^29 (A)Are two sparrows not sold for an ^[a]assarion? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. ³⁰ But ^(B)even the hairs of your head are all counted. ³¹ So do not fear; ^(C)you are more valuable than a great number of sparrows.

³² “Therefore, ^(D)everyone who ^[b]confesses Me before people, I will also confess ^[c]him before My Father who is in heaven. ³³ But ^(E)whoever denies Me before people, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.

³⁴ “^(F)Do not think that I came to ^[d]bring peace on the earth; I did not come to ^[e]bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ For I came to ^(G)turn a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; ³⁶ and ^(H)a person’s enemies will be the members of his household.

³⁷ “^(I)The one who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and the one who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. ³⁸ And ^(J)the one who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. ^39 (K)The one who has found his ^[f]life will lose it, and the one who has lost his ^[g]life on My account will find it.

The Reward for Service

⁴⁰ “^(L)The one who ^[h]receives you ^[i]receives Me, and ^(M)the one who ^[j]receives Me ^[k]receives Him who sent Me. ^41 (N)The one who ^[l]receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and the one who ^[m]receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person shall receive a righteous person’s reward. ⁴² And ^(O)whoever gives one of these ^[n]little ones just a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”

²⁴ Consider the ^(A)ravens, that they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor ^(B)barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds!