And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority
over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease
and every affliction. 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; Philip and Bartholomew;
Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus,
and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed
him.
These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among
the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to
the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go,
saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise
the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without
paying; give without pay. Acquire no gold or silver or copper for
your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a
staff, for the laborer deserves his food. And whatever town or
village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there
until you depart. As you enter the house, greet it. And if the
house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not
worthy, let your peace return to you. And if anyone will not
receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your
feet when you leave that house or town. Truly, I say to you, it
will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom
and Gomorrah than for that town.
“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so
be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they
will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues,
and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to
bear witness before them and the Gentiles. When they deliver you
over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to
say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For
it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking
through you. Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the
father his child, and children will rise against parents and have
them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name's sake.
But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they
persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to
you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before
the Son of Man comes.
“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his
master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and
the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the
house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his
household.
“So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be
revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the
dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on
the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot
kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body
in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them
will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs
of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more
value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before
men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but
whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who
is in heaven.
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I
have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 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. And a person's enemies
will be those of his own household. 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. And whoever does not take his
cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life
will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me
receives him who sent me. The one who receives a prophet because he
is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and the one who
receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will
receive a righteous person's reward. And whoever gives one of these
little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple,
truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”
