1 Then calling his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of weakness. 2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: the 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 publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Canaanite and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
5 These twelve Jesus sent forth and commanded them, saying, Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter into any city of the Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of the heavens has come. 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons; freely ye have received, freely give. 9 Provide neither gold nor silver nor money in your girdles, 10 nor bag for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes nor a staff, for the workman is worthy of his food. 11 And into whatever city or town ye shall enter, search out with diligence who in it is worthy; and there abide until ye go from there. 12 And entering into the house, salute it. 13 And if the house is worthy, your peace shall come upon it; but if it is not worthy, your peace shall return to you. 14 And whosoever shall not receive you nor hear your words, depart out of that house or city and shake off the dust of your feet. 15 Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of those of Sodom and those of Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.
16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; be ye therefore prudent as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 But keep yourselves from men, for they will deliver you up in councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; 18 and ye shall even be brought before princes and kings for my sake, for testimony unto them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak, for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. 20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. 21 And brother shall deliver up brother unto death, and the father the child, and children shall rise up against their parents and cause them to be put to death. 22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name, but he that endures to the end shall be saved. 23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another, for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel until the Son of man be come.
24 The disciple is not above his master, nor the slave above his lord. 25 It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the slave as his lord. If they have called the husband of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call those of his household?
26 Fear them not therefore, for there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, nor hid that shall not be known. 27 What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light, and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye from the housetops. 28 And fear not those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul, but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear ye not, therefore; ye are of more value than many sparrows. 32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my Father who is in the heavens. 33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in the heavens.
34 Think not that I have come to introduce peace into the land; I came not to introduce peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a man’s foes shall be those of his own household. 37 He that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and he that loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And he that does not take his cross {Gr. Stauros – stake} and follow after me is not worthy of me. 39 He that finds his life shall lose it, and he that loses his life for my sake shall find it.
40 He that receives you receives me, and he that receives me receives him that sent me. 41 He that receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward, and he that receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.