¹⁵ If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs.

¹¹ Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business.

¹¹ Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before.

¹³ And if they are on the list, they will learn to be lazy and will spend their time gossiping from house to house, meddling in other people’s business and talking about things they shouldn’t.

¹⁷ Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!

¹⁹ For God is pleased when, conscious of his will, you patiently endure unjust treatment. ²⁰ Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you.

⁹ And because I preach this Good News, I am suffering and have been chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained.

¹¹ “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers.