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Matthew 10
New King James Version

### The Twelve Apostles(A)

10 And (B)when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. 2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, (C)who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and [a]Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; 4 (D)Simon the [b]Cananite, and Judas (E)Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.

### Sending Out the Twelve(F)

5 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: (G)“Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of (H)the Samaritans. 6 (I)But go rather to the (J)lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 (K)And as you go, preach, saying, (L)‘The kingdom of heaven [c]is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, [d]cleanse the lepers, [e]raise the dead, cast out demons. (M)Freely you have received, freely give. 9 (N)Provide neither gold nor silver nor (O)copper in your money belts, 10 nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; (P)for a worker is worthy of his food.

11 (Q)“Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out. 12 And when you go into a household, greet it. 13 (R)If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. (S)But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 (T)And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, (U)shake off the dust from your feet. 15 Assuredly, I say to you, (V)it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!

### Persecutions Are Coming(W)

16 (X)“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. (Y)Therefore be wise as serpents and (Z)harmless[f] as doves. 17 But beware of men, for (AA)they will deliver you up to councils and (AB)scourge you in their synagogues. 18 (AC)You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 (AD)But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For (AE)it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 (AF)for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

21 (AG)“Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 22 And (AH)you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. (AI)But he who endures to the end will be saved. 23 (AJ)When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have (AK)gone through the cities of Israel (AL)before the Son of Man comes.

24 (AM)“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If (AN)they have called the master of the house [g]Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! 26 Therefore do not fear them. (AO)For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

### Jesus Teaches the Fear of God(AP)

27 “Whatever I tell you in the dark, (AQ)speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. 28 (AR)And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather (AS)fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in [h]hell. 29 Are not two (AT)sparrows sold for a [i]copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. 30 (AU)But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

### Confess Christ Before Men(AV)

32 (AW)“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, (AX)him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 (AY)But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

### Christ Brings Division(AZ)

34 (BA)“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to (BB)‘set[j] a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and (BC)‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ 37 (BD)He 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 (BE)And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 (BF)He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

### A Cup of Cold Water(BG)

40 (BH)“He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. 41 (BI)He 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 (BJ)And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”

#### Footnotes

1. Matthew 10:3 NU omits Lebbaeus, whose surname was
2. Matthew 10:4 NU Cananaean
3. Matthew 10:7 has drawn near
4. Matthew 10:8 NU raise the dead, cleanse the lepers
5. Matthew 10:8 M omits raise the dead
6. Matthew 10:16 innocent
7. Matthew 10:25 NU, M Beelzebul; a Philistine deity, 2 Kin. 1:2, 3
8. Matthew 10:28 Gr. Gehenna
9. Matthew 10:29 Gr. assarion, a coin worth about 1⁄16 of a denarius
10. Matthew 10:35 alienate a man from

#### Cross references

1. Matthew 10:1 : Mark 3:13–19; Luke 6:12–16
2. Matthew 10:1 : Mark 3:13; Luke 6:13
3. Matthew 10:2 : John 1:42
4. Matthew 10:4 : Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13
5. Matthew 10:4 : Matt. 26:14; Luke 22:3; John 13:2, 26
6. Matthew 10:5 : Mark 6:7–13; Luke 9:1–6
7. Matthew 10:5 : Matt. 4:15
8. Matthew 10:5 : 2 Kin. 17:24; Luke 9:52; 10:33; 17:16; John 4:9
9. Matthew 10:6 : Matt. 15:24; Acts 13:46
10. Matthew 10:6 : Is. 53:6; Jer. 50:6
11. Matthew 10:7 : Luke 9:2
12. Matthew 10:7 : Matt. 3:2; Luke 10:9
13. Matthew 10:8 : [Acts 8:18]
14. Matthew 10:9 : 1 Sam. 9:7; Mark 6:8
15. Matthew 10:9 : Mark 6:8
16. Matthew 10:10 : Luke 10:7; [1 Cor. 9:4–14]; 1 Tim. 5:18
17. Matthew 10:11 : Luke 10:8
18. Matthew 10:13 : Luke 10:5
19. Matthew 10:13 : Ps. 35:13
20. Matthew 10:14 : Mark 6:11; Luke 9:5
21. Matthew 10:14 : Neh. 5:13; Luke 10:10, 11; Acts 13:51
22. Matthew 10:15 : Matt. 11:22, 24
23. Matthew 10:16 : Mark 13:9–13; Luke 21:12–17
24. Matthew 10:16 : Luke 10:3
25. Matthew 10:16 : 2 Cor. 12:16; Eph. 5:15; Col. 4:5
26. Matthew 10:16 : [Phil. 2:14–16]
27. Matthew 10:17 : Matt. 23:34; Mark 13:9; Luke 12:11
28. Matthew 10:17 : Acts 5:40; 22:19; 26:11
29. Matthew 10:18 : Acts 12:1; 2 Tim. 4:16
30. Matthew 10:19 : Mark 13:11; Luke 12:11, 12; 21:14, 15
31. Matthew 10:19 : Ex. 4:12; Jer. 1:7
32. Matthew 10:20 : 2 Sam. 23:2; [2 Tim. 4:17]
33. Matthew 10:21 : Mic. 7:6; Luke 21:16
34. Matthew 10:22 : Matt. 24:9; Luke 21:17; John 15:18
35. Matthew 10:22 : [Dan. 12:12]; Matt. 24:13; Mark 13:13
36. Matthew 10:23 : Matt. 2:13; Acts 8:1
37. Matthew 10:23 : [Matt. 24:14; Mark 13:10]
38. Matthew 10:23 : Matt. 16:28
39. Matthew 10:24 : Luke 6:40; John 15:20
40. Matthew 10:25 : Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15, 18, 19; John 8:48, 52
41. Matthew 10:26 : Mark 4:22; Luke 8:17; 12:2, 3; [1 Cor. 4:5]
42. Matthew 10:27 : Luke 12:3–7
43. Matthew 10:27 : Luke 12:3; Acts 5:20
44. Matthew 10:28 : Luke 12:4; [1 Pet. 3:14]
45. Matthew 10:28 : Is. 8:13; Matt. 5:22; Luke 12:5
46. Matthew 10:29 : Luke 12:6, 7
47. Matthew 10:30 : 1 Sam. 14:45; 2 Sam. 14:11; 1 Kin. 1:52; Luke 21:18; Acts 27:34
48. Matthew 10:32 : Luke 12:8, 9
49. Matthew 10:32 : Ps. 119:46; Luke 12:8; [Rom. 10:9]
50. Matthew 10:32 : [Rev. 3:5]
51. Matthew 10:33 : [Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26]; 2 Tim. 2:12
52. Matthew 10:34 : Luke 12:51–53; 14:26, 27
53. Matthew 10:34 : [Luke 12:49]
54. Matthew 10:35 : Mic. 7:6; Matt. 10:21; Luke 12:53
55. Matthew 10:36 : Ps. 41:9; 55:13; John 13:18
56. Matthew 10:37 : Deut. 33:9; Luke 14:26
57. Matthew 10:38 : [Matt. 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23; 14:27]
58. Matthew 10:39 : Matt. 16:25; Mark 8:35; Luke 9:24; 17:33; John 12:25
59. Matthew 10:40 : Mark 9:41
60. Matthew 10:40 : Mark 9:37; Luke 9:48; John 12:44; Gal. 4:14
61. Matthew 10:41 : 1 Kin. 17:10; 2 Kin. 4:8
62. Matthew 10:42 : [Matt. 25:40]; Mark 9:41; Heb. 6:10

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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