⁶ “Don’t give holy things to dogs. Don’t throw your pearls before pigs. Pigs will only trample on them. And the dogs will only turn to attack you.

¹¹ “When you enter a city or town, find some worthy person there and stay in his home until you leave. ¹² When you enter that home, say, ‘Peace be with you.’ ¹³ If the people there welcome you, let your peace stay there. But if they don’t welcome you, take back the peace you wished for them. ¹⁴ And if a home or town refuses to welcome you or listen to you, then leave that place. Shake its dust off your feet.^{[a] 15} I tell you the truth. On the Judgment Day it will be worse for that town than for the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah.^[b]

Jesus Warns His Apostles

¹⁶ “Listen! I am sending you out, and you will be like sheep among wolves. So be as smart as snakes. But also be like doves and do nothing wrong. ¹⁷ Be careful of people. They will arrest you and take you to court. They will whip you in their synagogues. ¹⁸ Because of me you will be taken to stand before governors and kings. You will tell them and the non-Jewish people about me. ¹⁹ When you are arrested, don’t worry about what to say or how you should say it. At that time you will be given the things to say. ²⁰ It will not really be you speaking. The Spirit of your Father will be speaking through you.

²¹ “Brothers will turn against their own brothers and give them over to be killed. Fathers will turn against their own children and give them to be killed. Children will fight against their own parents and have them killed. ²² All people will hate you because you follow me. But the person who continues strong until the end will be saved. ²³ When you are treated badly in one city, go to another city. I tell you the truth. You will not finish going through all the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

²⁴ “A student is not better than his teacher. A servant is not better than his master. ²⁵ A student should be satisfied to become like his teacher. A servant should be satisfied to become like his master. If the head of the family is called Beelzebul, then the other members of the family will be called worse names!

¹³ If you are always trying to do good, no one can really hurt you. ¹⁴ But you may suffer for doing right. Even if that happens, you are blessed.

Always be ready to answer everyone who asks you to explain about the hope you have. ¹⁶ But answer in a gentle way and with respect. Always feel that you are doing right. Then, those who speak evil of your good life in Christ will be made ashamed. ¹⁷ It is better to suffer for doing good than for doing wrong. Yes, it is better, if that is what God wants.