Suffering

It was good for me to be afflicted, that I might learn Your statutes.

⁹ Resist him, standing firm in your faith and in the knowledge that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.

¹⁰ And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore you, secure you, strengthen you, and establish you.

²¹ They preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,

²² strengthening the souls of the disciples and encouraging them to continue in the faith. “We must endure many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.

Why is my pain unending, and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? You have indeed become like a mirage to me— water that is not there.

¹² Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial that has come upon you, as though something strange were happening to you.

¹³ But rejoice that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed at the revelation of His glory.

¹⁴ If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

¹⁵ Indeed, none of you should suffer as a murderer or thief or wrongdoer, or even as a meddler.

¹⁶ But if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but glorify God that you bear that name.

¹⁷ For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God?

¹⁷ And if we are children, then we are heirs: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him.

¹⁸ I consider that our present sufferings are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed in us.

⁶ In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in various trials

⁷ so that the proven character of your faith—more precious than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

¹⁹ For if anyone endures the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God, this is to be commended.

²⁰ How is it to your credit if you are beaten for doing wrong and you endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.

²¹ For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His footsteps:

²² “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.”

²³ When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.

So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should entrust their souls to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal glory that is far beyond comparison.

² And he sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the scribe, and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz

³ to tell him, “This is what Hezekiah says: Today is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace; for children have come to the point of birth, but there is no strength to deliver them.

Join me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

¹² Indeed, all who desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

¹³ while evil men and imposters go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.

Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?

¹⁴ Just as many were appalled at Him — His appearance was disfigured beyond that of any man, and His form was marred beyond human likeness—

¹⁵ so He will sprinkle many nations. Kings will shut their mouths because of Him. For they will see what they have not been told, and they will understand what they have not heard.

In all their distress, He too was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them. In His love and compassion He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

¹⁰ Brothers, as an example of patience in affliction, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

¹¹ See how blessed we consider those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen the outcome from the Lord. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

¹² Above all, my brothers, do not swear, not by heaven or earth or by any other oath. Simply let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, so that you will not fall under judgment.

¹³ Is any one of you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises.

Israel was greatly impoverished by Midian, and the Israelites cried out to the LORD.

“Please, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all His wonders of which our fathers told us, saying, ‘Has not the LORD brought us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hand of Midian.”

About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

³⁴ At the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

³⁵ When some of those standing nearby heard this, they said, “Behold, He is calling Elijah.”

³⁶ And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine. He put it on a reed and held it up for Jesus to drink, saying, “Leave Him alone. Let us see if Elijah comes to take Him down.”

²⁰ So Joseph’s master took him and had him thrown into the prison where the king’s prisoners were confined. While Joseph was there in the prison,

²¹ the LORD was with him and extended kindness to him, granting him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.

And in His anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.

⁹ For it seems to me that God has displayed us apostles at the end of the procession, like prisoners appointed for death. We have become a spectacle to the whole world, to angels as well as to men.

¹⁰ We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are honored, but we are dishonored.

¹¹ To this very hour we are hungry and thirsty, we are poorly clothed, we are brutally treated, we are homeless.

¹² We work hard with our own hands. When we are vilified, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;

¹³ when we are slandered, we answer gently. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world.

We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the hardships we encountered in the province of Asia. We were under a burden far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.

²³ Are they servants of Christ? I am speaking like I am out of my mind, but I am so much more: in harder labor, in more imprisonments, in worse beatings, in frequent danger of death.

²⁴ Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.

²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked. I spent a night and a day in the open sea.

²⁶ In my frequent journeys, I have been in danger from rivers and from bandits, in danger from my countrymen and from the Gentiles, in danger in the city and in the country, in danger on the sea and among false brothers,

²⁷ in labor and toil and often without sleep, in hunger and thirst and often without food, in cold and exposure.

²² The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered that they be stripped and beaten with rods.

²³ And after striking them with many blows, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to guard them securely.

²⁴ On receiving this order, he placed them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

²⁵ About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned and cried out under their burden of slavery, and their cry for deliverance from bondage ascended to God.

Sometimes you were publicly exposed to ridicule and persecution; at other times you were partners with those who were so treated.

So they took Jeremiah and dropped him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah with ropes into the cistern, which had no water but only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.

¹ Then Pilate took Jesus and had Him flogged.

² The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns, set it on His head, and dressed Him in a purple robe.

³ And they went up to Him again and again, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and slapping Him in the face.

⁴ Once again Pilate came out and said to the Jews, “Look, I am bringing Him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against Him.”

⁵ When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”

¹³ One day, while Job’s sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,

¹⁴ a messenger came and reported to Job: “While the oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby,

¹⁵ the Sabeans swooped down and took them away. They put the servants to the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

¹⁶ While he was still speaking, another messenger came and reported: “The fire of God fell from heaven. It burned and consumed the sheep and the servants, and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

¹⁷ While he was still speaking, another messenger came and reported: “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels, and took them away. They put the servants to the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

¹⁸ While he was still speaking, another messenger came and reported: “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,

¹⁹ when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on the young people and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

⁴ “Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give up all he owns in exchange for his life.

⁵ But stretch out Your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse You to Your face.”

⁶ “Very well,” said the LORD to Satan. “He is in your hands, but you must spare his life.”

⁷ So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and infected Job with terrible boils from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.

⁸ And Job took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself as he sat among the ashes.

⁹ Then Job’s wife said to him, “Do you still retain your integrity? Curse God and die!”

²⁰ My skin and flesh cling to my bones; I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.

²¹ Have pity on me, my friends, have pity, for the hand of God has struck me.

²² Why do you persecute me as God does? Will you never get enough of my flesh?

But beware of men; for they will hand you over to their councils and flog you in their synagogues.

³ This man had been living in the tombs and could no longer be restrained, even with chains.

⁴ Though he was often bound with chains and shackles, he had broken the chains and shattered the shackles. Now there was no one with the strength to subdue him.

⁵ Night and day in the tombs and in the mountains he kept crying out and cutting himself with stones.

²⁵ And a woman was there who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years.

²⁶ She had borne much agony under the care of many physicians and had spent all she had, but to no avail. Instead, her condition had only grown worse.

So the LORD brought against them the military commanders of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon.

⁴ Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships, and calamities;

⁵ in beatings, imprisonments, and riots; in labor, sleepless nights, and hunger;

⁶ in purity, knowledge, patience, and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love;