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 a great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him. For all the wells which his father's servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth.

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

And Saul was very angry, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom? And Saul eyed David from that day 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 satraps, who should be over the whole kingdom; And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the satraps might give accounts unto them, and the king should suffer no loss. Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.read more.
Then the presidents and satraps sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no occasion nor fault; because 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 spoken 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 come to pass, that, when there come upon us any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so escape out of the land.

Therefore 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 silversmith, who made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen; Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, you know that by this craft we have our wealth.read more.
Moreover you see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul has 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 discredited; 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 worship.

Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And why slew he 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 unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.read more.
And the LORD said unto Cain, Why are you angry? and why is your countenance fallen? If you do well, shall you not be accepted? and if you do not well, sin lies at the door. And you shall be its desire, and you must rule over it. 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 unto 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 does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.

And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, by whom we may inquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he never prophesied good unto 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 hates, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.

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

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

Be it known unto the king, that the Jews who came up from you to us have come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and wicked city, and are finishing its walls, and repairing the foundations. Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city is built, and the walls set up again, then will they not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and so you shall impair the revenue of the kings.

False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.

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

Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words.

Blessed are you, 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, Nay; but he deceives the people.

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

And they are informed of you, that you teach 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 man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader 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 you are ready that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, you fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if you worship not, you 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 spoke his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.

But that it spread no further among the people, let us sternly threaten them, that they speak no longer to any man in this name.

But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we built the wall, he was angry, and felt 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 finish 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 goes up, he shall even break down their stone wall.

The days of punishment have come, the days of recompense have come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, because of the multitude of your iniquity, and the great hatred.

Being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the trash of all things unto this day.

Let us go forth therefore unto him outside the camp, bearing his reproach.

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

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

We know that God spoke unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from where 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: yea, the time comes, that whosoever kills you will think that he does 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 took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the cistern of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with ropes. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sank in the mire.

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

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

Verily, verily, I say unto you, When you were young, you dressed yourself, and walked where you would: but when you shall be old, you shall stretch forth your hands, and another shall dress you, and carry you where you would not. This spoke he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he said unto him, Follow me.

And to him they agreed: 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 unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out secretly? nay verily; but let them come themselves and bring us out.

Three times was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, three times 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, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; 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 insolent: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up my eyes unto heaven, and my understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honored him that lives forever, 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 does according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can restrain his hand, or say unto him, What do you?

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

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