Matthew 10:16-42

A Hard Road before Them

16 "¹Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be ²shrewd as serpents and ³innocent as doves.

17 "But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the ⁴courts and scourge you ⁵in their synagogues;

18 and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.

19 "⁶But when they hand you over, ⁷do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say.

20 "For ⁸it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

21 "⁹Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and ¹⁰children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.

22 "¹¹You will be hated by all because of My name, but ¹²it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.

23 "But whenever they ¹³persecute you in one city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel ¹⁴until the Son of Man comes.

The Meaning of Discipleship

24 "¹⁵A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master.

25 "It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. ¹⁶If they have called the head of the house ¹⁷Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!

26 "Therefore do not ¹⁸fear them, ¹⁹for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.

27 "²⁰What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim ²¹upon the housetops.

28 "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable * to kill the soul; but rather ²²fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in ²³hell.

29 "²⁴Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.

30 "But ²⁵the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

31 "So do not fear; ²⁶you are more valuable than many sparrows.

32 "Therefore ²⁷everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.

33 "But ²⁸whoever * denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.

34 "²⁹Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.

35 "For I came to ³⁰SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW;

36 and ³¹A MAN'S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD.

37 "³²He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

38 "And ³³he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

39 "³⁴He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.

The Reward of Service

40 "³⁵He who receives you receives Me, and ³⁶he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.

41 "³⁷He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.

42 "And ³⁸whoever * in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward."

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