Matthew 10:16-25 - Persecution Of Disciples Predicted

¹⁶ Behold, I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves; be therefore prudent as the serpents, and guileless as the doves. ¹⁷ But beware of men; for they will deliver you up to sanhedrims, and scourge you in their synagogues; ¹⁸ and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the nations. ¹⁹ But when they deliver you up, be not careful how or what ye shall speak; for it shall be given to you in that hour what ye shall speak. ²⁰ For ye are not the speakers, but the Spirit of your Father which speaks in you.

²¹ But brother shall deliver up brother to death, and father child; and children shall rise up against parents and shall put them to death; ²² and ye shall be hated of all on account of my name. But he that has endured to the end, he shall be saved. ²³ But when they persecute you in this city, flee to the other; for verily I say to you, Ye shall not have completed the cities of Israel until the Son of man be come. ²⁴ The disciple is not above his teacher, nor the bondman above his lord. ²⁵ It is sufficient for the disciple that he should become as his teacher, and the bondman as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more those of his household?

⁹ Then shall they deliver you up to tribulation, and shall kill you; and ye will be hated of all the nations for my name's sake. ¹⁰ And then will many be offended, and will deliver one another up, and hate one another; ¹¹ and many false prophets shall arise and shall mislead many; ¹² and because lawlessness shall prevail, the love of the most shall grow cold; ¹³ but he that has endured to the end, he shall be saved. ¹⁴ And these glad tidings of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole habitable earth, for a witness to all the nations, and then shall come the end.

⁹ But ye, take heed to yourselves, for they shall deliver you up to sanhedrims and to synagogues: ye shall be beaten and brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them; ¹⁰ and the gospel must first be preached to all the nations. ¹¹ But when they shall lead you away to deliver you up, be not careful beforehand as to what ye shall say, nor prepare your discourse: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak; for ye are not the speakers, but the Holy Spirit. ¹² But brother shall deliver up brother to death, and father child; and children shall rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death. ¹³ And ye will be hated of all on account of my name; but he that has endured to the end, he shall be saved.

¹² But before all these things they shall lay their hands upon you and persecute you, delivering you up to synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors on account of my name; ¹³ but it shall turn out to you for a testimony. ¹⁴ Settle therefore in your hearts not to meditate beforehand your defence, ¹⁵ for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your opposers shall not be able to reply to or resist. ¹⁶ But ye will be delivered up even by parents and brethren and relations and friends, and they shall put to death some from among you, ¹⁷ and ye will be hated of all for my name's sake. ¹⁸ And a hair of your head shall in no wise perish. ¹⁹ By your patient endurance gain your souls.

¹ These things I have spoken unto you that ye may not be offended. ² They shall put you out of the synagogues; but the hour is coming that every one who kills you will think to render service to God; ³ and these things they will do because they have not known the Father nor me. ⁴ But I have spoken these things to you, that when their hour shall have come, ye may remember them, that I have said them unto you. But I did not say these things unto you from the beginning, because I was with you.