“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town,

Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’

But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake.

Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.

Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered,

I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women,

And I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme, and in raging fury against them I persecuted them even to foreign cities.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.

and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure;

For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;

For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it.

They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”

But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now.

But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed.

It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,