The term "the twelve" refers to the twelve men that Jesus chose to be his closest disciples, or apostles. After Judas killed himself, they were called "the eleven."
* Jesus had many other disciples, but the title "the twelve" distinguished those who followed him throughout his three-year ministry.
* The names of these twelve disciples are listed in Matthew 10, Mark 3, and Luke 6.
* Some time after Jesus had returned to heaven, "the eleven" chose a disciple named Matthias to take Judas' place. Then they were called "the twelve" again.
## Translation Suggestions: ##
* For many languages it may be more clear or more natural to add the noun and say, "the twelve apostles" or "Jesus' twelve closest disciples."
* "The eleven" could also be translated as "Jesus' eleven remaining disciples."
* Some translations may prefer to use a capital letter to show that it was used as a title, as in, "the twelve" and "the eleven."
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