Matthew 10
1And calling his twelve disciples to him, he gave them authority over unclean spirits, so as to cast them out and to heal every disease and every debilitating illness.
2Now these are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who also handed him over.
5These twelve Jesus sent out, after instructing them, "Do not depart into the way of the nations and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. 6Instead, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7As you go, herald this message: 'The kingdom of the heavens has come near.' 8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received; freely give.
9Do not acquire gold or silver or copper for your money belts, 10nor a traveler's bag for the road, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor a staff; for the worker is worthy of his sustenance. 11Whatever city or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you depart. 12As you enter the house, greet it. 13And if the house is indeed worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14Whoever does not welcome you or listen to your words, as you leave that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. 15Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that city.
16Look, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be as shrewd as serpents and as pure as doves. 17But beware of men, for they will hand you over to local councils, and they will flog you in their synagogues. 18You will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, as a testimony to them and to the nations. 19But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you should speak; for what you should speak will be given to you in that hour. 20For you are not the ones speaking, but the Spirit of your Father is the one speaking through you.
21Brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. 22You will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one who endures to the end—this person will be saved. 23When they persecute you in one city, flee to the next. For truly I tell you, you will certainly not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above his master. 25It is enough for the disciple to become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the master of the house 'Beelzebul,' how much more the members of his household! 26Therefore, do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be uncovered, and nothing hidden that will not be made known. 27What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, herald from the rooftops.
28Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; rather, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. 29Are not two sparrows sold for an assarion? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30Even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31So do not fear; you are worth more than many sparrows.
32Therefore, everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge him before my Father who is in the heavens. 33But whoever denies me before men, I also will deny him before my Father who is in the heavens.
34Do not think that I came to cast peace upon the earth. I did not come to cast peace, but a sword. 35For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36and a person's enemies will be the members of his own household.
37The one who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and the one who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38And whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. 39The one who finds his life will lose it, and the one who loses his life for my sake will find it.
40The one who receives you receives me, and the one who receives me receives the one who sent me. 41The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a just person because he is a just person will receive a just person’s reward. 42And whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple—truly I tell you, he will certainly not lose his reward."