The Twelve Apostles (Mark 3:13–19; Luke 6:12–16)
1 UDB Jesus told his twelve disciples to come to him. Then he gave them the power to drive out evil spirits that controlled people. He also enabled them to heal people who had all kinds of diseases or who were sick in all kinds of ways. BSB BSB: And 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.
2 UDB Here is a list of the twelve disciples, whom he called apostles. They were 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; BSB BSB: These are the names of the twelve apostles: first Simon, called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
3 UDB Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; Matthew, the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus; Thaddaeus; BSB BSB: Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;
4 UDB Simon the Zealot; and Judas Iscariot, who was disloyal to Jesus and pointed him out to the authorities so they could arrest him. BSB BSB: Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus.
The Ministry of the Twelve (Mark 6:7–13; Luke 9:1–6)
6 UDB Instead, go to the people of Israel; they are like sheep who have strayed away from their shepherd. BSB BSB: Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.
7 UDB When you go to them, proclaim to them that God will soon rule from heaven. BSB BSB: As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’
8 UDB Heal sick people, cause dead people to become alive, heal people with leprosy and bring them back into society, and cause demons to leave those whom they control. Do not charge any money for helping people, because God did not charge you anything for helping you. BSB BSB: Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
9 UDB Do not take any money with you, BSB BSB: Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts.
10 UDB nor a bag for what belongs to you. Do not take an extra tunic, 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 from the people to whom you go. BSB BSB: Take no bag for the road, or second tunic, or sandals, or staff; for the worker is worthy of his provisions.
11 UDB In any town or village that you enter, find a person who wants you to stay in his home. BSB BSB: Whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy there and stay at his house until you move on.
12 UDB As you go into that house, call upon God to do good to the people who live there. Stay in that home until you leave that town or village. BSB BSB: As you enter the home, greet its occupants.
13 UDB If the people who live in that house receive you well, God will indeed do good to them. But if they do not receive you well, then your prayer will not help them, and God will not do good to them. BSB BSB: If the home is worthy, let your peace rest on it, but if it is not, let your peace return to you.
14 UDB If the people who live in any house or town do not welcome you nor listen to your message, leave that place. As you leave, shake off the dust from your feet. By doing that, you will warn them that God will reject them as they rejected what you said. BSB BSB: And if anyone will not welcome you or heed your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town.
15 UDB Note this carefully: At the time when God judges all people, he will punish the wicked people who lived in Sodom and Gomorrah. But if the people of any city reject you, God will punish them even more severely. BSB BSB: Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
Sheep among Wolves (2 Timothy 1:3–12)
16 UDB "Take note: When I send you out, you will be as defenseless as sheep among people who are as dangerous as wolves. So be careful like snakes are careful and be harmless to them like doves are harmless. BSB BSB: Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
17 UDB Also, be on guard against such people because they will arrest you and take you to the members of the governing councils to put you on trial. They will whip you in their synagogues. BSB BSB: But beware of men, for they will hand you over to their councils and flog you in their synagogues.
18 UDB And because you belong to me, they will take you before governors and kings in order that they may put you on trial and punish you. But you will testify to those rulers and to other Gentiles about me. BSB BSB: On My account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.
19 UDB When those people arrest you, do not be worried about what you will say to them, because the words that you should say will come to you. BSB BSB: But 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.
20 UDB 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. BSB BSB: For it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
21 UDB They will take you to the authorities to die because you believe in me. For example, people will do that to their brothers, and fathers will do that to their children. Children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed. BSB BSB: Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rise against their parents and have them put to death.
22 UDB Many people will hate you because you trust in me. But anyone who faithfully trusts in me until they die, God will save that person. BSB BSB: You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.
23 UDB When people in one city cause you to suffer, escape to another city. Note this: I, the Son of Man, will certainly return to earth before you have finished going from one town to another town throughout Israel and telling people about me. BSB BSB: When 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.
24 UDB "A disciple should not expect to be greater than his teacher, and servants are not superior to their master. BSB BSB: A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.
25 UDB You do not expect that people will treat a student 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. I am like the ruler of a household, whom they call Satan. If they act that badly toward me, how do you think they will act toward you? BSB BSB: It 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!
Fear God Alone (Luke 12:4–7)
26 UDB "Do not be afraid of those people. Everything that is covered up will be uncovered, and every secret will be made known. BSB BSB: So 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.
27 UDB So, instead of being afraid, what I say to you secretly as people do at night, tell it publicly as people do during the daytime. What I say to you privately as people do when they whisper to you, proclaim it publicly. BSB BSB: What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops.
30 UDB He knows everything about you, too. He even knows how many hairs you have on your head! BSB BSB: And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31 UDB God values you much more than he values sparrows. So, do not be afraid of people who threaten to kill you! BSB BSB: So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Confessing Christ (Luke 12:8–12)
33 UDB But if they are afraid to say in front of others that they belong to me, I will tell my Father who is in heaven that they are not mine. BSB BSB: But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in heaven.
Not Peace but a Sword (Micah 7:1–6; Luke 12:49–53)
35 UDB Because I came to earth, people who do not believe in me will be against 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. BSB BSB: For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
36 UDB This shows that sometimes a person's enemies will be members of his own household. BSB BSB: A man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
39 UDB People who deny that they believe in me in order to escape dying will not live with God eternally, but people who are willing to lose their lives because they trust in me will live with God eternally. BSB BSB: Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
The Reward of Service (2 Kings 4:8–17)
40 UDB "God considers that everyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and he considers that everyone who welcomes me welcomes him, the one who sent me. BSB BSB: He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives the One who sent Me.
41 UDB Those who welcome someone because 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 they know that person is righteous—they will receive the reward that righteous people receive from God. BSB BSB: Whoever 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.
42 UDB Note this: Suppose people see that you are thirsty and give you a drink of cold water because they know that you are one of my disciples, even if you are not an important person at all. God will certainly reward people who do that." BSB BSB: And 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.”