“People will say bad things against you and hurt you. They will lie and say all kinds of evil things against you because you follow me. But when people do those things to you, know that God will bless you.
1 Corinthians 4:12 - Easy To Read Version We work hard with our own hands \{to feed ourselves\}. People curse us, but we speak a blessing for them. People persecute {\cf2\super [26]} us, and we accept it. Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 and labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: Amplified Bible - Classic Edition And we still toil unto weariness [for our living], working hard with our own hands. When men revile us [wound us with an accursed sting], we bless them. When we are persecuted, we take it patiently and endure it. American Standard Version (1901) and we toil, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; Common English Bible We work hard with our own hands. When we are insulted, we respond with a blessing; when we are harassed, we put up with it; Catholic Public Domain Version And we labor, working with our own hands. We are slandered, and so we bless. We suffer and endure persecution. Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version And we labour, working with our own hands: we are reviled, and we bless; we are persecuted, and we suffer it. |
“People will say bad things against you and hurt you. They will lie and say all kinds of evil things against you because you follow me. But when people do those things to you, know that God will bless you.
But I tell you, love your enemies. Pray for those people that do bad things to you.
Jesus said, “Father, forgive these people \{that are killing me\}. They don’t know what they are doing. {\cf2\super [377]} ”
Ask God to bless those people that say bad things to you. Pray for those people that are mean to you.
Remember the lesson I told you: A servant is not greater than his master. If people did wrong to me, then they will do wrong to you too. And if people obeyed my teaching, then they will obey yours too.
They were tentmakers, the same as Paul. So Paul stayed with them and worked with them.
You know that I always worked to take care of my own needs and the needs of the people that were with me.
Say only good things to those people that do bad things to you. Say good things to them and don’t curse them.
But you should do this: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if your enemy is thirsty, give him something to drink. In this way you will make that person ashamed. {\cf2\super [133]} ” {\cf2\super [134]}
Can anything separate us from Christ’s love? No! Can trouble separate us from Christ’s love? No! Can problems or persecution {\cf2\super [70]} separate us from Christ’s love? No! If we have no food or clothes, will that separate us from Christ’s love? No! Will danger or even death separate us from Christ’s love? No!
And are Barnabas and I the only ones that must work to earn our living?
I accepted pay from other churches. I took their money so that I could serve you.
If a person is stealing, he must stop stealing. That person must start working. He must use his hands for doing something good. Then he will have something to share with those people who are poor.
Brothers and sisters, I know that you remember how hard we worked. We worked night and day. We did not want to burden you \{by making you pay us\} while we did the work of telling God’s Good News to you.
And when we ate another person’s food, we always paid for it. We worked and worked so that we would not be trouble to any of you. We worked night and day.
We hope in the living God. He is the Savior of all people. And in a special way, he is the Savior of all those people who believe in him. This is why we work and struggle.
People said bad things to Christ, but he did not say bad things to them. Christ suffered, but he did not threaten (speak against) the people. No! Christ let God take care of him. God is the One who judges rightly.
But you may suffer for doing right. If that happens, then you are blessed (happy). “Don’t be afraid of those people \{that make you suffer\}; don’t be worried.” {\cf2\super [25]}
Don’t do wrong to a person to pay him back for doing wrong to you. Or don’t say something bad to a person to pay him back for saying something bad to you. But \{ask God to\} bless that person. Do this, because you yourselves were called to receive a blessing.
So those people who suffer like God wants them to should trust their lives to him. God is the One who made them, and they can trust him. So they should continue to do good.