1 Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them power to throw out evil spirits, and to heal all kinds of diseases and sicknesses. 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (also called Peter), Andrew his brother, James the son of Zebedee, John his brother, 3 Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew the tax collector, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddeus, 4 Simon the revolutionary, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus. 5 Jesus sent out these Twelve, telling them, “Don't go to the foreigners, or to any Samaritan city. 6 You are to go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 Wherever you go, tell the people, ‘The kingdom of heaven has arrived.’ 8 Heal those who are sick. Resurrect the dead. Cure the lepers. Drive out demons. You received freely, so give freely! 9 Don't carry any gold, silver, or copper coins in your pockets, 10 or a bag for your journey, or two cloaks, or sandals, or a walking stick, for a worker deserves to be supported. 11 Wherever you go, whatever town or village, ask for someone who lives according to good principles, and remain there until you leave. 12 When you enter the house, give it your blessing. 13 If the home deserves it, let your peace rest on it, but if it doesn't deserve it, let your peace return to you. 14 If someone doesn't welcome you, and refuses to listen to what you have to say, then leave that house or that town, shaking its dust off your feet as you go. 15 I tell you the truth, it will be better for Sodom and Gomorrah at the Day of Judgment than for that town! 16 Look, I'm sending you out like sheep among wolves. So be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves. 17 Watch out for those who will hand you over to be tried by town councils and will whip you in their synagogues. 18 You will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, to witness to them and to the foreigners. 19 But when they put you on trial, don't worry about how you should speak or what you should say, because you'll be told what to say at the right time. 20 For it isn't you who will speak but the Spirit of the Father will speak through you. 21 Brother will betray brother and have him killed, and a father will do the same to his child. Children will rebel against their parents, and have them put to death. 22 Everyone will hate you because you follow me, but those who endure until the end will be saved. 23 When you're persecuted in one town, run away to the next. I'm telling the truth: you won't finish going to the towns of Israel before the Son of man comes. 24 Disciples are not more important than their teacher; servants are not more important than their master. 25 Disciples should be satisfied to become like their teacher, and servants like their master. If the head of the house has been called the head demon Beelzebub, then the members of his household will be demonized even more! 26 So don't be frightened of them, for there's nothing covered that won't be exposed, and nothing hidden that won't be made known. 27 What I tell you here in the dark, declare when it's light, and what you hear whispered in your ear, shout from the rooftops. 28 Don't be afraid of those who can kill you physically, but can't kill you spiritually. Instead, be afraid of the one who can destroy you physically and spiritually in Gehenna. 29 Aren't two sparrows sold for just one penny? But not a single one of them falls to the ground without your Father knowing about it. 30 Even the hairs on your head have all been counted. 31 So don't worry—you're worth more than many sparrows! 32 Anyone who publicly declares their commitment to me, I will also declare my commitment to them before my Father in heaven. 33 But anyone who publicly denies me, I will also deny before my Father in heaven. 34 Don't think I've come to bring peace on earth. I haven't come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 I've come ‘to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 Your enemies will be those of your own family!’ 37 If you love your father or mother more than me you don't deserve to be mine, and if you love your son or daughter more than me you don't deserve to be mine. 38 If you don't pick up your cross and follow me you don't deserve to be mine. 39 If you try to save your life, you will lose it, but if you lose your life because of me you will save it. 40 Those who welcome you welcome me, and those who welcome me welcome the one that sent me. 41 Those who welcome a prophet because that's what they are, will receive the same reward as a prophet. Those who welcome someone who does right will receive the same reward as someone who does right. 42 I tell you the truth, those who give a drink of cool water to the least important of my disciples will definitely not miss out on their reward.”
Matthew 10 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Alphaeus
Named as father of James, one of the Twelve (Matthew 10:3), and as the father of Levi the tax collector (Mark 2:14); the text does not say whether these are two different men…
Cited in the guide: Matthew 10:3; Mark 2:14; Mark 3:18
Andrew
Simon Peter's brother, a disciple of John the Baptist who first followed Jesus and brought Peter to him, from Bethsaida, and one of the Twelve.
Cited in the guide: Matthew 10:2; Mark 3:18; John 1:40
Bartholomew
Listed among the Twelve after Philip in Matthew 10:3, Mark 3:18 and Luke 6:14; the Gospels say nothing more of him by that name.
Cited in the guide: Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14
James
One of the Twelve, named son of Alphaeus in every list of the apostles.
Cited in the guide: Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15
James
A fisherman called by Jesus together with his brother John, one of the Twelve, to whom Jesus gave the name Boanerges, 'Sons of Thunder'.
Cited in the guide: Matthew 4:21; Matthew 10:2; Mark 3:17
John
A fisherman called together with his brother James, one of the Twelve, to whom Jesus gave the name Boanerges, 'Sons of Thunder'.
Cited in the guide: Matthew 4:21; Matthew 10:2; Mark 3:17
Judas Iscariot
One of the Twelve, son of Simon Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus.
Cited in the guide: Matthew 10:4; Mark 3:19; Luke 6:16
Matthew
A tax collector sitting at the tax booth whom Jesus told 'Follow Me'; Matthew calls him Matthew, while Mark and Luke tell the same call and name him Levi, and Mark 2:14 calls Levi…
Cited in the guide: Matthew 9:9; Matthew 10:3; Mark 2:14
Peter
Simon, whom Jesus named Peter (Cephas), a fisherman from Bethsaida and the first listed of the Twelve, who confessed Jesus as Christ, denied him three times, and was told to feed…
Cited in the guide: Matthew 10:2; Matthew 16:17; Mark 3:16
Philip
Found by Jesus and told 'Follow Me', from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter, who brought Nathanael to Jesus and is listed among the Twelve.
Cited in the guide: Matthew 10:3; John 1:43; John 1:44
Thomas
One of the Twelve, called Didymus, who said 'Let us also go, so that we may die with Him', was absent when Jesus first appeared, and was among those who fished with the disciples…
Cited in the guide: Matthew 10:3; John 11:16; John 20:24
Cross references (42)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Luke 9:1–6; Mark 3:13–15; Mark 6:7–13; Luke 10:19; Mark 16:17–18
- 2 Acts 1:13; Matthew 4:21; John 6:8; Matthew 4:18; Luke 5:10
- 3 Acts 1:13; Mark 3:18; Matthew 9:9; John 1:43–46; Mark 2:14
- 4 Matthew 26:14; John 6:71; Mark 14:43; John 13:2; Matthew 26:47
- 5 John 4:9; Acts 22:21–23; 2 Kings 17:24–41; Romans 15:8–9; 1 Thessalonians 2:16
- 6 Jeremiah 50:6; Ezekiel 34:6; Isaiah 53:6; 1 Peter 2:25; Acts 13:46
- 7 Acts 28:31; Matthew 3:2; Matthew 4:17; Luke 9:60; Luke 16:16
- 8 Acts 3:6; Luke 10:9; Acts 4:30; Matthew 10:1; Acts 20:33–35
- 9 Luke 22:35; Luke 9:3–5; Mark 6:8–11; Luke 10:4–12; 1 Corinthians 9:7–27
- 10 1 Timothy 5:17–18; Luke 10:7–12; 1 Corinthians 9:4–14; Galatians 6:6–7; Luke 3:11
- 11 Luke 10:7–8; Acts 18:1–3; 1 Kings 17:9–24; Job 31:32; Luke 10:38–42
- 12 Luke 10:5–6; 1 Samuel 25:6; 2 Corinthians 5:20; Acts 10:36; 3 John 14
- 13 Luke 10:6; Psalm 35:13; 2 Corinthians 2:16
- 14 Luke 10:10–11; Acts 18:6; Nehemiah 5:13; Acts 13:51; Mark 6:11
- 15 John 15:22–24; 2 Peter 2:6; Matthew 11:22–24; Luke 10:11–12; Ezekiel 16:48–56
- 16 Philippians 2:15; Luke 10:3; 1 Corinthians 14:20; Colossians 4:5; Ephesians 5:15–17
- 17 Mark 13:9; Matthew 23:34; Luke 12:11; Matthew 5:22; Acts 26:11
- 18 Acts 5:25–27; Psalm 2:1–6; Matthew 8:4; Acts 24:1–26; Mark 13:9
- 19 Exodus 4:12; Mark 13:11–13; 2 Timothy 4:17; Luke 12:11; Luke 21:12–17
- 20 Luke 21:15; Acts 6:10; 2 Samuel 23:2; Luke 12:12; 2 Peter 1:21
- 21 Luke 21:16–17; Micah 7:5–6; Mark 13:12–13; Matthew 24:10; Luke 12:51–53
- 22 Matthew 24:13; James 1:12; Revelation 2:10; Mark 13:13; Matthew 10:39
- 23 Matthew 16:28; John 11:53–54; Mark 13:26; Acts 17:10; Acts 8:1
- 24 John 15:20; Luke 6:40; John 13:16; Hebrews 12:2–4; 2 Samuel 11:11
- 25 Luke 11:15; Matthew 9:34; Matthew 12:24; John 7:20; Mark 3:22
- 26 Luke 8:17; Mark 4:22; Jeremiah 1:8; 1 Corinthians 4:5; Isaiah 43:1–2
- 27 Acts 5:20; John 16:13; John 16:1; Proverbs 1:20–23; Luke 8:10
- 28 Luke 12:4–5; Isaiah 8:12–13; Revelation 2:10; James 4:12; Romans 8:35–39
- 29 Luke 12:6–7; Psalm 104:27–30
- 30 Luke 12:7; 1 Samuel 14:45; Acts 27:34; Luke 21:18; 2 Samuel 14:11
- 31 Luke 12:24; Psalm 8:5; Matthew 6:26; Matthew 12:11–12; 1 Corinthians 9:9–10
- 32 Revelation 3:5; Luke 12:8–9; Romans 10:9–10; 1 John 4:15; 2 Timothy 1:8
- 33 2 Timothy 2:12; Luke 9:26; Luke 12:9; 1 John 2:23; 2 Peter 2:1
- 34 Luke 12:49–53; Acts 14:4; Acts 13:45–50; Acts 14:2; John 7:40–52
- 35 Micah 7:5–6; Matthew 10:21; Luke 21:16; Matthew 24:10; Mark 13:12
- 36 Micah 7:6; Jeremiah 12:6; Psalm 41:9; Genesis 4:8–10; Job 19:13–19
- 37 Luke 14:26; Matthew 22:37; Philippians 3:7–9; 2 Corinthians 5:14–15; Deuteronomy 33:9
- 38 Luke 14:27; Mark 8:34; Matthew 16:24; Luke 9:23–24; John 19:17
- 39 John 12:25; Mark 8:35–36; Luke 17:33; Matthew 16:25–26; Luke 9:24
- 40 John 13:20; Luke 9:48; Luke 10:16; Matthew 18:5; Matthew 25:40
- 41 3 John 5–8; Hebrews 6:10; 2 Kings 4:16–17; 2 Kings 4:8–10; Luke 14:13–14
- 42 Hebrews 6:10; Matthew 25:40; Mark 9:41–42; 2 Corinthians 9:6–15; Matthew 18:10
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
When the Holy Gospel was read, Brethren, ye heard how our Lord Jesus Christ strengthened His Martyrs by His teaching, saying, "Behold, I send you forth as lambs in the midst of wolves." Now consider, my Brethren, what he does.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
Having made them feel confident about their necessary food, and opened unto them all men's houses, and having invested their entrance with an appearance to attract veneration, charging them not to come in as wanderers, and beggars, but as much more venerable than those who received them (for this He signifies by His saying, "the workman is worthy of his …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
… our Master Jesus Christ said, that "what is impossible with men is possible with God," and, "Fear not them that kill you, and after that can do no more; but fear Him who after death is able to cast both soul and body into hell." And hell is a place where those are to be punished who have lived wickedly, …
"For there is nothing hidden which shall not be revealed, nor secret that shall not be made known."
But Thou, by whom the very hairs of our heads are numbered, didst use for my good the error of all who pressed me to learn; and my own error in willing not to learn, didst Thou make use of for my punishment--of which I, being so small a boy and so great a sinner, was not unworthy.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)