Ifyou are reviledfor the nameof Christ,you are blessed,becausethe Spiritof gloryand of Godrestson you.
"How blessedare your men,how blessedare theseyour servantswho standbeforeyou continually[and] hearyour wisdom.
Now when the sonsof the prophetswho[were] at Jerichoopposite[him] sawhim, they said,"The spiritof Elijahrestson Elisha."And they cameto meethim and bowedthemselves to the groundbefore him.
How blessedis he whosehelpis the Godof Jacob,Whose hopeis in the LORDhis God,
That he should liveon eternally,That he should not undergodecay.
With whichYour enemieshave reproached,O LORD,With whichthey have reproachedthe footstepsof Your anointed.
The Spiritof the LORDwill reston Him, The spiritof wisdomand understanding,The spiritof counseland strength,The spiritof knowledgeand the fearof the LORD.
He will swallowup deathfor alltime,And the LordGODwill wipetearsawayfrom allfaces,And He will removethe reproachof His peoplefrom allthe earth;For the LORDhas spoken.
"Listento Me, you who knowrighteousness,A peoplein whose heartis My law;Do not fearthe reproachof man,Norbe dismayedat their revilings.
"Blessedare you when[people] insultyou and persecuteyou, and falselysayall kindsof evilagainstyou becauseof Me.
"Let your lightshinebeforemenin such a waythat they may seeyour goodworks,and glorifyyour Fatherwho is in heaven.
"Blessedare you whenmenhateyou, and ostracizeyou, and insultyou, and scornyour nameas evil,for the sakeof the Sonof Man.
"But allthese thingsthey will doto you for My name'ssake,becausethey do not knowthe One who sentMe.
The Jewsansweredand saidto Him, "Do we not sayrightlythat You are a Samaritanand havea demon?"
They reviledhim and said,"You are His disciple,but we are disciplesof Moses.
They answeredhim, "You were bornentirelyin sins,and are you teachingus?" Sothey puthim out.
But when the Jewssawthe crowds,they were filledwith jealousyand [began] contradictingthe things spokenby Paul,and were blaspheming.
But when they resistedand blasphemed,he shookout his garmentsand saidto them, "Your blood[be] on your own heads!I am clean.From nowon I will goto the Gentiles."
"But we desireto hearfrom you whatyour viewsare; for concerningthissect,it is knownto us that it is spoken againsteverywhere."
Sothey went on their wayfrom the presenceof the Council,rejoicingthat they had been considered worthyto suffershamefor [His] name.
ThereforeI am well contentwith weaknesses,with insults,with distresses,with persecutions,with difficulties,for Christ'ssake;for whenI am weak,thenI amstrong.
alwayscarrying aboutin the bodythe dyingof Jesus,sothat the lifeof Jesusalsomay be manifestedin our body.
Thereforewe do not lose heart,but thoughour outermanis decaying,yetour inner manis being reneweddayby day.
And they were glorifyingGodbecauseof me.
consideringthe reproachof Christgreaterrichesthan the treasuresof Egypt;for he was lookingto the reward.
Blessedis a manwhoperseveresunder trial;for once he has beenapproved,he will receivethe crownof lifewhich[the Lord] has promisedto thosewho loveHim.
We countthoseblessedwho endured.You have heardof the enduranceof Joband have seenthe outcomeof the Lord'sdealings, that the Lordis full of compassionand [is] merciful.
Keepyour behaviorexcellentamongthe Gentiles,sothat in the thing in whichthey slanderyou as evildoers,they may becauseof your gooddeeds,as they observe[them], glorifyGodin the dayof visitation.
But evenifyou should sufferfor the sakeof righteousness,you are blessed.AND DO NOT FEARTHEIR INTIMIDATION,AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED,
and keepa goodconsciencesothat in the thing in whichyou are slandered,thosewho revileyour goodbehaviorin Christwill be put to shame.
but if[anyone suffers] as a Christian,he is not to be ashamed,but is to glorifyGodin thisname.
Manywill followtheir sensuality,and becauseof them the wayof the truthwill be maligned;
