1 ¶ Then calling his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of weakness.

Jesus called His twelve followers to Him. He gave them power to put out demons and to heal all kinds of sickness and disease.

2 N ow the names of the twelve apostles are these: the first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee and John his brother;

These are the names of the twelve followers. There were Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John who were the sons of Zebedee.

3 P hilip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;

There were Philip and Bartholomew and Thomas. There was Matthew, the man who gathered taxes. There were James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeaus, and

4 S imon the Canaanite and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

Simon the Canaanite. There was Judas Iscariot who handed Jesus over to be killed.

5 ¶ These twelve Jesus sent forth and commanded them, saying, Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter into any city of the Samaritans,

Jesus sent out these twelve followers. He told them to go, saying, “Stay away from people who are not Jews. And do not go to any town in the country of Samaria.

6 b ut go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

But go to the Jewish people who are lost.

7 A nd as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of the heavens has come.

As you go, preach. Say, ‘The holy nation of heaven is near.’

8 H eal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons; freely ye have received, freely give.

Heal the sick and those with bad skin diseases. Raise the dead. Put out demons. You have received much, now give much.

9 P rovide neither gold nor silver nor money in your girdles,

Do not take gold or silver or brass money with you.

10 n or bag for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes nor a staff, for the workman is worthy of his food.

Do not take a bag of things for the trip. Do not take two coats or shoes or a walking stick. A workman should receive his food and what he needs.

11 A nd into whatever city or town ye shall enter, search out with diligence who in it is worthy; and there abide until ye go from there.

“When you come to a city or town, find a home that is respected and stay there until you leave.

12 A nd entering into the house, salute it.

As you go into a house, tell them you hope good comes to them.

13 A nd if the house is worthy, your peace shall come upon it; but if it is not worthy, your peace shall return to you.

And if the house is respected, give them your good wishes. If it is not respected, let your good wishes come back to you.

14 A nd whosoever shall not receive you nor hear your words, depart out of that house or city and shake off the dust of your feet.

Whoever does not receive you or does not listen to what you say, as you leave that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.

15 V erily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of those of Sodom and those of Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.

For sure, I tell you, it will be easier for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day men stand before God and are told they are guilty, than for that city.

16 ¶ Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; be ye therefore prudent as serpents and innocent as doves.

“I am sending you out like sheep with wolves all around you. Be wise like snakes and gentle like doves.

17 B ut keep yourselves from men, for they will deliver you up in councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;

But look out for men. They will take you up to their courts and they will hurt you in their places of worship.

18 a nd ye shall even be brought before princes and kings for my sake, for testimony unto them and to the Gentiles.

They will take you in front of the leaders of the people and of the kings because of Me. You will tell them and the people who do not know God about Me.

19 B ut when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak, for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.

When you are put into their hands, do not worry what you will say or how you will say it. The words will be given you when the time comes.

20 F or it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

It will not be you who will speak the words. The Spirit of your Father will speak through you.

21 A nd brother shall deliver up brother unto death, and the father the child, and children shall rise up against their parents and cause them to be put to death.

“A brother will hand over a brother to be put to death. A father will hand over his child to be put to death. Children will hand over their parents to be put to death.

22 A nd ye shall be hated of all men for my name, but he that endures to the end shall be saved.

You will be hated by all people because of Me. But he who stays true to the end will be saved.

23 B ut when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another, for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel until the Son of man be come.

When they make it hard for you in one town, go to another. For sure, I tell you, before you have gone through the Jewish cities, the Son of Man will come.

24 T he disciple is not above his master, nor the slave above his lord.

“A follower is not greater than his teacher. A servant who is owned by someone is not greater than his owner.

25 I t is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the slave as his lord. If they have called the husband of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call those of his household?

A follower should be happy to be as his teacher, and a servant who is owned by someone should be happy to be as his owner. If they have called the head of the house Satan, how much more will they speak against those of the house.

26 F ear them not therefore, for there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, nor hid that shall not be known.

Then do not be afraid of them. For nothing is covered up that will not be brought out into the light. There is nothing hid that will not be made known.

27 W hat I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light, and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye from the housetops.

You tell in the light what I tell you in the dark. You must speak with a loud voice from the roofs of houses what you have heard.

28 A nd fear not those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul, but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Do not be afraid of them who kill the body. They are not able to kill the soul. But fear Him Who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

29 A re not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.

Are not two small birds sold for a very small piece of money? And yet not one of the birds falls to the earth without your Father knowing it.

30 B ut the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

God knows how many hairs you have on your head.

31 F ear ye not, therefore; ye are of more value than many sparrows.

So do not be afraid. You are more important than many small birds.

32 W hosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my Father who is in the heavens.

“Whoever makes Me known in front of men, I will make him known to My Father in heaven.

33 B ut whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in the heavens.

But whoever does not make Me known in front of men and acts as if he does not know Me, I will not make him known to My Father in heaven.

34 T hink not that I have come to introduce peace into the land; I came not to introduce peace, but a sword.

“Do not think I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.

35 F or I have come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

I came to turn a man against his father. I came to turn a daughter against her mother. I came to turn a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

36 A nd a man’s foes shall be those of his own household.

A man will be hated by his own family. Giving Up Things of This Earth

37 H e that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and he that loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

“He who loves his father and mother more than Me is not good enough for Me. He who loves son or daughter more than Me is not good enough for Me.

38 A nd he that does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.

He who does not take his cross and follow Me is not good enough for Me.

39 H e that finds his life shall lose it, and he that loses his life for my sake shall find it.

He who wants to keep his life will have it taken away from him. He who loses his life because of Me will have it given back to him.

40 H e that receives you receives me, and he that receives me receives him that sent me.

“Whoever receives you, receives Me. Whoever receives Me, receives Him Who sent Me.

41 H e that receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward, and he that receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.

Whoever receives a preacher who speaks for God because he is a preacher, will get the reward of a preacher who speaks for God. Whoever receives a man right with God, because he is a man right with God, will get the reward of a man right with God.

42 A nd whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

For sure, I tell you, anyone who gives a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he follows Me, will not lose his reward.”