 Therefore do not fear them. (AO)For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.
Jesus Teaches the Fear of God(AP)
27 “Whatever I tell you in the dark, (AQ)speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. 28 (AR)And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather (AS)fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in [h]hell. 29 Are not two (AT)sparrows sold for a [i]copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. 30 (AU)But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
Confess Christ Before Men(AV)
32 (AW)“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, (AX)him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 (AY)But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
Christ Brings Division(AZ)
34 (BA)“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to (BB)‘set[j] a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and (BC)‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ 37 (BD)He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 (BE)And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 (BF)He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
A Cup of Cold Water(BG)
40 (BH)“He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. 41 (BI)He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 (BJ)And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 10:3 NU omits Lebbaeus, whose surname was
- Matthew 10:4 NU Cananaean
- Matthew 10:7 has drawn near
- Matthew 10:8 NU raise the dead, cleanse the lepers
- Matthew 10:8 M omits raise the dead
- Matthew 10:16 innocent
- Matthew 10:25 NU, M Beelzebul; a Philistine deity, 2 Kin. 1:2, 3
- Matthew 10:28 Gr. Gehenna
- Matthew 10:29 Gr. assarion, a coin worth about 1⁄16 of a denarius
- Matthew 10:35 alienate a man from
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
