A few good people are better\par than a large crowd of evil people.\par
Hebrews 11:26 - Easy To Read Version Moses thought that it was better to suffer for the Christ {\cf2\super [151]} than to have all the treasures of Egypt. Moses was waiting for the reward \{that God would give him\}. Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. Amplified Bible - Classic Edition He considered the contempt and abuse and shame [borne for] the Christ (the Messiah Who was to come) to be greater wealth than all the treasures of Egypt, for he looked forward and away to the reward (recompense). American Standard Version (1901) accounting the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt: for he looked unto the recompense of reward. Common English Bible He thought that the abuses he suffered for Christ were more valuable than the treasures of Egypt, since he was looking forward to the reward. Catholic Public Domain Version valuing the reproach of Christ to be a greater wealth than the treasures of the Egyptians. For he looked forward to his reward. Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasure of the Egyptians. For he looked unto the reward. |
A few good people are better\par than a large crowd of evil people.\par
The shame has crushed me!\par I am about to die from shame.\par I waited for sympathy,\par but none could be found.\par I waited for some person to comfort me,\par but no person came.\par
An evil man cheats people and takes their money. But a person that is fair and does right will get the real reward.
You people that understand goodness\par should listen to me.\par You people that follow my teachings\par should hear the things I say.\par Don’t be afraid of evil people.\par Don’t be afraid of the bad things\par that they say to you.\par
Any person that meets a prophet {\cf2\super [130]} and accepts him will get the same reward a prophet gets. And any person that accepts a good man because that man is good will get the same reward a good man gets.
Be happy and glad. You have a great reward waiting for you in heaven. People did those same bad things to the prophets {\cf2\super [60]} that lived before you.
“Be careful! When you do good things, don’t do those things in front of people. Don’t do those things for people to see you. If you do that, then you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
Then you will have great blessings, because these people cannot pay you back. They have nothing. But God will reward you at the time when good people rise from death.”
It is the same for each of you. You must decide if you can leave everything you have to follow me. If not, you cannot be my follower!
The apostles left the meeting. The apostles were happy because they were given the honor of suffering dishonor (shame) for the name \{of Jesus\}.
So I am happy when I have weaknesses. I am happy when people say bad things to me. I am happy when I have hard times. I am happy when people treat me badly. And I am happy when I have problems. All these things are for Christ. And I am happy with these things, because when I am weak, then I am truly strong.
We have much sadness, but we are always rejoicing. We are poor, but we are making many people rich \{in faith\}. We have nothing, but really we have everything.
I pray that God will open your minds to see his truth. Then you will know the hope that God has chosen us to have. You will know that the blessings God has promised his holy people {\cf2\super [7]} are rich and glorious.
I am the least important of all of God’s people. But God gave me this gift—to tell the non-Jewish people the Good News about the riches Christ has. Those riches are too great to understand fully.
At one time all these things were important to me. But I decided that those things are worth nothing because of Christ.
Sometimes people said hateful things to you and persecuted {\cf2\super [141]} you before many people. And sometimes you helped other people who were being treated that same way.
So don’t lose the courage that you had in the past. Your courage will be rewarded richly.
Without faith, a person cannot please God. Any person who comes to God must believe that God is real. And any person who comes to God must believe that God rewards those people who truly want to find him.
So we should go to Jesus outside the camp. We should accept the same shame that Jesus had.
The teaching (the law) that God spoke through angels was shown to be true. And every time the \{Jewish\} people did something against that teaching they were punished for what they did. They were punished when they did not obey that teaching.
The Spirit {\cf2\super [5]} of Christ was in those prophets. And the Spirit was telling about the sufferings that would happen to Christ and about the glory that would come after those sufferings. Those prophets tried to learn about what the Spirit was showing them. They tried to learn when those things would happen and what the world would be like at that time.
When people say bad things to you because you follow Christ, then you are blessed (happy). You are blessed because the Spirit {\cf2\super [28]} of glory is with you. That is the Spirit of God.
I know your troubles, and I know that you are poor. But really you are rich! I know the bad things that some people say \{about you\}. Those people say they are Jews. But they are not true Jews. They are a synagogue (group) that belongs to Satan (the devil).
I advise you to buy gold from me—gold made pure in fire. Then you can be truly rich. I tell you this: Buy clothes that are white. Then you can cover your shameful nakedness. I also tell you to buy medicine to put on your eyes. Then you can truly see.
The Lord will reward you for all the good things you have done. You will be paid in full by the Lord, the God of Israel. You have come to him for safety, [10] {and he will protect you}.”