ISV - Matthew - 10

10:1  Jesus Appoints Twelve Apostles Then JesusLit. he called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority over unclean spirits, so that they could drive them out and heal every disease and every illness.

10:2  These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;

10:3  Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;Other mss. read Lebbaeus called Thaddaeus

10:4  Simon the CananaeanCananaean is Aram. for Zealot. and Judas Iscariot, who laterLit. also betrayed Jesus.Lit. him

10:5  Jesus Sends Out the Twelve These were the twelve whom Jesus sent out, charging them with the words, “Don't turn off into the road that leads to the Gentiles, and don't enter a town of the Samaritans.

10:6  Go, instead, to the lost sheep of the nationLit. house of Israel.

10:7  As you go, proclaim, ‘The kingdom of heaven is near!’

10:8  Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without payment you have received; without payment you are to give.

10:9  Don't take any gold, silver, or copper in your moneybags,

10:10  or a traveling bag for the trip, or an extra shirt,Lit. two shirts or sandals, or a walking stick. For a worker deserves his food.

10:11  “Whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you leave.

10:12  As you enter the house, greet it.

10:13  If the house is receptive,Lit. worthy let your blessing of peace come on it. But if it isn't receptive,Lit. worthy let your blessing of peace return to you.

10:14  If no one welcomes you or listens to your words, as you leave that house or town, shake its dust off your feet.

10:15  Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town!”Coming Persecutions

10:16  “See, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. So be as cunning as serpents and as innocent as doves.

10:17  Watch out for people, for they will hand you over to the local councils and whip you in their synagogues.

10:18  Because of me you will be brought before governors and kings to testify to them and the Gentiles.

10:19  When they hand you over, don't worry about how you are to speakThe Gk. lacks you are to speak or what you are to say, for in that hour what you are to say will be given to you.

10:20  For it won't be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking throughOr in you.

10:21  “Brother will hand brother over to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against parents and have them put to death.

10:22  You will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the person who endures to the end will be saved.

10:23  So when they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. For truly I tell you, you certainly will not have gone through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

10:24  “A disciple is not above his teacher, and a slave is not above his master.

10:25  It is enough for a disciple to be like his teacher and a slave to be like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they do the same toThe Gk. lacks will they do the same to those of his household!”Fear God

10:26  “So never be afraid of them. For there is nothing covered that will not be exposed, and nothing secret that will not be made known.

10:27  What I tell you in darkness you must speak in the daylight, and what is whisperedLit. what you hear in your ear you must shout from the housetops.

10:28  Stop beingOr Don't be afraid of those who kill the body but can't kill the soul. Instead, be afraid of the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell.Gehenna; a Gk. transliteration of the Heb. for Valley of Hinnom

10:29  “Two sparrows are sold for a penny, aren't they? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's permission.Lit. apart from your Father

10:30  Indeed, even the hairs on your head have all been counted!

10:31  So stop beingOr don't be afraid. You are worth more than a bunch of sparrows.”Acknowledging Christ

10:32  “Therefore, everyone who acknowledges me before people I, too, will acknowledge before my Father in heaven.

10:33  But whoever denies me before people I, too, will deny before my Father in heaven.”Not Peace, but a Sword

10:34  “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword!I.e. conflict

10:35  For I came to turn ‘a man against his father,a daughter against her mother,and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

10:36  A person's enemies will be members of his own family.’Mic 7:6

10:37  “The one who loves his father or mother more than me isn't worthy of me, and the one who loves a son or daughter more than me isn't worthy of me.

10:38  The one who doesn't take up his cross and follow me isn't worthy of me.

10:39  The one who finds his life will lose it, and the one who loses his life because of me will find it.”Rewards

10:40  “The one who receives you receives me, and the one who receives me receives the one who sent me.

10:41  The one who receives a prophet asLit. in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and the one who receives a righteous person asLit. in the name of a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward.

10:42  Truly I tell you, whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he isLit. in the name of a disciple will never lose his reward.”