Matthew 10-13

1And calling His twelve disciples to Him, Jesus gave them authority over unclean spirits, so that they could drive them out and heal every disease and sickness.

2These are the names of the twelve apostles: first Simon, 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 Jesus.

5These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go onto the road of the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans.

6Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.

7As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’

8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

9Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts.

10Take no bag for the road, or second tunic, or sandals, or staff; for the worker is worthy of his provisions.

11Whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy there and stay at his house until you move on.

12As you enter the home, greet its occupants.

13If the home is worthy, let your peace rest on it, but if it is not, let your peace return to you.

14And if anyone will not welcome you or heed your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town.

15Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

16Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

17But beware of men, for they will hand you over to their councils and flog you in their synagogues.

18On My account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.

19But when they hand you over, do not worry about how to respond or what to say. In that hour you will be given what to say.

20For it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

21Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rise against their parents and have them put to death.

22You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.

23When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. Truly I tell you, you will not reach all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

24A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.

25It is enough for a disciple to be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!

26So do not be afraid of them. For there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, and nothing 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 housetops.

28Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear 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 apart from the will of your Father.

30And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

31So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

32Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father in heaven.

33But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in heaven.

34Do not assume that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have 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.’

37Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me;

38and anyone who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.

39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

40He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives the One who sent Me.

41Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward.

42And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is My disciple, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.”

1After Jesus had finished instructing His twelve disciples, He went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.

2Meanwhile John heard in prison about the works of Christ, and he sent his disciples

3to ask Him, “Are You the One who was to come, or should we look for someone else?”

4Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see:

5The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.

6Blessed is the one who does not fall away on account of Me.”

7As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind?

8Otherwise, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? Look, those who wear fine clothing are found in kings’ palaces.

9What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

10This is the one about whom it is written: ‘Behold, I will send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way before You.’

11Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

12From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subject to violence, and the violent lay claim to it.

13For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.

14And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.

15He who has ears, let him hear.

16To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:

17‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’

18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’

19The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at this glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is vindicated by her actions.”

20Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles had been performed, because they did not repent.

21“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

22But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.

23And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day.

24But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

25At that time Jesus declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.

26Yes, Father, for this was well-pleasing in Your sight.

27All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.

28Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

29Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

30For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

1At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them.

2When the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”

3Jesus replied, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?

4He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for them to eat, but only for the priests.

5Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and yet are innocent?

6But I tell you that One greater than the temple is here.

7If only you had known the meaning of ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.

8For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

9Moving on from there, Jesus entered their synagogue,

10and a man with a withered hand was there. In order to accuse Jesus, they asked Him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

11He replied, “If one of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out?

12How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

13Then Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and it was restored to full use, just like the other.

14But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.

15Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. Large crowds followed Him, and He healed them all,

16warning them not to make Him known.

17This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

18“Here is My Servant, whom I have chosen, My beloved, in whom My soul delights. I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will proclaim justice to the nations.

19He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear His voice in the streets.

20A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not extinguish, till He leads justice to victory.

21In His name the nations will put their hope.”

22Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed the man so that he could speak and see.

23The crowds were astounded and asked, “Could this be the Son of David?”

24But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “Only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, does this man drive out demons.”

25Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.

26If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand?

27And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.

28But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

29Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and steal his possessions, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.

30He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.

31Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.

32Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the one to come.

33Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is known by its fruit.

34You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.

35The good man brings good things out of his good store of treasure, and the evil man brings evil things out of his evil store of treasure.

36But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.

37For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”

39Jesus replied, “A wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

40For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

41The men of Nineveh will stand at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now One greater than Jonah is here.

42The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and now One greater than Solomon is here.

43When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it passes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it.

44Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ On its return, it finds the house vacant, swept clean, and put in order.

45Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and dwell there. And the final plight of that man is worse than the first. So will it be with this wicked generation.”

46While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, His mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to Him.

47Someone told Him, “Look, Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to You.”

48But Jesus replied, “Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?”

49Pointing to His disciples, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers.

50For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”

1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea.

2Such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat down, while all the people stood on the shore.

3And He told them many things in parables, saying, “A farmer went out to sow his seed.

4And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.

5Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow.

6But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.

7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings.

8Still other seed fell on good soil and produced a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.

9He who has ears, let him hear.”

10Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why do You speak to the people in parables?”

11He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.

12Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

13This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’

14In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

15For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’

16But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.

17For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

18Consider, then, the parable of the sower:

19When anyone hears the message of the kingdom but does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.

20The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.

21But since he has no root, he remains for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.

22The seed sown among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

23But the seed sown on good soil is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and produces a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.”

24Jesus put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.

25But while everyone was asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and slipped away.

26When the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the weeds also appeared.

27The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’

28‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. So the servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

29‘No,’ he said, ‘if you pull the weeds now, you might uproot the wheat with them.

30Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat into my barn.’”

31He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in his field.

32Although it is the smallest of all seeds, yet it grows into the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”

33He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and mixed into three measures of flour, until all of it was leavened.”

34Jesus spoke all these things to the crowds in parables. He did not tell them anything without using a parable.

35So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.”

36Then Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house. His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

37He replied, “The One who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.

38The field is the world, and the good seed represents the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,

39and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

40As the weeds are collected and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age.

41The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom every cause of sin and all who practice lawlessness.

42And they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

44The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and in his joy he went and sold all he had and bought that field.

45Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls.

46When he found one very precious pearl, he went away and sold all he had and bought it.

47Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea and caught all kinds of fish.

48When it was full, the men pulled it ashore. Then they sat down and sorted the good fish into containers, but threw the bad away.

49So will it be at the end of the age: The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous

50and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

51Have you understood all these things?” “Yes,” they answered.

52Then He told them, “For this reason, every scribe who has been discipled in the kingdom of heaven is like a homeowner who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”

53When Jesus had finished these parables, He withdrew from that place.

54Coming to His hometown, He taught the people in their synagogue, and they were astonished. “Where did this man get such wisdom and miraculous powers?” they asked.

55“Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t His mother’s name Mary, and aren’t His brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?

56Aren’t all His sisters with us as well? Where then did this man get all these things?”

57And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own household is a prophet without honor.”

58And He did not do many miracles there, because of their unbelief.