Jesus gives his twelve apostles authority over unclean spirits and instructs them to preach that the kingdom of heaven has drawn near, curing the infirm, raising the dead, and casting out demons. He tells them not to take any provisions for their journey and to stay with worthy people in the cities they enter. Jesus warns them that they will face persecution and be handed over to councils, but they should not fear because the Spirit of their Father will speak through them. He also teaches that whoever acknowledges him before men will be acknowledged before his Father in heaven, but whoever denies him will be denied. Jesus says he came to bring division, not peace, and that his followers must be willing to take up their cross and follow him.
1 And having called together his twelve disciples, he gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out and to cure every sickness and every infirmity 2 Now the names of the twelve Apostles are these: the First, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother 3 James of Zebedee, and John his brother, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector, and James of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus 4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him 5 Jesus sent these twelve, instructing them, saying: "Do not travel by the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter into the city of the Samaritans 6 but instead go to the sheep who have fallen away from the house of Israel 7 And going forth, preach, saying: ‘For the kingdom of heaven has drawn near. 8 Cure the infirm, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You have received freely, so give freely 9 Do not choose to possess gold, nor silver, nor money in your belts 10 nor provisions for the journey, nor two tunics, nor shoes, nor a staff. For the laborer deserves his portion 11 Now, into whatever city or town you will enter, inquire as to who is worthy within it. And stay there until you depart 12 Then, when you enter into the house, greet it, saying, ‘Peace to this house. 13 And if, indeed, that house is worthy, your peace will rest upon it. But if it is not worthy, your peace will return to you 14 And whoever has neither received you, nor listened to your words, departing from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet 15 Amen I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city 16 Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore, be as prudent as serpents and as simple as doves 17 But beware of men. For they will hand you over to councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues 18 And you shall be led before both rulers and kings for my sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles 19 But when they hand you over, do not choose to think about how or what to speak. For what to speak shall be given to you in that hour 20 For it is not you who will be speaking, but the Spirit of your Father, who will speak in you 21 And brother will hand over brother to death, and father will hand over son. And children will rise up against parents and bring about their deaths 22 And you will be hated by all for the sake of my name. But whoever will have persevered, even to the end, the same shall be saved 23 Now when they persecute you in one city, flee into another. Amen I say to you, you will not have exhausted all the cities of Israel, before the Son of man returns 24 The disciple is not above the teacher, nor is the servant above his master 25 It is sufficient for the disciple that he be like his teacher, and the servant, like his master. If they have called the Father of the family, ‘Beelzebub,’ how much more those of his household 26 Therefore, do not fear them. For nothing is covered that shall not be revealed, nor hidden that shall not be known 27 What I tell you in darkness, speak in the light. And what you hear whispered in the ear, preach above the rooftops 28 And do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. But instead fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell 29 Are not two sparrows sold for one small coin? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father 30 For even the hairs of your head have all been numbered 31 Therefore, do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows 32 Therefore, everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father, who is in heaven 33 But whoever will have denied me before men, I also will deny before my Father, who is in heaven 34 Do not think that I came to send peace upon the earth. I came, not to send peace, but the sword 35 For I came to divide a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law 36 And the enemies of a man will be those of his own household 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever loves son or daughter above 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 will have lost his life because of me, shall find it 40 Whoever receives you, receives me. And whoever receives me, receives him who sent me 41 Whoever receives a prophet, in the name of a prophet, shall receive the reward of a prophet. And whoever receives the just in the name of the just shall receive the reward of the just 42 And whoever shall give, even to one of the least of these, a cup of cold water to drink, solely in the name of a disciple: Amen I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.