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

And Jesus summoned to Him His twelve disciples and gave them power and authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out, and to cure all kinds of disease and all kinds of weakness and infirmity.

2 T hese 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.

Now these are the names of the twelve apostles (special messengers): first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James son of Zebedee, and John his brother;

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

Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;

4 S imon the Canaanite. There was Judas Iscariot who handed Jesus over to be killed.

Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.

5 J esus 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.

Jesus sent out these twelve, charging them, Go nowhere among the Gentiles and do not go into any town of the Samaritans;

6 B ut go to the Jewish people who are lost.

But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

7 A s you go, preach. Say, ‘The holy nation of heaven is near.’

And as you go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand!

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

Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Freely (without pay) you have received, freely (without charge) give.

9 D o not take gold or silver or brass money with you.

Take no gold nor silver nor copper money in your purses (belts);

10 D o 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.

And do not take a provision bag or a wallet for a collection bag for your journey, nor two undergarments, nor sandals, nor a staff; for the workman deserves his support (his living, his food).

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

And into whatever town or village you go, inquire who in it is deserving, and stay there until you leave.

12 A s you go into a house, tell them you hope good comes to them.

As you go into the house, give your greetings and wish it well.

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

Then if indeed that house is deserving, let come upon it your peace '> freedom from all the distresses that are experienced as the result of sin]. But if it is not deserving, let your peace return to you.

14 W hoever 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.

And whoever will not receive and accept and welcome you nor listen to your message, as you leave that house or town, shake the dust from your feet.

15 F or 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.

Truly I tell you, it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

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

Behold, I am sending you out like sheep in the midst of wolves; be wary and wise as serpents, and be innocent (harmless, guileless, and without falsity) as doves.

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

Be on guard against men '> way or nature is to act in opposition to God]; for they will deliver you up to councils and flog you in their synagogues,

18 T hey 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.

And you will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a witness to bear testimony before them and to the Gentiles (the nations).

19 W hen 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.

But when they deliver you up, do not be anxious about how or what you are to speak; for what you are to say will be given you in that very hour and moment,

20 I t will not be you who will speak the words. The Spirit of your Father will speak through you.

For it is not you who are speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

21 “ 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.

Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child; and children will take a stand against their parents and will have them put to death.

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

And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake, but he who perseveres and endures to the end will be saved '> from spiritual disease and death in the world to come].

23 W hen 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.

When they persecute you in one town, flee to another town; for truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

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

A disciple is not above his teacher, nor is a servant or slave above his master.

25 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.

It is sufficient for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant or slave like his master. If they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub '> master of the dwelling], how much more will they speak evil of those of His household.

26 T hen 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.

So have no fear of them; for nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, or kept secret that will not become known.

27 Y ou 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.

What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered in the ear, proclaim upon the housetops.

28 D o 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.

And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; but rather be afraid of Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Gehenna).

29 A re 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.

Are not two little sparrows sold for a penny? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s leave (consent) and notice.

30 G od knows how many hairs you have on your head.

But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

31 S o do not be afraid. You are more important than many small birds.

Fear not, then; you are of more value than many sparrows.

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

Therefore, everyone who acknowledges Me before men and confesses Me '> out of a state of oneness with Me], I will also acknowledge him before My Father Who is in heaven and confess him.

33 B ut 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.

But whoever denies and disowns Me before men, I also will deny and disown him before My Father Who is in heaven.

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

Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

35 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.

For I have come to part asunder a man from his father, and a daughter from her mother, and a newly married wife from her mother-in-law—

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

And a man’s foes will be they of his own household.

37 “ 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.

He who loves '> takes more pleasure in] father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me;

38 H e who does not take his cross and follow Me is not good enough for Me.

And he who does not take up his cross and follow Me '> cleave steadfastly to Me, conforming wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also] is not worthy of Me.

39 H e 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.

Whoever finds his '> lower] life will lose it, and whoever loses his life on My account will find it.

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

He who receives and welcomes and accepts you receives and welcomes and accepts Me, and he who receives and welcomes and accepts Me receives and welcomes and accepts Him Who sent Me.

41 W hoever 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.

He who receives and welcomes and accepts a prophet because he is a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward, and he who receives and welcomes and accepts a righteous man because he is a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.

42 F or 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.”

And whoever gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is My disciple, surely I declare to you, he shall not lose his reward.