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¹ Then Jesus[fn] 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.[xr] 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;[xr] ³ Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;[fn] ⁴ Simon the Cananaean[fn] and Judas Iscariot, who later[fn] betrayed Jesus.[fn][xr]

⁵ 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.[xr] ⁶ Go, instead, to the lost sheep of the nation[fn] of Israel.[xr] ⁷ As you go, proclaim, 'The kingdom of heaven is near!'[xr] ⁸ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without payment you have received; without payment you are to give.[xr] ⁹ Don't take any gold, silver, or copper in your moneybags,[xr] ¹⁰ or a traveling bag for the trip, or an extra shirt,[fn] or sandals, or a walking stick. For a worker deserves his food.[xr] ¹¹ "Whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you leave.[xr] ¹² As you enter the house, greet it. ¹³ If the house is receptive,[fn] let your blessing of peace come on it. But if it isn't receptive,[fn] let your blessing of peace return to you.[xr] ¹⁴ If no one welcomes you or listens to your words, as you leave that house or town, shake its dust off your feet.[xr] 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!"[xr]

¹⁶ "See, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. So be as cunning as serpents and as innocent as doves.[xr] ¹⁷ Watch out for people, for they will hand you over to the local councils and whip you in their synagogues.[xr] ¹⁸ Because of me you will be brought before governors and kings to testify to them and the Gentiles.[xr] ¹⁹ When they hand you over, don't worry about how you are to speak[fn] or what you are to say, for in that hour what you are to say will be given to you.[xr] ²⁰ For it won't be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through[fn] you.[xr] ²¹ "Brother will hand brother over to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against parents and have them put to death.[xr] ²² You will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the person who endures to the end will be saved.[xr] 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.[xr] ²⁴ "A disciple is not above his teacher, and a slave is not above his master.[xr] 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 to[fn] those of his household!"[xr] 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.[xr] ²⁷ What I tell you in darkness you must speak in the daylight, and what is whispered[fn] in your ear you must shout from the housetops. ²⁸ Stop being[fn] 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.[fn][xr] 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.[fn] ³⁰ Indeed, even the hairs on your head have all been counted![xr] ³¹ So stop being[fn] afraid. You are worth more than a bunch of sparrows." ³² "Therefore, everyone who acknowledges me before people I, too, will acknowledge before my Father in heaven.[xr] ³³ But whoever denies me before people I, too, will deny before my Father in heaven."[xr] ³⁴ "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword![fn][xr] ³⁵ For I came to turn[xr] 'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. ³⁶ A person's enemies will be members of his own family.'[fn][xr] 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.[xr] ³⁸ The one who doesn't take up his cross and follow me isn't worthy of me.[xr] ³⁹ The one who finds his life will lose it, and the one who loses his life because of me will find it."[xr] ⁴⁰ "The one who receives you receives me, and the one who receives me receives the one who sent me.[xr] ⁴¹ The one who receives a prophet as[fn] a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and the one who receives a righteous person as[fn] a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward.[xr] ⁴² Truly I tell you, whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is[fn] a disciple will never lose his reward."[xr]