Study Desk

Jesus ^(a)summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to ^(b)heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

^(c)Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, ^(d)Simon, who is called Peter, and ^(e)Andrew his brother; and ^[a](f)James the son of Zebedee, and ^[b]John his brother;

^(g)Philip and ^[c]Bartholomew; ^(h)Thomas and ⁽ⁱ⁾Matthew the tax collector; ^[d](j)James the son of Alphaeus, and ^(k)Thaddaeus;

Simon the ^[e]Zealot, and ^(l)Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him.

^(m)These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: "Do not ^[f]go ^[g]in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the ⁽ⁿ⁾Samaritans;

but rather go to ^(o)the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

And as you go, ^[h]preach, saying, ‘^(p)The kingdom of heaven ^[i]is at hand.'

Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.

^(q)Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts,

or a ^[j]bag for your journey, or even two ^[k]coats, or sandals, or a staff; for ^(r)the worker is worthy of his ^[l]support.

And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay ^[m]at his house until you leave that city.

As you enter the ^[n]house, ^(s)give it your ^[o]greeting.

If the house is worthy, ^[p]give it your blessing of peace. But if it is not worthy, ^[q]take back your blessing of peace.

Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, ^(t)shake the dust off your feet.

Truly I say to you, ^(u)it will be more tolerable for the land of ^(v)Sodom and Gomorrah in ^(w)the day of judgment than for that city.

"^(x)Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so ^[r]be ^(y)shrewd as serpents and ^(z)innocent as doves.

But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the ^(aa)courts and scourge you ^(ab)in their synagogues;

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

^(ac)But when they hand you over, ^(ad)do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say.

For ^(ae)it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

"^(af)Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and ^(ag)children will rise up against parents and ^[s]cause them to be put to death.

^(ah)You will be hated by all because of My name, but ^(ai)it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.

"But whenever they ^(aj)persecute you in ^[t]one city, flee to ^[u]the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel ^(ak)until the Son of Man comes.

"^(al)A ^[v]disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master.

It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. ^(am)If they have called the head of the house ^[w](an)Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!

"Therefore do not ^(ao)fear them, ^(ap)for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.

^(aq)What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim ^(ar)upon the housetops.

Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather ^(as)fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in ^[x](at)hell.

^(au)Are not two sparrows sold for a ^[y]cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.

But ^(av)the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

So do not fear; ^(aw)you are more valuable than many sparrows.

"Therefore ^(ax)everyone who ^[z]confesses Me before men, I will also confess ^[aa]him before My Father who is in heaven.

But ^(ay)whoever ^[ab]denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.

"^(az)Do not think that I came to ^[ac]bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.

For I came to ^(ba) set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law ;

and ^(bb) a man's enemies will be the members of his household .

"^(bc)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.

And ^(bd)he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

^(be)He who has found his ^[ad]life will lose it, and he who has lost his ^[ae]life for My sake will find it.

"^(bf)He who receives you receives Me, and ^(bg)he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.

^(bh)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.

And ^(bi)whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these ^[af]little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward."