Matthew 10:16-39

New American Standard Bible 1995

A Hard Road before Them

¹⁶ “^(A)Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so ^[a]be ^(B)shrewd as serpents and ^(C)innocent as doves. ¹⁷ But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the ^(D)courts and scourge you ^(E)in their synagogues; ¹⁸ and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. ^19 (F)But when they hand you over, ^(G)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. ²⁰ For ^(H)it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

²¹ “^(I)Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and ^(J)children will rise up against parents and ^[b]cause them to be put to death. ^22 (K)You will be hated by all because of My name, but ^(L)it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.

²³ “But whenever they ^(M)persecute you in ^[c]one city, flee to ^[d]the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel ^(N)until the Son of Man comes.

The Meaning of Discipleship

²⁴ “^(O)A ^[e]disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. ²⁵ It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. ^(P)If they have called the head of the house ^[f](Q)Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!

²⁶ “Therefore do not ^(R)fear them, ^(S)for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. ^27 (T)What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim ^(U)upon the housetops. ²⁸ Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather ^(V)fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in ^[g](W)hell. ^29 (X)Are not two sparrows sold for a ^[h]cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. ³⁰ But ^(Y)the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ So do not fear; ^(Z)you are more valuable than many sparrows.

³² “Therefore ^(AA)everyone who ^[i]confesses Me before men, I will also confess ^[j]him before My Father who is in heaven. ³³ But ^(AB)whoever ^[k]denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.

³⁴ “^(AC)Do not think that I came to ^[l]bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ For I came to ^(AD)set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; ³⁶ and ^(AE)a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.

³⁷ “^(AF)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 And ^(AG)he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. ^39 (AH)He who has found his ^[m]life will lose it, and he who has lost his ^[n]life for My sake will find it.