1THEN, calling to him his twelve disciples, he gave them authority over impure spirits to cast them out, and power to cure every disease and every infirmity. 2The names of the twelve apostles are these: Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, 3Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector, James the son of Alphaeus and Thaddaeus, 4Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him. 5These twelve Jesus sent out and directed them: "Do not go into any way of the Gentiles. Do not enter into any city of the Samaritans. 6But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7As you go proclaim, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 8Heal sick men, raise dead men, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying, give without being paid. 9Provide no gold nor silver nor copper in your belts, 10no bag for the road, nor two tunics nor shoes nor stick, for the workman has a right to his food. 11Whatever city or village you go into, inquire who in it is worthy and stay with him until you leave the place. 12When you enter the house, salute it. 13If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14If any one does not receive you or hear your words, as you go out of that house or that city shake off the dust of your feet. 15I tell you truly it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city. 16See, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be as wise as serpents and as pure as doves. 17Be on your guard against men. For they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you, 18and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a witness to them and to the Gentiles. 19But when they deliver you up, do not worry how or what you are to speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you are to say. 20For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaks within you. 21Brother will betray brother to death, and father will betray child, and children will rise up against parents and put them to death. 22And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. He who endures to the end, that one will be saved. 23"When they persecute you in one city, flee to another. I tell you truly, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes. 24The scholar is not above his teacher, nor the servant above his master. 25It is sufficient for the scholar to fare like his teacher and for the servant to fare like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household. 26Do not be afraid of them; for there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor secret which will not be known. 27What I say to you in darkness speak in the light, and what is whispered into your ear proclaim on the housetops. 28Do not fear before those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. 29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet one of them will not fall on the ground without your Father. 30But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31So do not fear. You are worth more than many sparrows. 32Every one who shall confess me before men I too will confess before my Father in heaven. 33Every one who shall disown me before men I too will disown before my Father in heaven. 34"Do not think that I came to send peace on the earth. I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35For I came to set a man against his father and a daughter against her mother and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36A man's enemies will be the members of his own household. 37He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. He who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38Whoever does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. 39He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it. 40He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him that sent me. 41He who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will get a prophet's reward, and he who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will get a righteous man's reward. 42Whoever gives merely a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple, I tell you truly he will not lose his reward."