Matthew 10
EasyEnglish Bible
Jesus chooses 12 men to be his apostles[a]
10 One day, Jesus asked his 12 disciples to come to him. He gave them authority over bad spirits so that they could send the spirits out of people. They could also make sick people well again from every kind of illness.
2 These are the names of the 12 apostles:
The first apostle is Simon, who was also called Peter.
Then Simon's brother, who was called Andrew.
Also James and his brother John, who were Zebedee's sons.
3 There were Philip and Bartholomew.[b]
There were Thomas and Matthew.[c] (Matthew's job was to take taxes from people.)
And James who was the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus.[d]
4 There was also Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who later gave Jesus to his enemies.[e]
Jesus sends out his 12 apostles
5 Jesus sent out these 12 disciples. Before they left, he said to them, ‘Do not go to any place where the people are Gentiles. And do not go to towns where only Samaritans live.[f] 6 Instead, you must go to the people of Israel. They are like lost sheep with nobody to take care of them. 7 While you travel, you must tell people about the kingdom of heaven. You must tell them that it has now become near. 8 Make sick people well again. Cause dead people to become alive again. If people have a bad disease of the skin, make them well again. Send bad spirits out of people to leave them. God has been very kind to you, so you should be kind to other people. When you help people, do not ask them for money. 9 Do not take any money in your purses. 10 Do not take a bag with you, or extra clothes. Do not take extra shoes or a stick. You are working to help people. So people should give you what you need to live.
11 When you arrive in a town or a village, look for a good person there. Continue to stay in that person's house until you leave there. 12 When you go into the house, say to the people there, “We pray that you will be well.” 13 If the people of that house accept you, then everyone in the house will be well. But if they do not accept you, then take back your kind words. 14 Sometimes you will go to some house or town and the people will not accept you there. They will not listen to your message. Then you should leave. Clean the dirt of that place off your feet. 15 I tell you this: One day God will punish people like that. God will punish them even more than the people who lived in Sodom and Gomorrah long ago.’[g]
16 Jesus then said to his disciples, ‘Listen well. I am sending you to people who will want to kill you. You will be like sheep among wild animals. You must watch carefully, like snakes do. But you must also be good and kind like doves.
17 Be careful! People will be against you. They will take you to stand in front of their leaders. They will punish you with whips in their meeting places. 18 They will take you to stand in front of kings and rulers. All this will happen because you are my disciples. You will tell all these important people and also the Gentiles the good news about me. 19 When they take you to stand in front of their leaders, do not be afraid. Do not worry about what you should say or how you should say it. At that time, God will give you the right words to speak. 20 You will not be speaking your own words. The Holy Spirit of your Father God will give you his own words to say.
21 At that time, a man will let people kill his own brother. A father will let people kill his own child. Children will be against their parents. They will even ask people to kill their parents. 22 All people will hate you because you are my disciples. But God will save the person who remains strong until the end. 23 If people in any town hurt you because of me, you should leave that town immediately. Go to another town. I tell you this: You will not have enough time to speak your message in all the towns of Israel. I, the Son of Man, will return before that can happen.
24 A student is not more important than his teacher is. A servant is not more important than his master is. 25 A student should be happy if he becomes like his teacher. A servant should be happy if he becomes like his master. People have called me, the master of the house, Beelzebul. You are like those people who live in my house. So do not be surprised when people call you even worse names than they call me.
26 So do not be afraid of these people. They hide the things that they do. But there will be a time when other people will see those things. Everyone will know all their secrets. 27 I tell you things secretly, like people do in the dark. But you must tell people these things clearly in the light of day. I have said things very quietly into your ears. But now you must shout those things loudly from the tops of the houses.[h]
28 Do not be afraid of those people who can kill only your body. These people cannot kill your soul. No, it is God that you should be afraid of. He can kill your body, and then he can also destroy your soul in hell. 29 Think about this. People sell two birds for just one small coin. But God takes care of these little birds. Not one of them can fall to the ground unless God lets it happen. 30 God even knows how many hairs there are on your head. 31 So do not be afraid of those people who are against you. You are more valuable to God than many little birds.
32 You should say clearly to other people, “I believe in Jesus.” If you do that, I will say to my Father in heaven, “This is someone who is my disciple.” 33 But if you say to other people, “I do not believe in Jesus,” I will then say to my Father in heaven, “I do not know that person. He is not one of my disciples.”
34 I will tell you why I have come into the world. I did not come so that everyone would agree with each other. No, I came to put people against one another, to fight against each other.[i]
35 A man will fight against his father.
A daughter will fight against her mother.
A woman will fight against her husband's mother.
36 A man's own family will fight against him.[j]
37 Nobody should love his own father and mother more than he loves me. If he does, he cannot be my disciple. Nobody should love his own son or daughter more than he loves me. If he does, then he cannot be my disciple. 38 If you really want to be one of my disciples, you must be ready to die for me. Live like a person who carries his own cross to go and die. 39 Whoever wants to keep his life safe will lose it. But whoever gives his life to serve me will have true life.’
Jesus teaches about God's gifts
40 Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone accepts you in his home, then he is also accepting me. And anyone who accepts me, also accepts my Father God, who sent me. 41 Somebody may accept a prophet into his home because the visitor is a prophet of God. God will bless that person like he blesses a prophet. Or he may accept a good man who obeys God, because the man is good. God will bless that person like he blesses the good man. 42 People may think that my disciples are unimportant. But God will bless anyone who gives even a drink of cold water to one of them. I tell you, that person will never lose God's help.’
Footnotes
- 10:1 Jesus had many disciples. He chose 12 of them to be with him so that he could teach them. He also called these 12 men apostles. The word apostle means ‘someone whom his master sends out to do a job’. Their job was to tell other people about Jesus.
- 10:3 In his book John calls Bartholomew, Nathanael. See John 1:45.
- 10:3 Matthew is another name for Levi.
- 10:3 In this verse and in Mark 3:18, Judas, son of James is called Thaddaeus.
- 10:4 A Zealot was a man who wanted to fight against the Roman ruler. The Zealots wanted the Jews to rule Israel again.
- 10:5 The Samaritan people and the Jews did not like each other. Some of the Samaritans' ancestors were Jewish and some of them were not.
- 10:15 We can read about the cities called Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18. The people who lived in those towns were very bad. And they did not obey God.
- 10:27 At that time, the top of a house was flat. Sometimes people wanted everyone to hear what they said. So they shouted from the top of their house.
- 10:34 Jesus came to the world to bring men and God near together. He wanted people to believe in God and to obey him. But to do this he had to fight against bad things and against Satan. People who obey Satan will fight people who obey God.
- 10:36 Verses 35 and 36. See Micah 7:6
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
馬太福音 10
Chinese Standard Bible (Traditional)
差派十二使徒
10 耶穌召來他的十二個門徒，賜給他們權柄，能驅趕汙靈，也能使各樣的疾病和各樣的症狀痊癒。 2 以下是十二使徒的名字：
首先是西門——也叫彼得，
然後是他的弟弟[a]安得烈，
西庇太的兒子雅各，
雅各的弟弟約翰，
3 腓力和巴多羅邁，
多馬和稅吏馬太，
亞勒腓的兒子雅各，還有達太，
4 激進派[b]的西門，
還有那出賣耶穌的加略人猶大。
5 耶穌差派這十二使徒出去，吩咐他們說：「外邦人的路，你們不要走；撒馬利亞人的城，你們不要進； 6 寧願到以色列家迷失的羊那裡去。 7 你們去的時候，要傳講說『天國近了。』 8 要使病人痊癒，使死人復活，使痲瘋病人潔淨，把鬼魔趕出去。你們無償地得來，也要無償地給與。 9 腰包裡不要帶金銀或銅錢。 10 在路上不要帶行囊，不要帶兩件衣服[c]，也不要帶鞋子和手杖，因為工人配得自己的食物。
11 「你們無論進哪個城鎮或鄉村，要查問其中配得的人，就住在他那裡，直到你們離去。 12 你們進了他家，要祝那家平安。 13 如果那一家是配得的，你們的平安就臨到那一家；如果那家是不配得的，你們的平安就歸回你們。 14 如果有人不接受你們，也不聽你們的話語，你們離開那家那城的時候，要把腳上的塵土跺掉。 15 我確實地告訴你們：在那審判的日子，所多瑪和格摩拉之地所受的，將要比那城還容易受呢！
預言受迫害
16 「看哪，我差派你們出去，就像把羊送進狼群中，所以你們要像蛇那樣聰明，像鴿子那樣純潔。 17 你們要提防人們，因為他們將要把你們送交議會，並且在他們的會堂裡鞭打你們。 18 為我的緣故，你們將被帶到總督和君王面前，好對他們和外邦人做見證。 19 當他們把你們交出去的時候，不要憂慮怎樣說或說什麼。到時候，你們就會被賜予該說的話， 20 因為說話的不是你們自己，而是你們父的靈在你們裡面說話。
21 「兄弟將要把兄弟出賣，置於死地；父親對孩子也會這樣。兒女會起來與父母作對，並且害死他們。 22 為了我的名，你們將被所有的人憎恨，但是忍耐到底的，這個人將會得救。 23 他們在這城逼迫你們，你們就逃到別的城去。我確實地告訴你們：在你們走遍以色列的城鎮之前，人子必定來臨。 24 學生不高於他的老師，奴僕也不高於他的主人。 25 學生能像他的老師一樣，奴僕能像他的主人一樣，就已經夠了。如果人們稱一家的主人為『別西卜』，更何況他的家人呢！
要懼怕神
26 「所以不要怕他們，因為被遮蓋的事沒有將不被顯露出來的，隱祕的事也沒有將不被知道的。 27 我在暗中告訴你們的，你們要在明處說出來；你們在耳邊聽到的，要在屋頂上宣揚出去。 28 你們不要怕那些能殺死身體卻不能殺死靈魂的；反而倒要懼怕那位能把靈魂和身體都毀滅在地獄裡的。 29 兩隻麻雀不是賣一個小錢[d]嗎？但如果沒有你們父的允許[e]，一隻也不會掉在地上。 30 至於你們，就是每一根頭髮也都被數過了。 31 所以不要怕！你們比一大群麻雀還重要。
要承認基督
32 「凡是在人面前承認我的，我在我天上的父面前也將承認他； 33 但無論誰在人面前不認我，我在我天上的父面前也將不認他。 34 不要以為我來了，是給地上帶來和平。我來並不是帶來和平，而是刀劍， 35 因為我來就是為了：
37 「那愛父親或母親過於愛我的，不配屬於我；那愛兒子或女兒過於愛我的，不配屬於我； 38 不背起自己的十字架來跟從我的，也不配屬於我。 39 尋得自己生命的，將失去生命；為我的緣故失去自己生命的，將尋得生命。
一杯涼水
40 「接受你們的，就是接受我；接受我的，就是接受差派我來的那一位。 41 因著先知的名份接受先知的，將得到先知的報償；因著義人的名份接受義人的，將得到義人的報償。 42 無論誰，因著門徒的名份，就是拿一杯涼水給這些卑微人中的一個喝，我確實地告訴你們：他絕不會失去他的報償。」
Footnotes
- 馬太福音 10:2 弟弟——原文直譯「兄弟」。
- 馬太福音 10:4 激進派——或譯作「奮銳黨」。
- 馬太福音 10:10 衣服——或譯作「襯袍」。
- 馬太福音 10:29 小錢——原文為「阿撒利」。1阿撒利=約1/16日工資的羅馬銅幣。
- 馬太福音 10:29 允許——輔助詞語。
- 馬太福音 10:36 敵人——或譯作「反對者」。
- 馬太福音 10:36 《彌迦書》7:6。
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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