Jesus sends out the Twelve
1Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and illness.
2These are the names of the twelve apostles:
first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew;
James son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
3Philip and Bartholomew;
Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;
James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;
4Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
5These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: ‘Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7As you go, proclaim this message: “The kingdom of heaven has come near.” 8Heal those who are ill, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,10:8 The Greek word traditionally translated leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin. drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
9‘Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts – 10no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. 11Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. 12As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. 15Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
16‘I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. 18On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
21‘Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24‘The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!
26‘So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.10:29 Or will; or knowledge 30And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
32‘Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.
34‘Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35For I have come to turn
‘ “a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law –
36a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.”10:36 Micah 7:6
37‘Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
40‘Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.’
差遣使徒
1耶穌叫了十二位門徒來，將權柄賜給他們，使他們能夠趕出污鬼、醫治各樣的疾病。 2以下是這十二位使徒的名字：
首先是西門，又名彼得，還有彼得的兄弟安得烈、西庇太的兒子雅各、雅各的兄弟約翰、 3腓力、巴多羅買、多馬、稅吏馬太、亞勒腓的兒子雅各、達太、 4激進黨人10·4 「激進黨人」指當時激進的猶太民族主義者，常以行動反抗統治他們的羅馬政府。西門和出賣耶穌的加略人猶大。
5耶穌差遣這十二個人出去，囑咐他們：「外族人的地方不要去，撒瑪利亞人的城鎮也不要進， 6要到以色列人當中尋找迷失的羊。
7「你們要邊走邊傳，『天國臨近了！』 8要醫好病人，叫死人復活，使痲瘋病人痊癒，趕走邪靈。你們白白地得來，也應當白白地給人。 9出門時錢袋裡不要帶金、銀、銅幣， 10不要帶行李、備用的衣服、鞋子或手杖，因為做工的理應得到供應。 11你們無論到哪座城、哪個村，要在那裡尋找願意接待你們的人，然後住在他家，一直住到離開。 12你們進他家的時候，要為他們祝福。 13如果那家配得福氣，你們的祝福必臨到他們；如果那家不配蒙福，祝福仍歸給你們。 14如果有人不接待你們，不聽你們傳的信息，你們離開那家或那城時，就把腳上的塵土跺掉作為對他們的警告。 15我實在告訴你們，在審判之日，他們所受的痛苦比所多瑪和蛾摩拉所受的還大！
將臨的迫害
16「聽著，我差你們出去，就好像使羊走進狼群一般。所以，你們要像蛇一樣機靈，像鴿子一樣馴良。
17「你們要小心謹慎，因為人們要把你們送上法庭，也要在會堂裡鞭打你們。 18你們要因我的緣故被帶到官長和君王面前，在他們和外族人面前為我做見證。 19當你們被押送公堂時，不用顧慮如何應對，或說什麼話，那時必會賜給你們當說的話。 20因為那時候說話的不是你們自己，乃是你們父的靈藉著你們說話。
21「那時，人必把自己的弟兄置於死地，父親必把兒子置於死地，兒女必反叛父母，置他們於死地。 22你們將為我的名而被眾人憎恨，但堅忍到底的必定得救。 23如果你們在一個地方遭迫害，就避到另一個地方。我實在告訴你們，沒等你們走遍以色列的城鎮，人子就來了。
24「學生不能高過老師，奴僕也不能大過主人。 25學生頂多和老師一樣，奴僕頂多和主人一樣。連一家之主都被罵成是別西卜10·25 「別西卜」是鬼王的名字。，更何況祂的家人呢？
26「不要害怕那些迫害你們的人。因為掩蓋的事終會暴露出來，隱藏的秘密終會被人知道。 27你們要把我私下告訴你們的當眾講出來，你們要在屋頂上把聽到的悄悄話宣告出來。 28那些只能殺害身體，不能毀滅靈魂的人，不用怕他們。但要畏懼那位有權將身體和靈魂一同毀滅在地獄裡的上帝。 29兩隻麻雀不是只賣一個銅錢嗎？然而沒有天父的許可，一隻也不會掉在地上。 30就連你們的頭髮都被數過了。 31所以不要害怕，你們比許多麻雀更貴重！
32「凡公開承認我的，我在天父面前也必承認他； 33凡公開不承認我的，我在天父面前也必不承認他。
跟從主的代價
34「不要以為我來了會讓天下太平，我並非帶來和平，乃是帶來刀劍。 35因為我來是要叫兒子與父親作對，女兒與母親作對，媳婦與婆婆作對， 36家人之間反目成仇。
37「愛父母過於愛我的人不配作我的門徒；愛兒女過於愛我的人不配作我的門徒； 38不肯背起他的十字架跟從我的人不配作我的門徒。 39試圖保全自己生命的反而會失去生命，但為我捨棄生命的反而會得到生命。
得賞賜
40「人接待你們就是接待我，接待我就是接待差我來的那位。 41因為某人是先知而接待他的，必得到和先知一樣的賞賜；因為某人是義人而接待他的，必得到和義人一樣的賞賜。 42人若接待我門徒中最卑微的人，並因為他是我的門徒而給他一杯涼水喝，我實在告訴你們，那人必得到賞賜。」
