The army officer saw what had happened, and he praised God, saying, "Certainly he was a good man!"

When the people who had gathered there to watch the spectacle saw what happened, they all went back home, beating their breasts in sorrow.

"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,

bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you.

he told us to ask you, 'Please forgive the crime your brothers committed when they wronged you.' Now please forgive us the wrong that we, the servants of your father's God, have done." Joseph cried when he received this message.

There in the desert they were jealous of Moses and of Aaron, the LORD's holy servant.

fire came down on their followers and burned up those wicked people.

they exchanged the glory of God for the image of an animal that eats grass.

What wonderful things he did there! What amazing things at the Red Sea!

But now I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

He knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, "Lord! Do not remember this sin against them!" He said this and died.

Ask God to bless those who persecute you---yes, ask him to bless, not to curse.

we wear ourselves out with hard work. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure;

For what credit is there if you endure the beatings you deserve for having done wrong? But if you endure suffering even when you have done right, God will bless you for it.

He committed no sin, and no one ever heard a lie come from his lips.

Do not pay back evil with evil or cursing with cursing; instead, pay back with a blessing, because a blessing is what God promised to give you when he called you.

"The servant who knows what his master wants him to do, but does not get himself ready and do it, will be punished with a heavy whipping.

But the servant who does not know what his master wants, and yet does something for which he deserves a whipping, will be punished with a light whipping. Much is required from the person to whom much is given; much more is required from the person to whom much more is given.

They would not have been guilty of sin if I had not come and spoken to them; as it is, they no longer have any excuse for their sin.

They would not have been guilty of sin if I had not done among them the things that no one else ever did; as it is, they have seen what I did, and they hate both me and my Father.

Jesus answered, "You have authority over me only because it was given to you by God. So the man who handed me over to you is guilty of a worse sin."

"And now, my friends, I know that what you and your leaders did to Jesus was due to your ignorance.

None of the rulers of this world knew this wisdom. If they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

even though in the past I spoke evil of him and persecuted and insulted him. But God was merciful to me because I did not yet have faith and so did not know what I was doing.

They gamble for my clothes and divide them among themselves.

They crucified him and then divided his clothes among them by throwing dice.

After that they sat there and watched him.

Then they crucified him and divided his clothes among themselves, throwing dice to see who would get which piece of clothing.

After the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier. They also took the robe, which was made of one piece of woven cloth without any seams in it.

The soldiers said to one another, "Let's not tear it; let's throw dice to see who will get it." This happened in order to make the scripture come true: "They divided my clothes among themselves and gambled for my robe." And this is what the soldiers did.