Matthew 10
1 He told [us] twelve disciples to come to him. Then he gave us the power/authority to expel evil spirits [that controlled people]. He also enabled [us] to heal all people who had diseases or who were sick.
And he called his twelve disciples to him, and gave them authority over unclean spirits to cast them out, and to heal every pain and disease.
2 [Here is a list of us] twelve [disciples whom he called] apostles ([which means ‘messengers’]): Simon, [to whom he gave the new name] Peter; Andrew, Peter’s [younger] brother; James, the son of Zebedee; John, the [younger] brother of James;
And the names of those twelve Legates are these: The first of them, Simon who is called Cephas, and Andrew his brother; and James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
3 Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; me, Matthew, the tax collector; James, the [son] of Alpheus; Thaddeus;
and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Thomas, and Matthew the publican; and James the son of Alpheus, and Lebbeus who was called Thaddeus;
4 Simon, a member of the party [that wanted to overthrow the Roman government; ] and Judas Iscariot (OR, Judas, the man from Kerioth [Town]), who [later] enabled [the Jewish leaders] to seize Jesus.
and Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, he who betrayed him.
5 When Jesus was [about to] send [us] twelve [apostles to tell his message to people in various places], he gave [us] these instructions: “Do not go where the non-Jews live [MTY] or into the towns [where the] Samaritans live, [because they hate you].
These twelve Jesus sent forth: and he commanded them and said: Go not in the way of the Gentiles: and enter not the cities of the Samaritans.
6 Instead, go to the people of Israel [SYN] who have [gone away from God like] sheep that have gotten lost [MET].
But, go ye rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7 When you go [to them], proclaim to them that God [EUP/MTY] will soon begin to rule over people.
And as ye go, proclaim and say: The kingdom of heaven hath approached.
8 Heal sick people, cause dead people to become alive, heal people who have leprosy, and cause demons to leave people [who are controlled by them] {[whom demons control]}. Do not charge money [for helping people, because God] did not charge you anything [for helping you].
Heal ye the sick; cleanse the leprous; raise the dead; and cast out demons. Freely ye have received; freely give.
9 Do not take any money with you [MTY], nor a knapsack. Do not take an extra shirt, nor sandals [in addition to what you are wearing], nor a walking stick. Every worker deserves to get pay [from the people for whom he works], [so you deserve to receive food and a place to stay from the people to whom you go].
Provide not gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses;
nor a wallet for the journey: neither two coats, nor shoes, nor a staff. For the laborer is worthy of his food.
11 In whatever town or village you enter, find out which person is worthy [that you should stay in his home]. And as you go into that house, [ask God to] bless the people [who live there] [MTY]. Stay in that home until you leave [that town or village].
And into whatever city or town ye enter, inquire, who in it is worthy; and there stay until ye depart.
And when ye enter a house, salute the household.
13 If the people who live in [MTY] that house are worthy [of being blessed] {[God blessing them]}, [God] will bless them. If the people who live in that house are not worthy [of being blessed] {[of God blessing them]}, [God] will bless you [instead of blessing them].
And if the house be worthy, your peace will come upon it; but if it be not worthy, your peace will return upon yourselves.
14 If the people [who live in any house or town] do not welcome you [to their home or town], nor listen to your message, leave that house or town. And as you leave, shake off the dust from your feet. [By doing that, you will warn them that God will punish them for rejecting your message].
And whoever will not receive you, nor hear your discourses, when ye depart from that house or that town, shake off the dust from your feet.
15 Note this carefully: [At the time when God] judges [all people, he] will punish [the people who lived in] Sodom and Gomorrah [MTY], [the ancient cities which God destroyed because their people were extremely wicked]. But in any town where the people [MTY] refuse to hear your message, God will punish them even more severely.”
Verily I say to you, that it will be comfortable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, rather than for that city.
16 “Take note: After I send you out, [you will be as defenseless] as sheep [MET] in the midst of [people who are as dangerous as] wolves. So you should wisely [stay away from such people, like you stay away from poisonous] snakes [SIM]. You should be as harmless as doves are [SIM].
Behold, I send you forth as sheep among wolves. Therefore be ye sagacious as serpents, and guileless as doves.
17 Also, be on guard against [our religious leaders]. They will arrest you and take you to the members of the religious councils [to put you on trial and punish you because you are my disciples]. You will be whipped {The local leaders will whip you} [in] their meeting places.
And beware of men; for they will deliver you over to the tribunals, and will scourge you in their synagogues.
18 [And] because [you teach] about me, you will be taken {[the religious leaders] will take you} to governors and kings [in order that they may put you on trial and punish you]. As a result, you will testify to those rulers and to [other] non-Jews [about what I have done].
And they will bring you before governors and kings, on my account, for a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.
19 When [the religious leaders] arrest you, do not be worried about what you will say [to them], because at that very time [the] Holy Spirit will tell you the words that you should say.
And when they deliver you up, be not anxious how or what ye shall speak; for it shall be given you in that hour what to say.
20 It is not that you [will decide what to] say. Instead, you will say what the Spirit of your [heavenly] Father tells [you to say].
For it is not ye that speak, but the spirit of your Father speaking in you.
21 [You will be taken] {[People who do not believe in me will] take you} to the authorities to be killed [because you believe in me. For example], people will betray their brothers, and fathers will betray their children. Children will rebel against their parents and cause [them] to be killed.
And brother shall deliver up his brother to death, and a father his son; and children shall rise up against parents, and cause them to die.
22 Many people will hate you [because you believe in me]. Nevertheless, [many people] will keep on believing in me until they die. They are the people whom [God] will take to live with him.
And ye shall be hated by every one, on account of my name. But he that shall endure to the end, shall have life.
23 When people in one town cause you to suffer, escape to another town [and tell the people there about me]. Note this: [I], the one who came down from heaven, will certainly return [to earth] before you have finished going from one town to another town throughout Israel [and telling people about me].
And when they persecute you in one city, flee to another: for verily I say to you, Ye shall not have completed all the cities of the house of Israel, till the Son of man shall come.
24 A disciple should not [expect to be] greater than his teacher, and servants [are not] superior to their master.
No disciple is better than his rabbi; nor a servant, than his lord.
25 You do not [expect that] people will [treat] a disciple better than [they treat] his teacher, or that [they will treat] a servant [better than they treat] his master. [Similarly, because I am your teacher and master, you can expect that people will mistreat you, because they have mistreated me]. The most you can expect is that people [will treat you like they treat me. I am like] the ruler of a household [MET]. But people [have insulted me by] calling [me] Beelzebub, [the ruler of the demons]. So they [will] certainly [insult you more, you who are only like] members of my household [MET]!”
It is sufficient for the disciple, that he be as his rabbi; and the servant, as his lord. If they call the lord of the house Beelzebub, how much more the children of his family?
26 “Do not be afraid of [people who insult you and do evil things to you. God wants] everything that is unknown now to be revealed {[God wants you to] reveal everything [that is unknown now]}. [He does] not [want his truth] to remain hidden [MET] and kept secret [DOU].
Therefore be not afraid of them; for there is nothing covered up, that shall not be exposed; nor concealed, that shall not become known.
27 [So, instead of being afraid], what I say to you [secretly as people do] at night [MTY], tell [publicly as people do] during the daytime [MTY]. What I [say to you privately as people do when they] whisper to you [MTY], proclaim publicly [MTY, DOU].
Whatever I say to you in the dark, that speak ye in the light; and what ye have heard in your ears, proclaim ye on the housetops.
28 Do not be afraid of people who [are able to] kill your body [SYN] but are not able to destroy your soul. Instead, fear [God because] he is able to destroy both a [person’s] body and a [person’s] soul in hell. (Geenna g1067)
And be not afraid of them that kill the body, but cannot kill the soul; but be afraid rather of Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Geenna g1067)
29 [Think about the] sparrows. [They have so little value] that [you] can buy cares two of them for [only] one small coin [RHQ]. But when [any] sparrow falls to the ground [and dies] [LIT], [God], your [heavenly] Father, knows it, [because he cares about everything].
Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? Yet one of them doth not fall to the ground without your Father.
30 [He cares about you, too]. He even knows how many hairs you have on your head!
As for you, even the hairs of your head are all numbered.
31 [God] values you much more than he values sparrows [LIT]. So, do not be afraid [of people who threaten to kill you]
Therefore be not afraid: ye are more important than many sparrows.
32 If people, [without being afraid, are willing to] tell others [that they are my disciples], I will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven [that they are my disciples].
Wherefore, whoever shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my Father who is in heaven.
33 But if they are afraid to say in front of others that they are my [disciples], I will tell my Father, who is in heaven, [that] they are not [my disciples].”
But whoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven.
34 “Do not think that I came to earth to cause [people] to live together harmoniously. The result of my coming is that [some of those who follow me] [MTY] will be killed.
Think not that I have come to sow quietness on the earth: I have not come to sow quietness, but conflict.
35 Because I came [to earth, people who do not believe in me] will oppose [those who do believe in me. For example], some sons will oppose their fathers, some daughters will oppose their mothers, and some daughters-in-law will oppose their mothers-in-law.
For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
36 [This shows that sometimes] a person’s enemies will be members of his own household.
And a man's foes will be the members of his household.
37 People who love their fathers or mothers more than [they love] me are not worthy to [have a relationship with me]. And people who love their sons or daughters more than [they love] me are not worthy [to belong to] me.
He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me:
38 [People who are ready to execute a prisoner force him to] carry a cross [to the place where they will nail him to it] [MET]. Those who are not [willing to allow other people to hurt and disgrace them like that because of being my disciples] are not worthy to belong to me.
and he that doth not bear his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me.
39 People who [deny that they believe in me in order to escape being killed] will not live [with God eternally] [MET], but people who [confess that they believe in] me and, [as a result are] killed, will live [with God eternally] [MET].”
He that preserveth his life, shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake, shall preserve it.
40 “[God considers that] everyone who welcomes you, welcomes me [SIM], and [he considers that] everyone who welcomes me welcomes [him], the one who sent me [SIM].
He that entertaineth you, entertaineth me: and he that entertaineth me, entertaineth him that sent me.
41 Those who welcome [someone because] [MTY] [they know] that person is a prophet they will receive the [same] reward that prophets [receive from God. Likewise], those who welcome a person [because] [MTY] [they know] that person is righteous will receive the reward righteous people [receive from God].
He that entertaineth a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall receive a prophet's reward: and he that entertaineth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man, shall receive a righteous man's reward.
42 [Note this: ] people [see that you are thirsty] [MTY] [and] give you a drink of cold water because they know that [MTY] you are one of my disciples. [God] will certainly reward people who do that. [They might consider that what they did] is insignificant, [but God will consider it very significant]” [LIT].
And whoever shall give one of these little ones to drink a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, verily I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.
