Matthew 10
1 And having called to him his twelve disciples, he gave to them power over unclean spirits, so as to be casting them out, and to be healing every sickness, and every malady.
He told [us] twelve disciples to come to him. Then he gave us the power/authority to expel evil spirits [that controlled people]. He also enabled [us] to heal all people who had diseases or who were sick.
2 And of the twelve apostles the names are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James of Zebedee, and John his brother;
[Here is a list of us] twelve [disciples whom he called] apostles ([which means ‘messengers’]): Simon, [to whom he gave the new name] Peter; Andrew, Peter’s [younger] brother; James, the son of Zebedee; John, the [younger] brother of James;
3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the tax-gatherer; James of Alpheus, and Lebbeus who was surnamed Thaddeus;
Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; me, Matthew, the tax collector; James, the [son] of Alpheus; Thaddeus;
4 Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who did also deliver him up.
Simon, a member of the party [that wanted to overthrow the Roman government; ] and Judas Iscariot (OR, Judas, the man from Kerioth [Town]), who [later] enabled [the Jewish leaders] to seize Jesus.
5 These twelve did Jesus send forth, having given command to them, saying, 'To the way of the nations go not away, and into a city of the Samaritans go not in,
When Jesus was [about to] send [us] twelve [apostles to tell his message to people in various places], he gave [us] these instructions: “Do not go where the non-Jews live [MTY] or into the towns [where the] Samaritans live, [because they hate you].
6 and be going rather unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Instead, go to the people of Israel [SYN] who have [gone away from God like] sheep that have gotten lost [MET].
7 'And, going on, proclaim saying that, the reign of the heavens hath come nigh;
When you go [to them], proclaim to them that God [EUP/MTY] will soon begin to rule over people.
8 infirm ones be healing, lepers be cleansing, dead be raising, demons be casting out — freely ye did receive, freely give.
Heal sick people, cause dead people to become alive, heal people who have leprosy, and cause demons to leave people [who are controlled by them] {[whom demons control]}. Do not charge money [for helping people, because God] did not charge you anything [for helping you].
9 'Provide not gold, nor silver, nor brass in your girdles,
Do not take any money with you [MTY], nor a knapsack. Do not take an extra shirt, nor sandals [in addition to what you are wearing], nor a walking stick. Every worker deserves to get pay [from the people for whom he works], [so you deserve to receive food and a place to stay from the people to whom you go].
10 nor scrip for the way, nor two coats, nor sandals, nor staff — for the workman is worthy of his nourishment.
11 'And into whatever city or village ye may enter, inquire ye who in it is worthy, and there abide, till ye may go forth.
In whatever town or village you enter, find out which person is worthy [that you should stay in his home]. And as you go into that house, [ask God to] bless the people [who live there] [MTY]. Stay in that home until you leave [that town or village].
12 And coming to the house salute it,
13 and if indeed the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it; and if it be not worthy, let your peace turn back to you.
If the people who live in [MTY] that house are worthy [of being blessed] {[God blessing them]}, [God] will bless them. If the people who live in that house are not worthy [of being blessed] {[of God blessing them]}, [God] will bless you [instead of blessing them].
14 'And whoever may not receive you nor hear your words, coming forth from that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet,
If the people [who live in any house or town] do not welcome you [to their home or town], nor listen to your message, leave that house or town. And as you leave, shake off the dust from your feet. [By doing that, you will warn them that God will punish them for rejecting your message].
15 verily I say to you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.
Note this carefully: [At the time when God] judges [all people, he] will punish [the people who lived in] Sodom and Gomorrah [MTY], [the ancient cities which God destroyed because their people were extremely wicked]. But in any town where the people [MTY] refuse to hear your message, God will punish them even more severely.”
16 'Lo, I do send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves, be ye therefore wise as the serpents, and simple as the doves.
“Take note: After I send you out, [you will be as defenseless] as sheep [MET] in the midst of [people who are as dangerous as] wolves. So you should wisely [stay away from such people, like you stay away from poisonous] snakes [SIM]. You should be as harmless as doves are [SIM].
17 And, take ye heed of men, for they will give you up to sanhedrims, and in their synagogues they will scourge you,
Also, be on guard against [our religious leaders]. They will arrest you and take you to the members of the religious councils [to put you on trial and punish you because you are my disciples]. You will be whipped {The local leaders will whip you} [in] their meeting places.
18 and before governors and kings ye shall be brought for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the nations.
[And] because [you teach] about me, you will be taken {[the religious leaders] will take you} to governors and kings [in order that they may put you on trial and punish you]. As a result, you will testify to those rulers and to [other] non-Jews [about what I have done].
19 'And whenever they may deliver you up, be not anxious how or what ye may speak, for it shall be given you in that hour what ye shall speak;
When [the religious leaders] arrest you, do not be worried about what you will say [to them], because at that very time [the] Holy Spirit will tell you the words that you should say.
20 for ye are not the speakers, but the Spirit of your Father that is speaking in you.
It is not that you [will decide what to] say. Instead, you will say what the Spirit of your [heavenly] Father tells [you to say].
21 'And brother shall deliver up brother to death, and father child, and children shall rise up against parents, and shall put them to death,
[You will be taken] {[People who do not believe in me will] take you} to the authorities to be killed [because you believe in me. For example], people will betray their brothers, and fathers will betray their children. Children will rebel against their parents and cause [them] to be killed.
22 and ye shall be hated by all because of my name, but he who hath endured to the end, he shall be saved.
Many people will hate you [because you believe in me]. Nevertheless, [many people] will keep on believing in me until they die. They are the people whom [God] will take to live with him.
23 'And whenever they may persecute you in this city, flee to the other, for verily I say to you, ye may not have completed the cities of Israel till the Son of Man may come.
When people in one town cause you to suffer, escape to another town [and tell the people there about me]. Note this: [I], the one who came down from heaven, will certainly return [to earth] before you have finished going from one town to another town throughout Israel [and telling people about me].
24 'A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his lord;
A disciple should not [expect to be] greater than his teacher, and servants [are not] superior to their master.
25 sufficient to the disciple that he may be as his teacher, and the servant as his lord; if the master of the house they did call Beelzeboul, how much more those of his household?
You do not [expect that] people will [treat] a disciple better than [they treat] his teacher, or that [they will treat] a servant [better than they treat] his master. [Similarly, because I am your teacher and master, you can expect that people will mistreat you, because they have mistreated me]. The most you can expect is that people [will treat you like they treat me. I am like] the ruler of a household [MET]. But people [have insulted me by] calling [me] Beelzebub, [the ruler of the demons]. So they [will] certainly [insult you more, you who are only like] members of my household [MET]!”
26 'Ye may not, therefore, fear them, for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed, and hid, that shall not be known;
“Do not be afraid of [people who insult you and do evil things to you. God wants] everything that is unknown now to be revealed {[God wants you to] reveal everything [that is unknown now]}. [He does] not [want his truth] to remain hidden [MET] and kept secret [DOU].
27 that which I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light, and that which you hear at the ear, proclaim on the house-tops.
[So, instead of being afraid], what I say to you [secretly as people do] at night [MTY], tell [publicly as people do] during the daytime [MTY]. What I [say to you privately as people do when they] whisper to you [MTY], proclaim publicly [MTY, DOU].
28 'And be not afraid of those killing the body, and are not able to kill the soul, but fear rather Him who is able both soul and body to destroy in gehenna. (Geenna g1067)
Do not be afraid of people who [are able to] kill your body [SYN] but are not able to destroy your soul. Instead, fear [God because] he is able to destroy both a [person’s] body and a [person’s] soul in hell. (Geenna g1067)
29 'Are not two sparrows sold for an assar? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father;
[Think about the] sparrows. [They have so little value] that [you] can buy cares two of them for [only] one small coin [RHQ]. But when [any] sparrow falls to the ground [and dies] [LIT], [God], your [heavenly] Father, knows it, [because he cares about everything].
30 and of you — even the hairs of the head are all numbered;
[He cares about you, too]. He even knows how many hairs you have on your head!
31 be not therefore afraid, than many sparrows ye are better.
[God] values you much more than he values sparrows [LIT]. So, do not be afraid [of people who threaten to kill you]
32 'Every one, therefore, who shall confess in me before men, I also will confess in him before my Father who is in the heavens;
If people, [without being afraid, are willing to] tell others [that they are my disciples], I will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven [that they are my disciples].
33 and whoever shall deny me before men, I also will deny him before my Father who is in the heavens.
But if they are afraid to say in front of others that they are my [disciples], I will tell my Father, who is in heaven, [that] they are not [my disciples].”
34 'Ye may not suppose that I came to put peace on the earth; I did not come to put peace, but a sword;
“Do not think that I came to earth to cause [people] to live together harmoniously. The result of my coming is that [some of those who follow me] [MTY] will be killed.
35 for I came to set a man at variance against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law,
Because I came [to earth, people who do not believe in me] will oppose [those who do believe in me. For example], some sons will oppose their fathers, some daughters will oppose their mothers, and some daughters-in-law will oppose their mothers-in-law.
36 and the enemies of a man are those of his household.
[This shows that sometimes] a person’s enemies will be members of his own household.
37 'He who is loving father or mother above me, is not worthy of me, and he who is loving son or daughter above me, is not worthy of me,
People who love their fathers or mothers more than [they love] me are not worthy to [have a relationship with me]. And people who love their sons or daughters more than [they love] me are not worthy [to belong to] me.
38 and whoever doth not receive his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me.
[People who are ready to execute a prisoner force him to] carry a cross [to the place where they will nail him to it] [MET]. Those who are not [willing to allow other people to hurt and disgrace them like that because of being my disciples] are not worthy to belong to me.
39 'He who found his life shall lose it, and he who lost his life for my sake shall find it.
People who [deny that they believe in me in order to escape being killed] will not live [with God eternally] [MET], but people who [confess that they believe in] me and, [as a result are] killed, will live [with God eternally] [MET].”
40 'He who is receiving you doth receive me, and he who is receiving me doth receive Him who sent me,
“[God considers that] everyone who welcomes you, welcomes me [SIM], and [he considers that] everyone who welcomes me welcomes [him], the one who sent me [SIM].
41 he who is receiving a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall receive a prophet's reward, and he who is receiving a righteous man in the name of a righteous man, shall receive a righteous man's reward,
Those who welcome [someone because] [MTY] [they know] that person is a prophet they will receive the [same] reward that prophets [receive from God. Likewise], those who welcome a person [because] [MTY] [they know] that person is righteous will receive the reward righteous people [receive from God].
42 and whoever may give to drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say to you, he may not lose his reward.'
[Note this: ] people [see that you are thirsty] [MTY] [and] give you a drink of cold water because they know that [MTY] you are one of my disciples. [God] will certainly reward people who do that. [They might consider that what they did] is insignificant, [but God will consider it very significant]” [LIT].
