72 Bible Verses about Persecution, Nature Of

In the pride of the wicked man the poor man is hotly pursued. Let them be taken in the devices that they have conceived.

Thus says LORD: For three transgressions of Gaza, yea, for four, I will not turn away the punishment of it, because they carried away captive the whole people, to deliver them up to Edom.

Thus says LORD: For three transgressions of Moab, yea, for four, I will not turn away the punishment of it, because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime.

For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, who march through the breadth of the earth to possess dwelling-places that are not theirs. They are fearful and dreadful. Their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves. Their horses also are swifter than leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves. And their horsemen press proudly on. Yea, their horsemen come from far. They fly as an eagle that hastens to devour.read more.
They come all of them for violence. The set of their faces is forwards, and they gather captives as the sand. Yea, he scoffs at kings, and rulers are a derision to him. He derides every stronghold, for he heaps up dust, and takes it. Then he shall sweep by [as] a wind, and shall pass over, and be guilty; he whose might is his god.

And behold, a green horse, and he who sits on top of it. His name was Death, and Hades followed with him. And authority was given to him over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with starvation, and with what is d

And the likeness of the locusts was similar to horses prepared for battle. And upon their heads were like golden crowns, and their faces were as men's faces. And they had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were as of lions. And they had breastplates like iron breastplates. And the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots of many horses running into battle.read more.
And they have tails similar to scorpions, and stings. And in their tails they have power to hurt men five months.

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed. He shall bruise thy head, and thou shall bruise his heel.

And LORD said to Satan, Behold, he is in thy hand, only spare his life. So Satan went forth from the presence of LORD, and smote Job with severe boils from the sole of his foot to his crown.

And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the agent of LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to be his adversary.

And Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. And having departed, he conversed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him to them.

Be sober, be vigilant. Your opponent the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about seeking whom to devour.

Fear none of the things that thou are going to suffer. Behold, the devil is indeed going to cast some of you into prison, so that ye may be tried, and ye will have tribulation ten days. Become thou faithful until death, and I will

If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before you.

Marvel not, my brothers, if the world hates you.

But those farmers said among themselves, This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.

Because of this therefore the Jews sought even more to kill him, because not only did he relax the Sabbath, but also he called God his own Father, making himself equal to God.

If ye were of the world, the world would love its own, but because ye are not of the world (instead I chose you out of the world), because of this the world hates you.

I have given them thy word, and the world hated them, because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that it was necessary for us to enter into the kingdom of God through many tribulations.

For ye, brothers, became imitators of the congregations of God, which are in Judea in Christ Jesus, because ye also suffered the same things by your own countrymen, just as also they by the Jews. The men who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and who persecuted us, and are not pleasing to God, and are contrary to all men.

Behold what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we may be called children of God. Because of this the world does not know you, because it did not know him.

But watch ye yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and ye will be beaten in synagogues. And ye will be stood before rulers and kings because of me, for a testimony to them.

Then Jezebel send a messenger to Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make thy life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.

Now it came to pass, when it was reported to Sanballat and Tobiah, and to Geshem the Arabian, and to the rest of our enemies, that I had built the wall, and that there was no breach left in it, (though even to that time I had not s

Rulers have persecuted me without a cause, but my heart stands in awe of thy words.

Then they took Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchijah the king's son, that was in the court of the guard. And they let Jeremiah down with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire, and Jeremiah sank in th

Then Nebuchadnezzar in [his] rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, Is it of purpose, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that ye do not serve my god, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? 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 do not worship, yeread more.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer thee in this matter. If it be [so], our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thy hand, O king.

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

Now about that time Herod the king threw on hands to harm some of those from the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And after seeing that it was pleasing the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also (and those were the days of unleavened bread),

And because of this we thank God without ceasing, because, having received the word of God heard from us, ye received not the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God, which also is at work in you who believe. For ye, brothers, became imitators of the congregations of God, which are in Judea in Christ Jesus, because ye also suffered the same things by your own countrymen, just as also they by the Jews. The men who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and who persecuted us, and are not pleasing to God, and are contrary to all men.read more.
Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles so that they might be saved, in order to fill up their sins always. But wrath came upon them finally.

And it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that LORD had commanded him to speak to all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold on him, saying, Thou shall surely die.

Also Amaziah said to Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thou away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there. But do not prophesy again any more at Bethel, for it is the king's sanctuary, and it is a royal house.

Because of this, behold, I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scholars. And some of them ye will kill and crucify, and some of them ye will scourge in your synagogues, and will persecute from city to city, so that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom ye murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. Truly I say to you, that all these things will come upon this generation.read more.
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets, and stones those who have been sent to her. How often I wanted to gathered thy children together the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and ye would not.

For in truth, against thy holy Boy Jesus, whom thou anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, were gathered together, to do as many things as thy hand and thy purpose predetermined to happen. And now, Lord, look upon their threats, and grant to thy bondmen with all boldness to speak thy word,

But after rising up, the high priest and all those with him (being the sect of the Sadducees) were filled of envy. And they threw their hands on the apostles, and put them in the public prison.

And I persecuted this Way as far as death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

And it was given it to make war with the sanctified, and to overcome them. And authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to it.

And I saw the woman drunken from the blood of the sanctified, and from the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. And having seen her, I wondered with great amazement.

And a man's foes, are those of his own household.

For the son dishonors the father. The daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man's enemies are the men of his own house.

And Cain told Abel his brother. And it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and killed him.

And a brother will deliver up a brother to death, and a father a child. And children will rise up against parents, and condemn them to death.

And when those with him heard it, they went out to grasp him, for they said, He is beside himself.

But just as then, the man who was born according to flesh persecuted the man according to Spirit, so also now.

Therefore I am pleased in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in restrictions, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

After whom is the king of Israel come out? After whom do thou pursue? After a dead dog, after a flea.

Deliver me from my enemies, O my God. Set me on high from those who rise up against me. Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from the bloodthirsty men. For, lo, they lay in wait for my soul. The mighty gather themselves together against me, not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O LORD.read more.
They run and prepare themselves without [my] fault. Awake thou to help me, and behold.

Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint. Preserve my life from fear of the enemy. Hide me from the secret counsel of evil-doers, from the tumult of the workers of iniquity, who have whet their tongue like a sword, and have aimed their arrows, even bitter words,read more.
that they may shoot in secret places at a blameless man. Suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.

restricted in everything, yet not confined, perplexed but not despairing, persecuted but not forsaken, cast down but not destroyed. Always carrying around in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, so that also the life of Jesus may be made visible in our body.read more.
For we who live are always given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that also the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh. So death indeed works in us, but life in you.

Are they helpers of Christ? (I speak as being mad) I more: in toils, more abundantly; in stripes, countless; in prisons, more frequently; in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty save one. Thrice I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, thrice I was shipwrecked, I have done a night and a day in the depth,read more.
in frequent journeys, in perils of flowing waters, in perils of bandits, in perils from my race, in perils from Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils at sea, in perils among FALSE brothers,

And what shall I say further? For the time would fail me telling about Gideon, also Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets, who, through faith, conquered kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, closed the mouths of lions, quenched the force of fire, escaped the jaw of the sword. Out of weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, bowed down armies of aliens.read more.
Women took hold of their dead from a resurrection, but others were tortured, not having accepted deliverance, so that they might experience a superior resurrection. And others took a trial of mockings and scourgings, and moreover of bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawed apart, they were tempted, they died in murder by sword. They wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, restricted, tormented (of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves, and the holes of the earth.

And also all those who want to live devoutly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

yet he has no root in himself, instead it is temporary. And when tribulation or persecution develops because of the word, straightaway he is caused to stumble.

And having answered, Jesus said, Truly I say to you, there is no man who has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, because of me, and because of the good-news, but he will receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands--with persecutions--and in the coming age, eternal life.

For also when we were with you we foretold you that we were going to be oppressed, just as it also happened, and ye know.

For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and plagues and earthquakes in places. But all these things are the beginning of travail. Then they will deliver you up for tribulation, and will kill you, and ye will be hated by all the nations because of my name.read more.
And then many will be caused to stumble, and they will betray each other and will hate each other.

Let not any man deceive you in any way, because if not, the defection may come first, and he may be revealed--the man of sin, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against all that is called God or an object of worship, so as for him to sit in the temple of God, as God, displaying himself that he is God.

And a white robe was given to them each, and it was said to them that they should still rest a time, until also their fellow bondmen, and their brothers, and those going to be killed as they too, would be fulfilled.

The anger of LORD has scattered them. He will no more regard them. They did not respect the persons of the priests. They did not favor the elders. Our eyes do yet fail [in looking] for our vain help. In our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save. They hunt our steps, so that we cannot go in our streets. Our end is near, our days are fulfilled, for our end has come.read more.
Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the heavens. They chased us upon the mountains. They laid wait for us in the wilderness.

Thus says LORD, Behold, a people comes from the north country, and a great nation shall be stirred up from the outermost parts of the earth. They lay hold on bow and spear. They are cruel, and have no mercy. Their voice roars like the sea, and they ride upon horses. Each one set in array, as a man to the battle, against thee, O daughter of Zion. We have heard the report of it. Our hands grow feeble. Anguish has taken hold of us, [and] pangs as of a woman in travail.read more.
Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way, for the sword of the enemy, [and] terror, are on every side. O daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes. Make thee mourning, as for an only son, a most bitter lamentation. For the destroyer shall suddenly come upon us.

Then the word of LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, Behold, I am LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for me? Therefore thus says LORD: Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he shall take it.read more.
And the Chaldeans, who fight against this city, shall come and set this city on fire, and burn it, with the houses upon whose roofs they have offered incense to Baal, and poured out drink-offerings to other gods, to provoke me to a

But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. And when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he gave judgm Then the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes. Also the king of Babylon killed all the nobles of Judah. Moreover he put out Zedekiah's eyes, and bound him in fetters to carry him to Babylon.read more.
And the Chaldeans burned the king's house, and the houses of the people, with fire, and broke down the walls of Jerusalem. Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive into Babylon the residue of the people that remained in the city, the deserters also that fell away to him, and the residue of the people that remained. But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left of the poor of the people, that had nothing, in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time.

For they persecute him whom thou have smitten, and they tell of the sorrow of those whom thou have wounded.

And because of this the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill him, because he did these things on a Sabbath.

I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to those who plucked off the hair. I did not hide my face from shame and spitting.

He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he opened not his mouth. As a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that is mute before its shearers, so he opened not his mouth.

but he will receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands--with persecutions--and in the coming age, eternal life.

But before all these things, they will throw their hands on you, and will persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.

Remember the word that I said to you, A bondman is not greater than his lord. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they kept my word, they will keep yours also.

O LORD, thou know. Remember me, and visit me, and avenge me of my persecutors. Take me not away in thy longsuffering. Know that for thy sake I have suffered reproach.

For thus says LORD of hosts: After glory he has sent me to the nations which plundered you. For he who touches you touches the apple of his eye.

And after falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why do thou persecute me? And he said, Who are thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecute.