Matthew 10:17-39

17Be careful! People will be against you. They will take you to stand in front of their leaders. They will punish you with whips in their meeting places.

18They will take you to stand in front of kings and rulers. All this will happen because you are my disciples. You will tell all these important people and also the Gentiles the good news about me.

19When they take you to stand in front of their leaders, do not be afraid. Do not worry about what you should say or how you should say it. At that time, God will give you the right words to speak.

20You will not be speaking your own words. The Holy Spirit of your Father God will give you his own words to say.

21At that time, a man will let people kill his own brother. A father will let people kill his own child. Children will be against their parents. They will even ask people to kill their parents.

22All people will hate you because you are my disciples. But God will save the person who remains strong until the end.

23If people in any town hurt you because of me, you should leave that town immediately. Go to another town. I tell you this: You will not have enough time to speak your message in all the towns of Israel. I, the Son of Man, will return before that can happen.

24A student is not more important than his teacher is. A servant is not more important than his master is.

25A student should be happy if he becomes like his teacher. A servant should be happy if he becomes like his master. People have called me, the master of the house, Beelzebul. You are like those people who live in my house. So do not be surprised when people call you even worse names than they call me.

26So do not be afraid of these people. They hide the things that they do. But there will be a time when other people will see those things. Everyone will know all their secrets.

27I tell you things secretly, like people do in the dark. But you must tell people these things clearly in the light of day. I have said things very quietly into your ears. But now you must shout those things loudly from the tops of the houses.

28Do not be afraid of those people who can kill only your body. These people cannot kill your soul. No, it is God that you should be afraid of. He can kill your body, and then he can also destroy your soul in hell.

29Think about this. People sell two birds for just one small coin. But God takes care of these little birds. Not one of them can fall to the ground unless God lets it happen.

30God even knows how many hairs there are on your head.

31So do not be afraid of those people who are against you. You are more valuable to God than many little birds.

32You should say clearly to other people, “I believe in Jesus.” If you do that, I will say to my Father in heaven, “This is someone who is my disciple.”

33But if you say to other people, “I do not believe in Jesus,” I will then say to my Father in heaven, “I do not know that person. He is not one of my disciples.”

34I will tell you why I have come into the world. I did not come so that everyone would agree with each other. No, I came to put people against one another, to fight against each other.

35A man will fight against his father. A daughter will fight against her mother. A woman will fight against her husband's mother.

36A man's own family will fight against him.

37Nobody should love his own father and mother more than he loves me. If he does, he cannot be my disciple. Nobody should love his own son or daughter more than he loves me. If he does, then he cannot be my disciple.

38If you really want to be one of my disciples, you must be ready to die for me. Live like a person who carries his own cross to go and die.

39Whoever wants to keep his life safe will lose it. But whoever gives his life to serve me will have true life.’