16 Bible Verses about Martyrdom, Reasons For

And whoever shall not fall and prostrate himself in the same moment, he shall be cast into a furnace of flaming fire.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego answered, and saying to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we need not to turn back to thee upon this word. If it is, our God whom we served will be able to deliver us from the furnace of flaming fire, and from thy hand, O king, he will deliver us. And if not, it shall be made known to thee, O king, that to thy gods we serve not, and to the image of gold that thou didst set up we will not prostrate ourselves:

All the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects and satraps, and counselors and governors, will counsel together to set up a statute of the kingdom, and to make strong an interdict that whoever shall seek a request from any God and man even to thirty days, except from thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.

And the inhabitants of the desert, the Chittims came against him: and he was dejected, and he turned back, and was angry against the holy covenant: and he did, and turned back; and he shall understand for those forsaking the holy covenant And seed from him shall stand up, and they profaned the holy place of strength, and they removed the Continuance, and they gave the abomination laying waste. And those condemning the covenant shall pollute by smooth things: and the people knowing their God shall be strong and do.read more.
And those understanding of the people shall cause to understand to many: and they were weak by the sword, and by flame, and by captivity, and by plunder, days.

And it was given him to give spirit to the image of the wild beast, that the image of the wild beast might speak, and might make as many as should not worship the image of the wild beast that they be killed.

And they will be perverse, and they will rebel against thee, and they will cast thy law behind their back, and they killed thy prophets who testified against them to turn them back to thee, and they will make great reproaches.

And he said to his servants, This is John the Baptist; be was aroused from the dead; and for this, powers are energetic in him. For Herod, having seized John, bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias, his brother Philip's wife: For John said to him, It is not lawful for thee to have her:read more.
And wishing to kill him, he was afraid of the crowd, because they held John as a prophet. The festivities of Herod's birthday being celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced in the midst, and pleased Herod. Wherefore, with an oath, he agreed to give her whatever she should ask. And having been urged on by her mother, Give me, she says, here upon a board, the head of John the Baptist. And the king was grieved: but for his oath, and those reclining together at the table, he ordered to be given. And having sent, he beheaded John in the prison. And his head was brought upon a board, and given to the girl, and she brought to her mother. And his disciples having come near, took away the body, and interred it; and having come, they announced to Jesus.

For this Herod, having sent, took John, and bound him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife: for he married her. For John said to Herod, That it is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife. And Herodias had a grudge against him, and desired to kill him; and could not:read more.
For Herod feared John, knowing him a just and holy man, and he observed him: and having heard him, did many things, and heard him cheerfully. And a convenient day having come, when Herod in the festivities of his birthday made a supper to his leading persons,, and to the captains of thousands, and to the first of Galilee; And the daughter of this Herodias, having come in, and danced, and pleased Herod and those reclining together at table, the king said to the little girl, Ask me whatever thou wishest, and I will give thee. And he swore to her, That whatever thou shouldest ask, I will give thee, even to half my kingdom. And she having come out, said to her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Immerser. And having come quickly with haste to the king, she asked, saying, I wish that thou wouldest give me by itself, upon a board, the head of John the Immerser. And the king having been sorely grieved on account of the oaths and those reclining at table together, wished not to refuse her. And quickly the king, having sent a scout, commanded his head to be brought: And he having departed, beheaded him in prison, and brought his head upon a board, and gave it to the little girl: and the little girl gave it to her mother. And his disciples, having heard, came and took up his corpse, and put it in a tomb.

Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers, also you. Which of the prophets did not your fathers drive out and they slew them announcing beforehand of the coming of the Just; of whom ye have now been traitors and murderers: Who have received the law by the regulations of messengers, and ye watched not.read more.
And having heard those, they were sawn through their hearts, and they gnashed the teeth upon him. And being full of the Holy Spirit, having looked intently to heaven, he saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, And he said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God. And having cried with a great voice, they held fast their ears, and rushed unanimously upon him, And having cast out of the city, they stoned: and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man called Saul.

And when they should finish their testimony, the wild beast coming up out of the abyss shall wage war with them, and shall conquer them, and kill them. And their slain bodies upon the spacious way of the great city, which is called spiritually Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And they from the people and tongues and nations shall see their slain bodies three days and a half, and they shall not suffer their slain bodies to be put into tombs.read more.
And they dwelling upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and shall be gladdened, and shall send gifts to one another; for these two prophets tortured them dwelling upon the earth.

Then shall they deliver you to pressure, and they shall kill you: and ye shall be hated by all nations, for my name.

And brother shall deliver brother to death, and father child; and children shall rise up against parents, and kill them. And ye shall be hated by all for my name's sake: and he having remained to the end, the same shall be saved.

And ye shall also be delivered up by parents, and brethren, and kinsmen, and friends; and they shall put of you to death. And ye shall be hated by all for my name's sake.

Not as Cain was of the evil one, and slew his brother. And for what slew he him? Because his works were evil, and those of his brother just.

And upon her forehead a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, MOTHER OF HARLOTS, AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of the slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they had: