53 Bible Verses about Persecution

The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy of suffering dishonour for the sake of the Name;

Blessed are you when men denounce you and persecute you and utter all manner of evil against you for my sake;

I have come to throw fire on earth. Would it were kindled already! I have a baptism to undergo. How I am distressed till it is all over! You think I am here to make peace on earth? No, I tell you, it is dissension. read more.
After this there will be five at issue in one house, three divided against two and two against three, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."

Blessed are you when men denounce you and persecute you and utter all manner of evil against you for my sake;

Blessed are you when men denounce you and persecute you and utter all manner of evil against you for my sake;

The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy of suffering dishonour for the sake of the Name;

Alexander the blacksmith has done me a lot of harm: the Lord will pay him back for what he has done (beware of him),

It was about that time that a great commotion arose over the Way. This was how it happened. By making silver shrines of Artemis a silversmith called Demetrius was the means of bringing rich profit to his workmen. So he got them together, along with the workmen who belonged to similar trades, and said to them: "My men, you know this trade is the source of our wealth. read more.
You also see and hear that not only at Ephesus but almost all over Asia this fellow Paul has drawn off a considerable number of people by his persuasions. He declares that hand-made gods are not gods at all. Now the danger is not only that we will have our trade discredited but that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will fall into contempt and that she will be degraded from her majestic glory, she whom all Asia and the wide world worship." When they heard this they were filled with rage and raised the cry, "Great is Artemis of Ephesus!" So the city was filled with confusion. They rushed like one man into the amphitheatre, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were travelling with Paul. (Paul wanted to enter the popular assembly, but the disciples would not allow him. Some of the Asiarchs, who were friends of his, also sent to beg him not to venture into the amphitheatre.) Some were shouting one thing, some another; for the assembly was in confusion, and the majority had no idea why they had met. Some of the mob concluded it must be Alexander, as the Jews pushed him to the front. So Alexander, motioning with his hand, wanted to defend himself before the people; but when they discovered he was a Jew, a roar broke from them all, and for about two hours they shouted, "Great is Artemis of Ephesus! Great is Artemis of Ephesus!" The secretary of state then got the mob calmed down, and said to them, "Men of Ephesus, who on earth does not know that the city of Ephesus is Warden of the temple of the great Artemis and of the statue that fell from heaven? All this is beyond question. So you should keep calm and do nothing reckless. Instead of that, you have brought these men here who are guilty neither of sacrilege nor of blasphemy against our goddess. If Demetrius and his fellow tradesmen have a grievance against anybody, let both parties state their charges; assizes are held and there are always the proconsuls. Any wider claim must be settled in the legal assembly of the citizens. Indeed there is a danger of our being charged with riot over to-day's meeting; there is not a single reason we can give for this disorderly gathering." With these words he dismissed the assembly.

Now I would like you to know about the distress which befell me in Asia, brothers. I was crushed, crushed far more than I could stand, so much so that I despaired even of life;

But when the Jews of Thessalonica heard that Paul was proclaiming the word of God at Beroea as well, they came to create a disturbance and a riot among the crowds at Beroea too. The brothers then sent off Paul at once on his way to the sea, while Silas and Timotheus remained where they were. Paul's escort brought him as far as Athens and left with instructions that Silas and Timotheus were to join him as soon as possible.

Yes, and all who want to live the religious life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

For it seems to me that God means us apostles to come in at the very end, like the doomed gladiators in the arena! We are made a spectacle to the world, to angels and to men! We, for Christ's sake, are 'fools'; you in Christ are sensible. We are weak, you are strong; you are honoured, we are in disrepute. To this very hour we hunger and thirst, we are ill-clad and knocked about, we are waifs, read more.
we work hard for our living; when reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we put up with it; when defamed, we try to conciliate. To this hour we are treated as the scum of the earth, the very refuse of the world!

As he went out of the temple one of his disciples said to him, "Look, teacher, what a size these stones and buildings are!" Jesus said to him, "You see these great buildings? Not a stone shall be left on another, without being torn down." And as he sat on the Hill of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him in private, read more.
"Tell us, when is this to happen? What will be the sign for all this to be accomplished?" So Jesus began: "Take care that no one misleads you: ??6 many will come in my name saying, 'I am he,' and mislead many. And when you hear of wars and rumours of war, do not be alarmed; these have to come, but it is not the end yet. For nation will rise against nation, and realm against realm; there will be earthquakes here and there, and famines too. All that is but the beginning of the trouble. Look to yourselves. Men will hand you over to Sanhedrins and you will be flogged in synagogues and brought before governors and kings for my sake, to testify to them. (Ere the end, the gospel must be preached to all nations.) Now when they carry you off to trial, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say; say whatever comes to your lips at the moment, for he who speaks is not you but the holy Spirit. Brother will betray brother to death, the father will betray his child, children will rise against their parents and kill them, and you will be hated by all men on account of my name; but he will be saved who holds out to the very end.

I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; so be wise like serpents and guileless like doves. Beware of men, they will hand you over to sanhedrins and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be haled before governors and kings for my sake ??it will be a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. read more.
Now, when they bring you up for trial, do not trouble yourselves about how to speak or what to say; what you are to say will come to you at the moment, for you are not the speakers, it is the Spirit of your Father that is speaking through you. Brother will betray brother to death, the father will betray his child, children will rise against their parents and put them to death, and you will be hated by all men on account of my name; but he will be saved who holds out to the very end. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; truly I tell you, you will not have covered the towns of Israel before the Son of man arrives. A scholar is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his lord; enough for the scholar to fare like his teacher, and the servant like his lord. If men have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they miscall his servants!

So Jesus left the temple and went on his way. His disciples came forward to point out to him the temple-buildings, but he replied to them, "You see all this? I tell you truly, not a stone here will be left upon another, without being torn down." So as he sat on the Hill of Olives the disciples came up to him in private and said, "Tell us, when will this happen? What will be the sign of your arrival and of the end of the world?" read more.
Jesus replied, "Take care that no one misleads you; for many will come in my name, saying 'I am the Christ,' and they will mislead many. You will hear of wars and rumours of wars; see and do not be alarmed. These have to come, but it is not the end yet. For nation will rise against nation, and realm against realm; there will be famines and earthquakes here and there. All that is but the beginning of the trouble. Then men will hand you over to suffer affliction, and they will kill you; you will be hated by all the Gentiles on account of my name. And many will be repelled then, they will betray one another and hate one another.

Have no fear of what you are to suffer. The devil indeed is going to put some of you in prison, that you may be tested; you will have a distressful ten days. Be faithful, though you have to die for it, and I will give you the crown of Life.

Then men will hand you over to suffer affliction, and they will kill you; you will be hated by all the Gentiles on account of my name.

Beware of men, they will hand you over to sanhedrins and scourge you in their synagogues,

But before all that, men will lay hands on you and persecute you, handing you over to synagogues and prisons; you will be dragged before kings and governors for the sake of my name.

Remember what I told you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they hold to my word, they will hold to yours.

There he came across a Jew called Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife Priscilla, as Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul accosted them,

Then Herod and his troops scoffed at him and made fun of him, and after arraying him in a bright robe he remitted him to Pilate.

And this was why the Jews persecuted Jesus, because he did things like this on the sabbath.

they rose up, put him out of the town, and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, in order to hurl him down.

After this Jesus moved about in Galilee; he would not move in Judaea, because the Jews were trying to kill him.

I know you are Abraham's offspring! Yet you want to kill me, since my word makes no headway among you!

he rescued me from so terrible a death, he rescues still, and I rely upon him for the hope that he will continue to rescue me.

my persecutions, my sufferings ??all that befell me at Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, all the persecutions I had to undergo, from which the Lord rescued me.

and on hearing this the entire company raised their cry to God, "O Sovereign Lord, thou art he who made heaven, earth, and sea, and all that in them is, who said to our fathers by the holy Spirit through the lips of thy servant David, Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples vainly conspire? The kings of the earth stood ready, the rulers mustered together against the Lord and his Christ. read more.
In this very city they actually mustered against thy holy Servant Jesus, whom thou didst consecrate ??Herod and Pontius Pilate, together with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,

Meanwhile Saul still breathed threats of murder against the disciples of the Lord. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus empowering him to put any man or woman in chains whom he could find belonging to the Way, and bring them to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus in the course of his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed round him; read more.
he dropped to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" "Who are you?" he asked. "I am Jesus," he said, "and you persecute me.

[Chapters he cuts away any branch on me which is not bearing fruit, and cleans every branch which does bear fruit, to make it bear richer fruit. You are already clean, by the word I have spoken to you. read more.
Remain in me, as I remain in you: just as a branch cannot bear fruit by itself, without remaining on the vine, neither can you, unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who remains in me, as I in him, bears rich fruit (because apart from me you can do nothing). If anyone does not remain in me he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers up; then the branches are gathered and thrown into the fire to be burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, then ask whatever you like and you shall have it. As you bear rich fruit and prove yourselves my disciples, my Father is glorified. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; remain within my love. If you keep my commands you will remain within my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain within his love. I have told you this, that my joy may be within you and your joy complete. This is my command: you are to love one another as I have loved you. To lay life down for his friends, man has no greater love than that. You are my friends ??if you do what I command you; & I call you servants no longer, because a servant does not know what his master is doing: I call you friends, because I have imparted to you all that I have learned from my Father. are placed in the middle of verse 13:31] "I am the real Vine, and my Father is the vine-dresser; You have not chosen me, it is I who have chosen you, appointing you to go and bear fruit ??fruit that lasts, so that the Father may grant you whatever you ask in my name. This is what I command you, to love one another. If the world hates you, remember it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love what it owned; it is because you do not belong to the world, because I have chosen you from the world, that the world hates you. Remember what I told you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they hold to my word, they will hold to yours. They will do all this to you on account of my name, because they know not him who sent me. They would not be guilty, if I had not come and spoken to them; but, as it is, they have no excuse for their sin ??23 he who hates me hates my Father also. They would not be guilty, if I had not done deeds among them such as no one has ever done; but, as it is, they have seen ??and they have hated ??both me and my Father. It is that the word written in their Law may be fulfilled: they hated me for no cause.

Off went the man and told the Jews it was Jesus who had healed him. And this was why the Jews persecuted Jesus, because he did things like this on the sabbath. The reply of Jesus was, "As my Father has continued working to this hour, so I work too." read more.
But this only made the Jews more eager to kill him, because he not merely broke the sabbath but actually spoke of God as his own Father, thereby making himself equal to God.

Now as I neared Damascus on my journey, suddenly about noon a brilliant light from heaven flashed round me. I dropped to the earth and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?' 'Who are you?' I asked. He said to me, 'I am Jesus the Nazarene, and you are persecuting me.'

After they had gone, there appeared an angel of the Lord to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Rise, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt; stay there till I tell you. For Herod is going to search for the child and destroy him."

When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; truly I tell you, you will not have covered the towns of Israel before the Son of man arrives.

So the Pharisees withdrew and plotted against him, to destroy him; but as Jesus knew of it he retired from the spot. Many followed him, and he healed them all,

What would it avail me that, humanly speaking, I 'fought with wild beasts' at Ephesus? If dead men do not rise, let us eat and drink, for we will be dead to-morrow!

Ah, if in this life we have nothing but a mere hope in Christ, we are of all men to be pitied most!

I John, your brother and your companion in the distress and realm and patient endurance which Jesus brings, found myself in the island called Patmos, for adhering to God's word and the testimony of Jesus.

They laid hands on them and, as it was now evening, put them in custody till next morning. (A number of those who heard them speak believed, bringing up their numbers to [about] five thousand.) Next morning a meeting was held in Jerusalem of their rulers, elders and scribes, read more.
which was attended by the high priest Annas, by Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all the members of the high priest's family. They made the men stand before them and inquired, "By what authority, in whose name, have you done this?" Then Peter, filled with the holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel, if we are being cross-examined to-day upon a benefit rendered to a cripple, upon how this man got better, you and the people of Israel must all understand that he stands before you strong and well, thanks to the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead. He is the stone despised by you builders, which has become head of the corner. There is no salvation by anyone else, nor even a second Name under heaven appointed for us men and our salvation." They were astonished to notice how outspoken Peter and John were, and to discover that they were uncultured persons and mere outsiders; they recognized them as having been companions of Jesus, but as they saw the man who had been healed standing beside them, they could say nothing. Ordering them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin, they proceeded to hold a consultation. "What are we to do with these men?" they said. "It is plain to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem that a miracle has admittedly been worked by them. That we cannot deny. However, to keep things from going any further with the people, we had better threaten them that they are not to tell anyone in future about this Name." So they called the men in and ordered them not to speak or teach a single sentence about the Name of Jesus.

they laid hands on the apostles and put them into the public prison, but an angel of the Lord opened the prison-doors during the night and brought them out, saying, "Go and stand in the temple, telling the people all about this Life." read more.
With these orders they went into the temple about dawn and proceeded to teach. Meantime the high priest and his allies met, called the Sanhedrin together and the council of seniors belonging to the sons of Israel, and then sent to prison for the men. But as the attendants did not find them when they got to the prison, they came back to report, "We found the prison safely locked up with the sentries posted at the doors, but on opening the doors we found no one inside!" On hearing this the commander of the temple and the high priests were quite at a loss to know what to make of it. However, someone came and reported to them, "Here are the very men you put in prison, standing in the temple and teaching the people!" At this the commander went off with the attendants and fetched them ??but without using violence, for fear that the people would pelt them with stones. They conducted them before the Sanhedrin, and the high priest asked them, "We strictly forbade you to teach about this Name, did we not? And here you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine! You want to make us responsible for this man's death!" Peter and the apostles answered, "One must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you murdered by hanging him on a gibbet. God lifted him up to his right hand as our pioneer and saviour, in order to grant repentance and remission of sins to Israel. To these facts we bear witness, with the holy Spirit which God has given to those who obey him." When they heard this, they were so furious that they determined to make away with the apostles. But a Pharisee in the Sanhedrin called Gamaliel, a doctor of the Law who was highly respected by all the people, got up and ordered the apostles to be removed for a few moments. Then he said, "Men of Israel, take care what you do about these men. In days gone by Theudas started up, claiming to be a person of importance; a number of men, about four hundred of them, rallied to him, but he was slain, and all his followers were dispersed and wiped out. After him Judas the Galilean started up at the time of the census, and got people to desert to him; but he perished too, and all his followers were scattered. So I advise you to-day to leave these men to themselves. Let them alone. If this project or enterprise springs from men, it will collapse; whereas, if it really springs from God, you will be unable to put them down. You may even find yourselves fighting God!" They gave in to him, and after summoning the apostles and giving them a flogging, they released them with instructions that they were not to speak about the name of Jesus. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy of suffering dishonour for the sake of the Name; not for a single day did they cease to teach and preach the gospel of Jesus the Christ in the temple and at home.

It was about that time that king Herod laid hands of violence on some members of the church. James the brother of John he slew with the sword, and when he saw this pleased the Jews, he went on to seize Peter. (This was during the days of unleavened bread.) read more.
After arresting him he put him in prison, handing him over to a guard of sixteen soldiers, with the intention of producing him to the People after the passover. So Peter was closely guarded in prison, while earnest prayer for him was offered to God by the church. The very night before Herod meant to have him produced, Peter lay asleep between two soldiers; he was fastened by two chains, and sentries in front of the door guarded the prison. But an angel of the Lord flashed on him, and a light shone in the cell; striking Peter on the side he woke him, saying, "Quick, get up!" The fetters dropped from his hands, and the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and put on your sandals." He did so. Then said the angel, "Put on your coat and follow me." And he followed him out, not realizing that what the angel did was real, but imagining that he saw a vision. When they had passed the first guard and the second they came to the iron gate leading into the city, which opened to them of its own accord; they passed out, and after they had gone through one street, the angel immediately left him. Then Peter came to his senses and said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were anticipating." When he grasped the situation, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was surnamed Mark, where a number had met for prayer. When he knocked at the door of the porch, a maidservant called Rhoda came to answer it; but as soon as she recognized Peter's voice, instead of opening the door she ran inside from sheer joy and announced that Peter was standing in front of the porch. "You are mad," they said. But she insisted it was true. "It is his angel," they said. But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door they were amazed to see him. He beckoned to them to keep quiet and then described to them how the Lord had brought him out of prison. "Report this to James," he said, "and to the brothers." And off he went to another place. Now when day broke there was a great commotion among the soldiers over what could have become of Peter. Herod made inquiries for him but could not find him; so, after cross-examining the guards, he ordered them off to death. He then went down from Judaea to Caesarea, where he spent some time.

But before all that, men will lay hands on you and persecute you, handing you over to synagogues and prisons; you will be dragged before kings and governors for the sake of my name.

Remember what I told you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they hold to my word, they will hold to yours.

who does not get a hundred times as much ??in this present world homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and lands, together with persecutions, and in the world to come life eternal.

Now those who had been scattered by the trouble which arose over Stephen made their way as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, but they preached the word to none except Jews. Some of them, however, were Cypriotes and Cyrenians, who on reaching Antioch told the Greeks also the gospel of the Lord Jesus; the strong hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number believed and turned to the Lord.

(Saul quite approved of his murder.) That day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and everyone, with the exception of the apostles, was scattered over Judaea and Samaria.

Now those who were scattered went through the land preaching the gospel.

I would have you understand, my brothers, that my affairs have really tended to advance the gospel; throughout the whole of the praetorian guard and everywhere else it is recognized that I am imprisoned on account of my connexion with Christ, and my imprisonment has given the majority of the brotherhood greater confidence in the Lord to venture on speaking the word of God without being afraid.

in point of ardour a persecutor of the church, immaculate by the standard of legal righteousness.

though I had formerly been a blasphemer and a persecutor and a wanton aggressor. I obtained mercy because in my unbelief I had acted out of ignorance;

And this was why the Jews persecuted Jesus, because he did things like this on the sabbath.

who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, who harassed ourselves, who offend God and oppose all men

Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of goodness! the Realm of heaven is theirs. Blessed are you when men denounce you and persecute you and utter all manner of evil against you for my sake; rejoice and exult in it, for your reward is rich in heaven; that is how they persecuted the prophets before you.

Blessed are you when men will hate you, when they will excommunicate you and denounce you and defame you as wicked on account of the Son of man; rejoice on that day and leap for joy! rich is your reward in heaven for their fathers did the very same to the prophets.

and the dwellers on earth will gloat over them and rejoice, sending presents to congratulate one another ??for these two prophets were a torment to the dwellers on earth.

rejoice and exult in it, for your reward is rich in heaven; that is how they persecuted the prophets before you.

You are sharing what Christ suffered; so rejoice in it, that you may also rejoice and exult when his glory is revealed.

it is that on you may fall the punishment for all the just blood shed on earth from the blood of Abel the just down to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.

we are not to be like Cain, who belonged to the evil One and slew his brother. And why did he slay him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's just.

he dropped to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" "Who are you?" he asked. "I am Jesus," he said, "and you persecute me.

But the Jews incited the devout women of high rank and the leading men in the town, who stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of their territory.

I once believed it my duty indeed actively to oppose the name of Jesus the Nazarene. I did so in Jerusalem. I shut up many of the saints in prison, armed with authority from the high priests; when they were put to death, I voted against them; there was not a synagogue where I did not often punish them and force them to blaspheme; and in my frantic fury I persecuted them even to foreign towns.

(Saul quite approved of his murder.) That day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and everyone, with the exception of the apostles, was scattered over Judaea and Samaria.

You know the story of my past career in Judaism; you know how furiously I persecuted the church of God and harried it,

Meanwhile Saul still breathed threats of murder against the disciples of the Lord. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus empowering him to put any man or woman in chains whom he could find belonging to the Way, and bring them to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus in the course of his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed round him; read more.
he dropped to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" "Who are you?" he asked. "I am Jesus," he said, "and you persecute me. Get up and go into the city. There you will be told what you have to do." His fellow-travellers stood speechless, for they heard the voice but they could not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but though his eyes were open he could see nothing; so they took his hand and led him to Damascus. For three days he remained sightless, he neither ate nor drank. Now there was a disciple called Ananias in Damascus. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." He said, "I am here, Lord." And the Lord said to him, "Go away to the street called 'The Straight Street,' and ask at the house of Judas for a man of Tarsus called Saul. He is praying at this very moment, and he has seen a man called Ananias enter and lay his hands upon him to bring back his sight." "But, Lord," Ananias answered, "many people have told me about all the mischief this man has done to thy saints at Jerusalem! And in this city too he has authority from the high priests to put anyone in chains who invokes thy Name!"

Blessed are you when men will hate you, when they will excommunicate you and denounce you and defame you as wicked on account of the Son of man;

Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of goodness! the Realm of heaven is theirs.

They would not be guilty, if I had not done deeds among them such as no one has ever done; but, as it is, they have seen ??and they have hated ??both me and my Father.

Remember what I told you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they hold to my word, they will hold to yours.

And this was why the Jews persecuted Jesus, because he did things like this on the sabbath.

it is that on you may fall the punishment for all the just blood shed on earth from the blood of Abel the just down to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.

and that we may be delivered from perverse and evil men ??for the faith is not held by all.

we work hard for our living; when reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we put up with it;

On the evening of that same day ??the first day of the week ??though the disciples had gathered within closed doors for fear of the Jews, Jesus entered and stood among them, saying, "Peace be with you!"

They retorted, "And so you would teach us ??you, born in utter depravity!" Then they expelled him.

(His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed him to be Christ should be excommunicated.

persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed ??10 wherever I go, I am being killed in the body as Jesus was, so that the life of Jesus may come out in my body:

Listen to another parable. There was a householder who planted a vineyard, put a fence round it, dug a wine-vat inside it, and built a watchtower: then he leased it to vinedressers and went abroad. When the fruit-season was near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers to collect his fruit; but the vinedressers took his servants and flogged one, killed another, and stoned a third. read more.
Once more he sent some other servants, more than he had sent at first, and they did the same to them. Afterwards he sent them his son; 'They will respect my son,' he said. But when the vinedressers saw his son they said to themselves, 'Here is the heir; come on, let us kill him and seize his inheritance!' So they took and threw him outside the vineyard and killed him.

Yes, and all who want to live the religious life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

I am 'still preaching circumcision myself,' am I? Then, brothers, why am I still being persecuted? And so the stumbling-block of the cross has lost its force, forsooth!

These men who are keen upon you getting circumcised are just men who want to make a grand display in the flesh ??it is simply to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ.

but just as in the old days the son born by the flesh persecuted the son born by the Spirit, so it is still to-day.

others, again, had to experience scoffs and scourging, aye chains and imprisonment ??37 they were stoned, sawn in two, and cut to pieces; they had to roam about in sheepskins and goatskins, forlorn, oppressed, ill-treated

he has no root in himself, he does not last, but when the word brings trouble or persecution he is at once repelled.

Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place; all who draw the sword shall die by the sword.

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

So let those who are suffering by the will of God trust their souls to him, their faithful Creator, as they continue to do right.

but if a man suffers for being a Christian, he must not be ashamed, he must rather glorify God for that.

Some of those who belonged to the so-called synagogue of the Libyans, the Cyrenians, and the Alexandrians, as well as to that of the Cilicians and Asiatics, started a dispute with Stephen, but they could not meet the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. They then instigated people to say, "We have heard him talking blasphemy against Moses and God." read more.
In this way they excited the people, the elders, and the scribes, who rushed on him, dragged him away, and took him before the Sanhedrin. They also brought forward false witnesses to say, "This fellow is never done talking against this holy Place and the Law! Why, we have heard him say that Jesus the Nazarene will destroy this Place and change the customs handed down to us by Moses!" Then all who were seated in the Sanhedrin fixed their eyes on him, and saw that his face shone like the face of an angel.

From that day Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, the Reign of heaven is near."

Bless those who make a practice of persecuting you; bless them instead of cursing them.

but the vinedressers took his servants and flogged one, killed another, and stoned a third. Once more he sent some other servants, more than he had sent at first, and they did the same to them.

What can ever part us from Christ's love? Can anguish or calamity or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or the sword?

But the Jews incited the devout women of high rank and the leading men in the town, who stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of their territory.

had many lashes inflicted on them and put them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safe.

For Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison on account of Herodias the wife of his brother Philip, since John had told him, "You have no right to her." He was anxious to kill him but he was afraid of the people, for they held John to be a prophet. read more.
However, on Herod's birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced in public to the delight of Herod; whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatever she wanted. And she, at the instigation of her mother, said, "Give me John the Baptist's head this moment on a dish." The king was sorry, but for the sake of his oath and his guests he ordered it to be given her; he sent and had John beheaded in the prison, his head was brought on a dish and given to the girl, and she took it to her mother. His disciples came and removed the corpse and buried him; then they went and reported it to Jesus.

Which of the prophets did your fathers fail to persecute? They killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Just One. And here you have betrayed him, murdered him! ??53 you who got the Law that angels transmitted, and have not obeyed it!"

they laid hands on the apostles and put them into the public prison,

It was about that time that king Herod laid hands of violence on some members of the church.

This they will do to you, because they have not known the Father nor me.

Then to the angel of the church at Smyrna write thus: ??These are the words of the First and Last, who was dead and came to life: I know your distress and your poverty (but you are rich!): I know how you are being slandered by those who style themselves Jews (no Jews are they, but a mere synagogue of Satan!). Have no fear of what you are to suffer. The devil indeed is going to put some of you in prison, that you may be tested; you will have a distressful ten days. Be faithful, though you have to die for it, and I will give you the crown of Life.

So the high priests planned to kill Lazarus as well,

You must understand that [our] brother Timotheus is now free. If he comes soon, he and I will see you together.

I persecuted this Way of religion to the death, chaining and imprisoning both men and women,

(Saul quite approved of his murder.) That day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and everyone, with the exception of the apostles, was scattered over Judaea and Samaria.

They forced Simon a Cyrenian who was passing on his way from the country (the father of Alexander and Rufus) to carry his cross,

I know where you dwell, where Satan sits enthroned, and yet you adhere to my Name, you have not renounced your faith in me even during the days when my witness, my faithful Antipas, was martyred in your midst ??where Satan dwells.

James the brother of John he slew with the sword,

I John, your brother and your companion in the distress and realm and patient endurance which Jesus brings, found myself in the island called Patmos, for adhering to God's word and the testimony of Jesus.

but not a hair of your head will perish.

The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy of suffering dishonour for the sake of the Name;

Then, finding half the Sanhedrin were Sadducees and the other half Pharisees, Paul shouted to them, "I am a Pharisee, brothers, the son of Pharisees! It is for the hope of the resurrection from the dead that I am on trial!"

because it is not more than twelve days, as you can easily ascertain, since I went up to worship at Jerusalem. They never found me arguing with anyone in the temple or causing a riot either in the synagogues or in the city; they cannot furnish you with any proof of their present charges against me. read more.
I certainly admit to you that I worship our fathers' God according to the methods of what they call a 'sect'; but I believe all that is written in the Law and in the prophets, and I cherish the same hope in God as they accept, namely that there is to be a resurrection of the just and the unjust.

Blessed are you when men denounce you and persecute you and utter all manner of evil against you for my sake;

Have no fear of what you are to suffer. The devil indeed is going to put some of you in prison, that you may be tested; you will have a distressful ten days. Be faithful, though you have to die for it, and I will give you the crown of Life.

Then men will hand you over to suffer affliction, and they will kill you; you will be hated by all the Gentiles on account of my name.

Beware of men, they will hand you over to sanhedrins and scourge you in their synagogues,

But before all that, men will lay hands on you and persecute you, handing you over to synagogues and prisons; you will be dragged before kings and governors for the sake of my name.

Remember what I told you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they hold to my word, they will hold to yours.

Then Herod and his troops scoffed at him and made fun of him, and after arraying him in a bright robe he remitted him to Pilate.

And this was why the Jews persecuted Jesus, because he did things like this on the sabbath.

they rose up, put him out of the town, and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, in order to hurl him down.

After this Jesus moved about in Galilee; he would not move in Judaea, because the Jews were trying to kill him.

I know you are Abraham's offspring! Yet you want to kill me, since my word makes no headway among you!

Blessed are you when men denounce you and persecute you and utter all manner of evil against you for my sake;