Matthew
10 and, calling to him his twelve disciples, he gave them authority over unclean spirits to expel them, and to cure every disease and every ailment. 2 And these are the names of the twelve apostles: first Simon known as Peter, and his brother Andrew, and James the son of Zebedee and his brother John, 3 Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the customhouse officer, James the son of Alpheus and Thaddeus, 4 Simon the Kananee and Judas Iscariot—the same who was the agent in his arrest. 5 These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them thus:
“Do not go off on any route among the nations nor into a city of the Samaritans; 6 go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, 7 and as you go proclaim that the Reign of Heaven is almost here. 8 Cure sick men, raise dead men, cleanse lepers, expel demons. You received gratis, give gratis. 9 Do not get gold nor silver nor copper to take in your belts, 10 no traveling-wallet nor two coats nor shoes nor a walking-stick; for a worker deserves his food. 11 And whatever city or village you come into, find out who in it is deserving, and stay there till you come out. 12* And in coming into the house salute it; 13 and if the house is deserving let your peace come upon it, but if it is not deserving let your peace come back to you. 14 And whoever does not receive you nor hear your words, shake out the dust from your feet in coming out from that house or city; 15 I tell you verily, it will be more bearable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.
16 “Here I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; so be as cunning as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17 But beware of men; for they will have you arrested and taken into court, and flogged in their synagogues; 18 and you will be brought before governors and kings on my account, for an attestation to them and the nations. 19 But when they have you arrested, do not fret over how or what you are to speak; for it will be given to you at that moment what to speak, 20 for it is not you that speak but your Father’s Spirit that speaks in you.
21 “And a brother will have a brother arrested and put to death, and a father a child; and children will stand up against parents and have them put to death; 22 and you will be hated by all because of my name; but he who holds out to the end, he will come safe through. 23 But when they persecute you in this city flee to the other; for I tell you verily you will not finish the cities of Israel till the Son of Man comes.
24 “A pupil is not above his teacher nor a servant above his master. 25 It is sufficient for the pupil that he be made like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have dubbed the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they the rest of his family! 26 So do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be uncovered, or secret that will not be found out. 27 What I tell you in the dark, say in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim on the roofs. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul, but fear rather him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Why, sparrows are sold two for a penny, and not one of them will fall to the earth without your Father; 30 but of your heads even the hairs are all counted; 31 so do not fear, you are more important than a great many sparrows. 32 Everyone who shall acknowledge me before men, then, I myself will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; 33 but whoever repudiates me before men I myself will repudiate before my Father in heaven.
34 “Do not suppose that I came to launch peace on the earth: I did not come to launch peace, but the sword, 35 for I came to put a man in antagonism to his father and a daughter to her mother and a daughter-in-law to her mother-in-law, 36 and the members of a man’s family shall be his enemies. 37 He who loves father or mother above me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter above me is not worthy of me; 38 and he who does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. 39 He who finds his self shall lose it, and he who loses his self on my account shall find it.
40 “He who receives you is receiving me, and he who receives me is receiving him who sent me. 41* He who receives a prophet as being a prophet shall get a prophet’s reward, and he who receives a saint as being a saint shall get a saint’s reward; 42 and anybody who gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water to drink as being a disciple, I tell you verily, shall not lose his reward.”