The Workers Are Few

³⁵ Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.^{(A) 36} When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them,^(B) because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.^{(C) 37} Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest^(D) is plentiful but the workers are few.^{(E) 38} Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve^{(F)(G)(H)(I)(J)}

10 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits^(K) and to heal every disease and sickness.^(L)

² These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; ³ Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; ⁴ Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.^(M)

⁵ These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans.^{(N) 6} Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.^{(O) 7} As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven^(P) has come near.’ ⁸ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,^[a] drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

[The earliest manuscripts and some other ancient witnesses do not have verses 9–20.]

⁹ When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene,^(A) out of whom he had driven seven demons. ¹⁰ She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. ¹¹ When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.^(B)

¹² Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country.^{(C) 13} These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.

¹⁴ Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.^(D)

¹⁵ He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.^{(E) 16} Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.^{(F) 17} And these signs^(G) will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons;^(H) they will speak in new tongues;^{(I) 18} they will pick up snakes^(J) with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on^(K) sick people, and they will get well.”

¹⁹ After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven^(L) and he sat at the right hand of God.^{(M) 20} Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs^(N) that accompanied it.