66 Bible Verses about Persecution, Attitudes To

They had almost consumed me upon earth; but I forsook not your precepts.

And you shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endures to the end shall be saved.

And labor, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure it:

So that we ourselves boast of you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure:

Be also patient; establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draws near.

Therefore seeing we also are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which does so easily ensnare us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places.read more.
Therefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girded about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, with which you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thus with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that in this I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

You therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

And have endured, and have patience, and for my name's sake have labored, and have not fainted.

Having your conduct honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord. Therefore if your enemy hungers, feed him; if he thirsts, give him drink: for in so doing you shall heap coals of fire on his head.

For so is the will of God, that with well doing you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good behavior in Christ.

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation works patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope makes not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who is given unto us.

For his anger endures but for a moment; in his favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

Blessed are you, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets who were before you.

Blessed are you, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.

And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates tore off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely: Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.read more.
And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:

In which you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you are in heaviness through manifold trials:

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to test you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is your faithfulness.

He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them who hated me: for they were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay. He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knows them that trust in him. But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of its place, and darkness shall pursue his enemies.

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

But you have fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, patience, Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.

So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Because you have kept the word of my patience, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

Let your conduct be without covetousness; and be content with such things as you have: for he has said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you: when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned; neither shall the flame scorch you.

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thus with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Judge me, O LORD my God, according to your righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.

For in you, O LORD, do I hope: you will hear, O Lord my God. For I said, Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me: when my foot slips, they magnify themselves against me.

Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion.

Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies: I flee unto you to hide me.

Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. Rejoice not against me, O my enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me.

Bless them that curse you, and pray for them who despitefully use you.

And shall not God avenge his own elect, who cry day and night unto him, though he bears long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man comes, shall he find faith on the earth?

But the end of all things is at hand: be therefore sober minded, and watch unto prayer.

For he must reign, till he has put all enemies under his feet.

For our citizenship is in heaven; from which also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our humble body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working by which he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever.

Moreover I make a decree of what you shall do for the elders of these Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king's goods, even of the tribute beyond the river, without delay expenses be given unto these men, that they be not hindered.

[A song of ascents.] When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.

I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and steadfast forever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.

And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother. In that day, says the LORD of hosts, will I take you, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, says the LORD, and will make you as a signet ring: for I have chosen you, says the LORD of hosts.

For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Fear none of those things which you will suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that you may be tried; and you shall have tribulation ten days: be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life.

And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, Who are these who are arrayed in white robes? and from where did they come? And I said unto him, Sir, you know. And he said to me, These are they who came out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sits on the throne shall dwell among them.read more.
They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun strike them, nor any heat. For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto death.

[To the Chief Musician upon aijeleth shahar. A Psalm of David.] My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry in the daytime, but you hear not; and in the night season, and am not silent. But you are holy, O you that inhabit the praises of Israel.read more.
Our fathers trusted in you: they trusted, and you did deliver them. They cried unto you, and were delivered: they trusted in you, and were not disappointed. But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted in the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. But you are he that took me out of the womb: you did make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts. I was cast upon you from birth: you are my God from my mother's womb. Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help. Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round about. They gaped on me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my body. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue clings to my jaws; and you have brought me to the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones: they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots for my clothing.

I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked out the beard: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.read more.
Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he has put him to grief: when you shall make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days, and the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he has poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.read more.
And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and struck him on the head. And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off of him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him.

And so Pilate, willing to satisfy the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified. And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they called together the whole band. And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head,read more.
And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews! And they struck him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshiped him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.

For what glory is it, if, when you be buffeted for your faults, you shall take it patiently? but if, when you do well, and suffer for it, you take it patiently, this is commendable with God. For even to this were you called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:read more.
Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judges righteously:

But if you suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are you: and, Be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good behavior in Christ.read more.
For it is better, if the will of God be so, that you suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.

But rejoice, since you are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy. If you be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are you; for the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.