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

Now when Festus was come into the province, after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem.

Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men: {persecuted us: or, chased us out}

Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and {some} of them they shall slay and persecute:

Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth {his} hands to vex certain of the church. {stretched...: or, began}

On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from {his} bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them.

Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

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.

They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.

And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut.

And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon {him}, and caught him, and brought {him} to the council,

For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar.

And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat {them}.

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, {indignation: or, envy}

Then Agrippa said unto Festus, I would also hear the man myself. To morrow, said he, thou shalt hear him.

Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;

I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews:

And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed {them} to prison.

Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,

And they laid hands on them, and put {them} in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.

Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. {harmless: or, simple}

Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and {some} of them ye shall kill and crucify; and {some} of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute {them} from city to city:

Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

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

And after five days Ananias the high priest descended with the elders, and {with} a certain orator {named} Tertullus, who informed the governor against Paul.

But when the king heard {thereof}, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

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

Blessed are ye, when {men} shall revile you, and persecute {you}, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. {falsely: Gr. lying}

Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

Blessed {are} they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

When thou passest through the waters, I {will be} with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? {shall} tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

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

But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.

And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and {unto} magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say:

For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,

Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. {offended: he relapseth, or, falleth into sin}

And when he had apprehended him, he put {him} in prison, and delivered {him} to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. {Easter: Gr. Passover} {quaternions: a file of four soldiers}

And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.

That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. {there unto: or, to sufferings, or, to persecution}

And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.

But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.

Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called {the synagogue} of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen.

Then Nebuchadnezzar in {his} rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.

And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast {them} into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:

And when Paul was now about to open {his} mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O {ye} Jews, reason would that I should bear with you:

And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him,

Then Agrippa said unto Festus, I would also hear the man myself. To morrow, said he, thou shalt hear him.

And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled {them} to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted {them} even unto strange cities.

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