"If anyone, man or woman, goes to the inner courtyard and sees the king without being summoned, that person must die. That is the law; everyone, from the king's advisers to the people in the provinces, knows that. There is only one way to get around this law: if the king holds out his gold scepter to someone, then that person's life is spared. But it has been a month since the king sent for me."

he sent her this warning: "Don't imagine that you are safer than any other Jew just because you are in the royal palace.

Esther sent Mordecai this reply:

(There was another man, Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath Jearim, who spoke in the name of the LORD against this city and nation just as Jeremiah did.

King Jehoiakim, however, sent Elnathan son of Achbor and some other men to Egypt to get Uriah.

But because I had the support of Ahikam son of Shaphan, I was not handed over to the people and killed.

Those who try to gain their own life will lose it; but those who lose their life for my sake will gain it.

For if you want to save your own life, you will lose it; but if you lose your life for my sake, you will find it.

For if you want to save your own life, you will lose it, but if you lose your life for my sake, you will save it.

Those who try to save their own life will lose it; those who lose their life will save it.

Those who love their own life will lose it; those who hate their own life in this world will keep it for life eternal.

Whoever wants to serve me must follow me, so that my servant will be with me where I am. And my Father will honor anyone who serves me.

But I reckon my own life to be worth nothing to me; I only want to complete my mission and finish the work that the Lord Jesus gave me to do, which is to declare the Good News about the grace of God.

But he answered, "What are you doing, crying like this and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be tied up in Jerusalem but even to die there for the sake of the Lord Jesus."

This is a true saying: "If we have died with him, we shall also live with him.

If we are not faithful, he remains faithful, because he cannot be false to himself."

As for me, the hour has come for me to be sacrificed; the time is here for me to leave this life.

And now there is waiting for me the victory prize of being put right with God, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that Day---and not only to me, but to all those who wait with love for him to appear.

Through faith women received their dead relatives raised back to life. Others, refusing to accept freedom, died under torture in order to be raised to a better life.

Don't be afraid of anything you are about to suffer. Listen! The Devil will put you to the test by having some of you thrown into prison, and your troubles will last ten days. Be faithful to me, even if it means death, and I will give you life as your prize of victory.

"I don't know, sir. You do," I answered. He said to me, "These are the people who have come safely through the terrible persecution. They have washed their robes and made them white with the blood of the Lamb.

They won the victory over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the truth which they proclaimed; and they were willing to give up their lives and die.

"Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires; the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them!

Be happy and glad, for a great reward is kept for you in heaven. This is how the prophets who lived before you were persecuted.

Everyone will hate you because of me. But whoever holds out to the end will be saved.

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake, will receive a hundred times more and will be given eternal life.

"Happy are you when people hate you, reject you, insult you, and say that you are evil, all because of the Son of Man!

Be glad when that happens and dance for joy, because a great reward is kept for you in heaven. For their ancestors did the very same things to the prophets.

Remember what I told you: 'Slaves are not greater than their master.' If people persecuted me, they will persecute you too; if they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours too.

But they will do all this to you because you are mine; for they do not know the one who sent me.

And I myself will show him all that he must suffer for my sake."

All this I do for the gospel's sake, in order to share in its blessings.

I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Do not be ashamed, then, of witnessing for our Lord; neither be ashamed of me, a prisoner for Christ's sake. Instead, take your part in suffering for the Good News, as God gives you the strength for it.

My dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful test you are suffering, as though something unusual were happening to you.

Happy are you if you are insulted because you are Christ's followers; this means that the glorious Spirit, the Spirit of God, is resting on you.

However, if you suffer because you are a Christian, don't be ashamed of it, but thank God that you bear Christ's name.