For a day in thy courts {is} better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. {I had...: Heb. I would choose rather to sit at the threshold}

Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

Take heed, regard not iniquity: for this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.

Therefore if any man {be} in Christ, {he is} a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. {he is: or, let him be}

That the triumphing of the wicked {is} short, and the joy of the hypocrite {but} for a moment? {short: Heb. from near}

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.

We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

Which in time past {were} not a people, but {are} now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? {shall} tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of {them} all the Lord delivered me.

Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:

But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.

Therefore hear now this, {thou that art} given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I {am}, and none else beside me; I shall not sit {as} a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children:

And not only {so}, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

Blessed {are} they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;

For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

And seeing one {of them} suffer wrong, he defended {him}, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:

Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. {abide me: or, wait for me}

They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance.

There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. {rest: or, keeping of a sabbath}

The princes of the people are gathered together, {even} the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the earth {belong} unto God: he is greatly exalted. {princes...: or, voluntary of the people are gathered unto the people of the God of Abraham}

Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. {offended: he relapseth, or, falleth into sin}

My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me. {heart...: or, mind wandered} {turned: Heb. put}

They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;

And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, {and} be merry.

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with {him}, that we may be also glorified together.

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time {are} not worthy {to be compared} with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen {are} temporal; but the things which are not seen {are} eternal.

There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. {rest: or, keeping of a sabbath}

And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. {destroy the earth: or, corrupt the earth}

Take heed, regard not iniquity: for this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.

But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:

Bread of deceit {is} sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel. {deceit: Heb. lying, or, falsehood}

And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.