Matthew 10:16-25 - Persecution Of Disciples Predicted

¹⁶ Lo! I send you forth as sheep into the midst of wolves. Be therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. ¹⁷ But beware of men. For they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; ¹⁸ and ye will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, that ye may bear testimony to them and to the gentiles. ¹⁹ But when they deliver you up, be not anxious as to how or What ye shall speak; for it will be given you in that hour what ye shall speak. ²⁰ For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you.

²¹ And brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child; and children will rise up against their parent, and put them to death; ²² and ye will be hated by all on account of my name. But he that endureth to the end will be saved. ²³ And when they persecute you in one city, flee to another. For truly do I say to you, Ye will not have gone over the cities of Israel till the Son of man hath come. ²⁴ A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his lord. ²⁵ It is enough for the disciple to be as his teacher, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they so call those of his household!

⁹ Then will they deliver you up to distress, and will kill you; and ye will be hated by all nations on account of my name. ¹⁰ And then will many fall away; and will deliver up one another, and will hate one another. ¹¹ And many false prophets will arise, and will deceive many. ¹² And because iniquity shall abound, the love of the many will wax cold. ¹³ But he that endureth to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ And these glad tidings of the kingdom will be published throughout the whole world for a testimony to all the nations; and then will come the end.

⁹ But do ye take heed to yourselves; they will deliver you up to councils, and ye will be taken into synagogues and beaten; and ye will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them. ¹⁰ And the glad tidings must first be published to all the nations. ¹¹ And when they lead you away to deliver you up, be not anxious beforehand as to what ye shall speak; but whatever shall be given you in that hour, that speak; for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Spirit. ¹² And brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child; and children will rise up against parents, and put them to death. ¹³ And ye will be hated by all on account of my name. But he that endureth to the end will be saved.

¹² But before all these things they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to synagogues, and into prisons, and bringing you before kings and governors on account of my name. ¹³ It will turn out to you an opportunity for bearing testimony. ¹⁴ Settle it therefore in your hearts not to meditate l beforehand what ye shall answer. ¹⁵ For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries will not be able to withstand or gainsay. ¹⁶ And ye will be delivered up both by parents and brothers and kinsmen and friends; and some of you will they put to death. ¹⁷ And ye will be hated by all on account of my name. ¹⁸ But not a hair of your head will be lost. ¹⁹ By your constancy secure your lives.

¹ These things have I spoken to you, that ye may not fall away. ² They will put you out of the synagogues; yea, the hour is coming when every one that killeth you will think that he is offering sacrifice to God. ³ And these things will they do, because they neither know the Father nor me. ⁴ But I have spoken these things to you, that, when the time cometh, ye may remember that I myself told you of them. But these things I told you not at the beginning, because I was with you.