^10 (A)“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for ^(B)theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

^11 (C)“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely ^(D)on my account. ^12 (E)Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for ^(F)so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

The Hatred of the World

^18 (A)“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. ^19 (B)If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because ^(C)you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. ²⁰ Remember the word that I said to you: ^(D)‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, ^(E)they will also persecute you. ^(F)If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.

³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written,

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than ^(C)conquerors through ^(D)him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

^10 (A)For the sake of Christ, then, ^(B)I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For ^(C)when I am weak, then I am strong.

¹² Indeed, all who desire to ^(A)live a godly life in Christ Jesus ^(B)will be persecuted,

Suffering as a Christian

¹² Beloved, do not be surprised at ^(A)the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. ¹³ But rejoice ^(B)insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad ^(C)when his glory is revealed. ^14 (D)If you are insulted ^(E)for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory^[a] and of God rests upon you. ¹⁵ But ^(F)let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or ^(G)as a meddler. ¹⁶ Yet ^(H)if anyone suffers as a ^(I)Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God ^(J)in that name.