58 Bible Verses about Persecution, Forms Of

Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him; (which is the sect of the Sadducees) and were filled with indignation, And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.

For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and very many servants: And the Philistines envied him. For all the wells which his father's servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth.

And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him.

And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands; and what can he have more but the kingdom? And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.

They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the LORD.

It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty princes, who should be over the whole kingdom; And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts to them, and the king should have no damage. Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.read more.
Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.

(For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.)

But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spoke against those things which were uttered by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.

For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him: for they feared the people.

Come, let us deal wisely with them: lest they multiply, and it shall come to pass, that when there falleth out any war, they will join with our enemies, and fight against us, and depart from the land.

Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him.

When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

And the same time there arose no small stir about that way. For a certain man named Demetrius, a silver-smith, who made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain to the artificers; Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth:read more.
Moreover, ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away many people, saying, that they are no gods which are made with hands. So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at naught; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia, and the world worshipeth.

Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And why did he slay him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.

And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering to the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect to Abel, and to his offering: But to Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.read more.
And the LORD said to Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And to thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.

And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, by whom we may inquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he never prophesieth good to me, but always evil: the same is Micaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.

The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify concerning it, that its works are evil.

They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.

And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die.

Be it known to the king, that the Jews who came from thee to us are come to Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the noxious city, and have set up its walls, and joined the foundations. Be it known now to the king, that, if this city shall be built, and the walls set up again, then they will not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and so thou wilt endamage the revenue of the kings.

False witnesses arose; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.

For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report, say they, and we will report it. All my familiars watched for my halting, saying, Perhaps he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.

Then Amaziah the priest of Beth-el sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words.

Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, No; but he deceiveth the people.

Then they suborned men, who said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God.

And they are informed concerning thee, that thou teachest all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying, That they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.

For we have found this a pestilent man, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ring-leader of the sect of the Nazarenes:

His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.

Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,

Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

These words his parents spoke, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man confessed that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.

But that it may spread no further among the people, let us strictly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.

But it came to pass that when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews. And he spoke before his brethren, and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned? Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox should go up, he would even break down their stone wall.

The days of visitation are come, the days of recompense are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thy iniquity, and the great hatred.

Being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things to this day.

Let us go forth therefore to him without the camp, bearing his reproach.

I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them who say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.

And ye will be hated by all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

We know that God spoke to Moses: as for this man, we know not whence he is.

Nevertheless, among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:

They shall put you out of the synagogues: yes, the time cometh, that whoever killeth you, will think that he doeth God service.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Then they took Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.

But beware of men: for they will deliver you to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues.

But take heed to yourselves: for they will deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye will be beaten: and ye will be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.

Verily, verily, I say to thee, When thou wast young, thou didst gird thyself and walk whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldst not. This he spoke, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith to him, Follow me.

And to him they assented: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

But Paul said to them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privately? no verily; but let them come themselves and bring us out.

Thrice was I beaten with rods, once I was stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;

From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, and, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheep-skins, and goat-skins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.read more.
And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief:

And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honored him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say to him, What doest thou?

Now about that time, Herod the king stretched forth his hands to afflict certain of the church.

But they had heard only, That he who persecuted us in times past, now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed.