The Holy Gospel According to Matthew 10 The Twelve and Their Mission

 The Holy Gospel According to Matthew 10

The Twelve and Their Mission

1 And He called His twelve disciples to Him and gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of sickness and every kind of disease.

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

3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;

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

5 Jesus sent these twelve out and commanded them, saying: "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.

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

7 And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'

8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

9 Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts,

10 nor a bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor a staff; for a worker is worthy of his food.

11 Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave.

12 And when you go into a household, greet it.

13 If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.

14 And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet." 

15 Truly I say to you, it will be more bearable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that city.

16 Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

17 But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues;

18 And you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.

19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak; for what you are to say will be given to you in that very hour.

20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

21 Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.

22 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.

23 When they persecute you in this city, flee to another; for assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

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

25 It is enough for a disciple to be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household?

26 Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

27 Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.

28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without the will of your Father.

30 And even the hairs of your head are all numbered.

31 Do not fear, then; you are worth more than many sparrows.

32 Therefore, whoever acknowledges Me before men, I will also acknowledge before My Father who is in heaven.

33 But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

34 Do not think that I came to bring peace to the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword;

35 For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;

36 And thus a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.

37 Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

38 And whoever does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.

39 Whoever finds his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

40 Whoever receives you receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives the One who sent Me.

41 Whoever receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward; and whoever receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward.

42 And whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I say to you—will by no means lose his reward.