1. He departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples.
2. When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!
3. Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.
4. Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.”
5. So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them.
6. He was amazed at their lack of faith. He went around to the villages in the vicinity teaching.
7. He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits.
8. He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick—no food, no sack, no money in their belts.
9. They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic.
10. He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there.
11. Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them.”
12. So they went off and preached repentance.
13. They drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
14. King Herod heard about it, for his fame had become widespread, and people were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him.”
15. Others were saying, “He is Elijah”; still others, “He is a prophet like any of the prophets.”
16. But when Herod learned of it, he said, “It is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised up.”
17. Herod was the one who had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married.
18. John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”