16"1Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be 2shrewd as serpents and 3innocent as doves.
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"But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the 4courts and scourge you 5in their synagogues;
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and you will even be broughtbeforegovernors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.
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"6But when they hand you over, 7do not worry about howorwhat you are to say; for it will be given you in that hourwhat you are to say.
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"For 8it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
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"9Brother will betraybrother to death, and a father his child; and 10children will rise up againstparents and cause them to be put to death.
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"11You will be hated by allbecause of My name, but 12it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.
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"But whenever they 13persecute you in onecity, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel14until the Son of Mancomes.
The Meaning of Discipleship
24"15A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slaveabove his master.
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"It is enough for the disciple that he becomelike his teacher, and the slavelike his master. 16If they have called the head of the house17Beelzebul, howmuchmore will they malign the members of his household!
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"Therefore do not 18fear them, 19for there is nothingconcealed that will not be revealed, orhidden that will not be known.
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"20What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim21upon the housetops.
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"Do not fearthose who kill the body but are unable* to kill the soul; but rather22fear Him who is able to destroybothsoul and body in 23hell.
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"24Are not twosparrowssold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the groundapart from your Father.
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"But 25the veryhairs of your head are allnumbered.
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"So do not fear; 26you are morevaluable than manysparrows.
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"Therefore27everyonewhoconfesses Me beforemen, I will alsoconfess him before My Father who is in heaven.
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"But 28whoever*denies Me beforemen, I will alsodeny him before My Father who is in heaven.
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"29Do not think that I came to bringpeace on the earth; I did not come to bringpeace, but a sword.
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"For I came to 30SET A MANAGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTERAGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAWAGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW;
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and 31A MAN'SENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD.
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"32He who lovesfatherormothermorethan Me is not worthy of Me; and he who lovessonordaughtermorethan Me is not worthy of Me.
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"And 33he who does not take his cross and followafter Me is not worthy of Me.
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"34He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.