Twenty - Matthew - 10

10:1  Calling his twelve Disciples to him, Jesus gave them authority over foul spirits, so that they could drive them out, as well as the power of curing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

10:2  The names of the twelve Apostles are these. First Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James the son of Zebediah, and his brother John;

10:3  Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Mathew the tax-gather; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;

10:4  Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot--the Apostle who betrayed him.

10:5  These twelve Jesus sent out as his Messengers, after giving them these instructions--"Do not go to the Gentiles, nor enter any Samaritan town,

10:6  But make your way rather to the lost sheep of Israel.

10:7  And on your way proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

10:8  Cure the sick, raise the dead, make the lepers clean, drive out demons. You have received free of cost, give free of cost.

10:9  Do not provide yourselves with gold, or silver, or pence in your purses;

10:10  Not even with a bag for the journey, or a change of clothes, or sandals, or even a staff; for the worker is worth his food. And there he saw a man with a withered hand. Some people asked Jesus whether it was allowable to work a cure on the Sabbath- -so that they might have a charge to bring against him.

10:11  Whatever town or village you visit, find out who is worthy in that place, and remain there till you leave.

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

10:13  Then, if the house is worthy, let your blessing rest upon it, but, if it is unworthy, let your blessing return upon yourselves.

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

10:15  I tell you, the doom of the land of Sodom and Gomorrah will be more bearable in the 'Day of Judgement' than the doom of that town.

10:16  Remember, I am sending you out as my Messengers like sheep among wolves. So be as wise as serpents, and as blameless as doves.

10:17  Be on your guard against your fellow men, for they will betray you to courts of law, and scourge you in their Synagogues;

10:18  And you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, that you may witness for me before them and the nations.

10:19  Whenever they betray you, do not be anxious as to how you shall speak or what you shall say, for what you shall say will be given you at the moment;

10:20  For it will not be you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaks within you.

10:21  Brother will betray brother to death, and the father his child; and children will turn against their parents, and cause them to be put to death;

10:22  And you will be hated by every one on account of my Name. Yet the man that endures to the end shall be saved.

10:23  But, when they persecute you in one town, escape to the next; for, I tell you, you will not have come to the end of the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

10:24  A scholar is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.

10:25  It is enough for a scholar to be treated like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Baal-zebub, how much more the members of his household!

10:26  Do not, therefore, be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed which will not be revealed, nor anything hidden which will not become known.

10:27  What I tell you in the dark, say again in the light; and what is whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops.

10:28  And do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; rather be afraid of him who is able to destroy both soul and body in the Pit.

10:29  Are not two sparrows sold for a half-penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's knowledge.

10:30  While as for you, the very hairs of your head are numbered.

10:31  Do not, therefore, be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.

10:32  Every one, therefore, who shall acknowledge me before his fellow men, I, too, will acknowledge before my Father who is in Heaven;

10:33  But, if any one disowns me before his fellow men, I, too, will disown him before my Father who is in Heaven.

10:34  Do not imagine that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring, not peace, but the sword.

10:35  For I have come to set--'a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

10:36  A man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'

10:37  He who loves 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.

10:38  And the man who does not take his cross and follow in my steps is not worthy of me.

10:39  He who has found his life will lose it, while he who, for my sake, has lost his life shall find it.

10:40  He who welcomes you is welcoming me; and he who welcomes me is welcoming him who sent me as his Messenger.

10:41  He who welcomes a Prophet, because he is a Prophet, shall receive a Prophet's reward; and he who welcomes a good man, because he is a good man, shall receive a good man's reward.

10:42  And, if any one gives but a cup of cold water to one of these lowly ones because he is a disciple, I tell you that he shall assuredly not lose his reward."