Psalm 2

God’s Promise to His Anointed

The Beatitudes

5 When Jesus^[a] saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him.^{(A) 2} And he began to speak and taught them, saying:

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.^(B)

⁴ “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.^(C)

⁵ “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

⁶ “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.^(D)

⁷ “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

⁸ “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.^(E)

⁹ “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.^(F)

¹⁰ “Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.^(G)

¹¹ “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely^[b] on my account.^{(H) 12} Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.^(I)

²⁵ Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul,^{(A) 26} and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for an entire year they met with the church and taught a great many people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called “Christians.”^(B)

²⁷ At that time prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.^{(C) 28} One of them named Agabus stood up and predicted by the Spirit that there would be a severe famine over all the world, and this took place during the reign of Claudius.^{(D) 29} The disciples determined that, according to their ability, each would send relief to the brothers and sisters living in Judea;^{(E) 30} this they did, sending it to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.^(F)

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,^{(A) 6} but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.^{(B) 7} As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’^{[a](C) 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.^{(D) 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.^{(E) 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.^(F)

Coming Persecutions

¹⁶ “I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.^(G)