Matthew 10

Then, Jesus told his 12 apprentices to come to him. He authorized them to drive demons out of people and to cure people who were sick in any way. \*

Here is a list of the names of the 12 men whom Jesus chose to represent him: Simon, whom people also call Peter; Andrew, Peter’s {younger} brother; James, Zebedee’s son; John, James’ {younger} brother;

Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; Matthew, a man who collected taxes; James, Alphaeus’ son; Thaddaeus;

Simon the Zealot; and Judas Iscariot, who eventually helped to arrest Jesus. \*

Jesus sent those 12 men {to represent him}. {Before they went}, he told them, “Do not travel to places where non-Jews live. Do not visit Samaritan towns.

Instead, go to your fellow Israelites. They are like sheep who have wandered off {and need help}.

While you are traveling, proclaim {to people}, ‘God is about to establish his heavenly kingdom here.’ \*

Cure people who are sick. Make people who have died alive again. Heal people with skin diseases. Drive demons out of people. I have not charged you money as I enable you to do these things. So, you should not charge other people money to do these things for them.

Do not pack any money to take with you.

Do not pack a traveler’s bag, or an extra shirt, or sandals, or a walking stick. {I tell you not to bring these things} because people who work deserve their food. {So, the people whom you help will give you what you need}. \*

When you visit a city or town, look for someone who lives there who welcomes you. {When you find such a person}, stay in that person’s home until you leave that area.

When you go into that person’s home, say hello to the people who live there {and pray that God will make them peaceful}.

Suppose that the people who live in that house really do welcome you. Then, God will make them peaceful, as you prayed. However, suppose that the people who live in that house do not welcome you. Then, God will not make them peaceful. \*

Whenever people do not welcome you or listen to what you say, you should leave that home or city. As you are going, shake the dust from that place off your feet {to show that you reject those people}.

{God will judge and punish} any people who reject you more severely than he will judge and punish the {wicked} people who lived in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. What I have said is true. \*

I am sending you out {to represent me} to people who will be hostile to you, so you will be like sheep among wolves. Therefore, you need to be as clever as snakes are. You also need to be as innocent as small birds are.

Watch out for certain people. They will arrest you and accuse you in front of groups of important people. They will beat you in the Jewish meeting places.

Because you are my apprentices, people will accuse you before local rulers and kings. That way, you will tell those rulers and the rest of the non-Jews {about me}. \*

Whenever people arrest you and accuse you, do not worry about how you will respond. At that time, God will reveal to you what you should say.

{You can be sure of that} because the Holy Spirit, whom God your Father sends, will reveal to you what to say. You will not speak for yourself. \*

Men will have someone arrest their own brothers, and they will ask the judge to execute them. Fathers {will do the same thing} to their own children. Children will rebel against their parents and cause them to die.

Because you are my apprentices, many people will be hostile to you. However, if you persevere {in being my apprentices} while people harm you, God will rescue you.

When people in one city try to harm you, you should quickly travel to another city. {You should do that} because I, the Son of Man, will return before you have proclaimed the good news in every town in Israel. What I have said is true. \*

Apprentices are not greater than their teacher. Similarly, servants are not greater than their master.

Those apprentices should be content when they become like their teacher. Similarly, those servants {should be content when they become} like their master. Since people called the person who leads the family Satan, they will also call the people who are part of the family {bad names}. \*

So then, do not be afraid of those people. {I say that} because someday God will let everyone know everything people are trying to hide.

You should declare publicly everything I have said to you privately. You should shout for everyone to hear what you have heard me say quietly. \*

Do not be afraid of people. They can kill you physically, but they cannot kill you spiritually. Instead, you should be afraid of God. He can destroy you both spiritually and physically in hell.

Think about the sparrows. {They have so little value that} you can buy two of them for only one small coin. However, God your Father knows about it whenever one sparrow dies.

God even knows how many hairs there are on your head.

So, do not be afraid, because you are more precious {to God} than many sparrows. \*

If people tell others that they are my apprentices, then I will say to God my Father, who rules from heaven, that those people are my apprentices.

However, if they tell others that they are not my apprentices, then I will say to God my Father, who rules from heaven, that those people are not my apprentices. \*

You should not think that I am here so that people will live together peacefully. Indeed, I am here so that people quarrel, not so that they live peacefully.

In fact, I am here so that {family members} oppose each other. A man will oppose his father. A woman will oppose her mother. A woman who married {a man} will oppose her husband’s mother.

People who are part of a person’s family will be those who oppose that person. \*

People who care for their fathers or mothers more than they care for me are not behaving as my apprentices should. People who care for their sons or daughters more than they care for me are not behaving as my apprentices should.

People who are not willing to suffer or die, as if they were carrying their own crosses, when they come with me as my apprentices are not behaving as my apprentices should.

People who do anything to stay alive will not truly live. However, people who are willing to die because they are my apprentices will truly live. \*

When people welcome you, it is the same as welcoming me. When people welcome me, it is the same as welcoming {God the Father}, who sent me here.

As for those who welcome someone because they know that person speaks for God, God will reward them in the same way that he rewards people who speak for him. As for those who welcome someone because they know that person does what is right, God will reward them in the same way that he rewards people who do what is right. \*

As for those who offer an unimportant person cold water to drink just because they know that person is my apprentice, God will most certainly reward them. What I have said is true.” \*