¹⁵ Moses spoke to the Lord, saying, ¹⁶ “Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint someone over the congregation^{(A) 17} who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the Lord may not be like sheep without a shepherd.”^{(B) 18} So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay your hand upon him;^{(C) 19} have him stand before Eleazar the priest and all the congregation and commission him in their sight.^{(D) 20} You shall give him some of your authority, so that all the congregation of the Israelites may obey.^{(E) 21} But he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the decision of the Urim before the Lord; at his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and all the Israelites with him, the whole congregation.”^{(F) 22} So Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation; ²³ he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the Lord had directed through Moses.

The Harvest Is Great, the Laborers Few

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

The Twelve Apostles

10 Then Jesus^[a] summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness.^{(D) 2} These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as 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;^{[b] 4} Simon the Cananaean and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.^(E)

The Mission of the Twelve

⁵ These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not take a road leading to gentiles, and do not enter a Samaritan town,^{(F) 6} but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.^{(G) 7} As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’^{[c](H) 8} Cure the sick; raise the dead; cleanse those with a skin disease; cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. ⁹ Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, ¹⁰ no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff, for laborers deserve their food.^{(I) 11} Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. ¹² As you enter the 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 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town.^{(J) 15} Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.^(K)

Coming Persecutions

¹⁶ “I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.^{(L) 17} Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues, ¹⁸ and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the gentiles.^{(M) 19} When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you at that time, ²⁰ for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.^(N)

The Good News of Deliverance

Thanksgiving and Encouragement

³ I am grateful to God—whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did—when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day.^{(A) 4} Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. ⁵ I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you.^{(B) 6} For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands, ⁷ for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.^(C)

⁸ Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, in the power of God,^{(D) 9} who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace, and this grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,^{[a](E) 10} but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ,^[b] who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.^{(F) 11} For this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher,^{[c](G) 12} and for this reason I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day the deposit I have entrusted to him.^{[d](H) 13} Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.^{(I) 14} Guard the good deposit entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.