Matthew 10
Contemporary English Version
Jesus Chooses His Twelve Apostles
(Mark 3.13-19; Luke 6.12-16)
10 Jesus called together his twelve disciples. He gave them the power to force out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and sickness. 2 The first of the twelve apostles was Simon, better known as Peter. His brother Andrew was an apostle, and so were James and John, the two sons of Zebedee. 3 Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew the tax collector,[a] James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus were also apostles. 4 The others were Simon, known as the Eager One,[b] and Judas Iscariot,[c] who later betrayed Jesus.
Instructions for the Twelve Apostles
(Mark 6.7-13; Luke 9.1-6)
5 Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions:
Stay away from the Gentiles and don't go to any Samaritan town. 6 Go only to the people of Israel, because they are like a flock of lost sheep. 7 (A) As you go, announce that the kingdom of heaven will soon be here.[d] 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead to life, heal people who have leprosy,[e] and force out demons. You received without paying, now give without being paid. 9 Don't take along any gold, silver, or copper coins. 10 (B) And don't carry[f] a traveling bag or an extra shirt or sandals or a walking stick.
Workers deserve their food. 11 So when you go to a town or a village, find someone able and willing to have you as their guest and stay with them until you leave. 12 When you go to a home, give it your blessing of peace. 13 If the home is deserving, let your blessing remain with them. But if the home doesn't accept you, take back your blessing of peace. 14 (C) If someone won't welcome you or listen to your message, leave their home or town. And shake the dust from your feet at them.[g] 15 (D) I promise you the day of judgment will be easier for the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah[h] than for that town.
Warning about Trouble
(Mark 13.9-13; Luke 21.12-17)
16 (E) I am sending you like lambs into a pack of wolves. So be as wise as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17 (F) Watch out for people who will take you to court and have you beaten in their synagogues. 18 Because of me, you will be dragged before rulers and kings to tell them and the Gentiles about your faith. 19 But when someone arrests you, don't worry about what you will say or how you will say it. At that time you will be given the words to say. 20 But you will not really be the one speaking. The Spirit from your Father will tell you what to say.
21 (G) Brothers and sisters will betray one another and have each other put to death. Parents will betray their own children, and children will turn against their parents and have them killed. 22 (H) Everyone will hate you because of me. But if you remain faithful until the end, you will be saved. 23 When people mistreat you in one town, hurry to another one. I promise you before you have gone to all the towns of Israel, the Son of Man will come.
24 (I) Students are not better than their teacher, and slaves are not better than their master. 25 (J) It is enough for students to be like their teacher and for slaves to be like their master. If people call the head of the family Satan, what will they say about the rest of the family?
The One To Fear
(Luke 12.2-7)
26 (K) Don't be afraid of anyone! Everything that is hidden will be found out, and every secret will be known. 27 Whatever I say to you in the dark, you must tell in the light. And you must announce from the housetops whatever I have whispered to you. 28 (L) Don't be afraid of people. They can kill you, but they cannot harm your soul. Instead, you should fear God who can destroy both your body and your soul in hell. 29 Aren't two sparrows sold for only a penny? But your Father knows when any one of them falls to the ground. 30 Even the hairs on your head are counted. 31 So don't be afraid! You are worth much more than many sparrows.
Telling Others about Christ
(Luke 12.8,9)
32 If you tell others you belong to me, I will tell my Father in heaven you are my followers. 33 (M) But if you reject me, I will tell my Father in heaven you don't belong to me.
Not Peace, but Trouble
(Luke 12.51-53; 14.26,27)
34 Don't think I came to bring peace to the earth! I came to bring trouble, not peace. 35 (N) I came to turn sons against their fathers, daughters against their mothers, and daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law. 36 Your worst enemies will be in your own family.
37 (O) If you love your father or mother or even your sons and daughters more than me, you are not fit to be my disciples. 38 (P) And unless you are willing to take up your cross and follow me, you are not fit to be my disciples. 39 (Q) If you try to save your life, you will lose it. But if you give it up for me, you will surely find it.
Rewards
(Mark 9.41)
40 (R) Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me. And anyone who welcomes me also welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Anyone who welcomes a prophet, just because that person is a prophet, will be given the same reward as a prophet. Anyone who welcomes a good person, just because that person is good, will be given the same reward as a good person. 42 And anyone who gives one of my most humble followers a cup of cool water, just because that person is my follower, will be rewarded.
Footnotes
- 10.3 tax collector: See the note at 5.46.
- 10.4 known as the Eager One: The Greek text has “Cananaean,” which probably comes from a Hebrew word meaning “zealous” (see Luke 6.15). “Zealot” was the name later given to the members of a Jewish group that resisted and fought against the Romans.
- 10.4 Iscariot: This may mean “a man from Kerioth” (a place in Judea). But more probably it means “a man who was a liar” or “a man who was a betrayer.”
- 10.7 will soon be here: Or “is already here.”
- 10.8 leprosy: See the note at 8.2.
- 10.9,10 Don't take along … don't carry: Or “Don't accept … don't accept.”
- 10.14 shake the dust from your feet at them: This was a way of showing rejection (see Acts 13.51).
- 10.15 Sodom and Gomorrah: During the time of Abraham the Lord destroyed these towns because the people there were so evil.
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
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