Because people will hand you over to sanhedrins and flog you in their synagogues, beware of them.

But when they hand you over, don't worry about how or what you should speak. For you will be given what to say at that hour,

"Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will even rise up against their parents and have them put to death.

And the others seized his slaves, treated them outrageously and killed them.

This is why I am sending you prophets, sages, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues and hound from town to town.

"But you, be on your guard! They will hand you over to sanhedrins, and you will be flogged in the synagogues. You will stand before governors and kings because of Me, as a witness to them.

So when they arrest you and hand you over, don't worry beforehand what you will say. On the contrary, whatever is given to you in that hour-- say it. For it isn't you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

And you will be hated by everyone because of My name. But the one who endures to the end will be delivered.

Because of this, the wisdom of God said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,'

But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you. They will hand you over to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of My name.

You will even be betrayed by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. They will kill some of you.

You will be hated by everyone because of My name,

If you were of the world, the world would love [you as] its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you.

Remember the word I spoke to you: 'A slave 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.

They will ban you from the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering service to God.

because they were provoked that they were teaching the people and proclaiming in the person of Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

So they seized them and put them in custody until the next day, since it was already evening.

After they called in the apostles and had them flogged, they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them.

Then they went out from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be dishonored on behalf of the name.

They were stoning Stephen as he called out: "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"

About that time King Herod cruelly attacked some who belonged to the church,

and he killed James, John's brother, with the sword.

After the arrest, he put him in prison and assigned four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover.

As they were trying to kill him, word went up to the commander of the regiment that all Jerusalem was in chaos.

Taking along soldiers and centurions, he immediately ran down to them. Seeing the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

"But I said, 'Lord, they know that in synagogue after synagogue I had those who believed in You imprisoned and beaten.

"Then He said to me, 'Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'"

But we consider it suitable to hear from you what you think. For concerning this sect, we are aware that it is spoken against everywhere."

For you, brothers, became imitators of God's churches in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, since you have also suffered the same things from people of your own country, just as they did from the Jews.

hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. As a result, they are always adding to the number of their sins, and wrath has overtaken them completely.

But if [anyone suffers] as a Christian, he should not be ashamed, but should glorify God with that name.

Don't be afraid of what you are about to suffer. Look, the Devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will have tribulation for 10 days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

I know where you live-- where Satan's throne is! And you are holding on to My name and did not deny your faith in Me, even in the days of Antipas, My faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan lives.

When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those slaughtered because of God's word and the testimony they had.

So a white robe was given to each of them, and they were told to rest a little while longer until [the number of] their fellow slaves and their brothers, who were going to be killed just as they had been, would be completed.

I said to him, "Sir, you know." Then he told me: These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.