But the souls of the just are in the hand of God, and the torment of death shall not touch them.2 In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die: and their departure was taken for misery:3 And their going away from us, for utter destruction: but they are in peace.4 And though in the sight of men they suffered torments, their hope is full of immortality.5 Afflicted in few things, in many they shall be well rewarded: because God hath tried them, and found them worthy of himself.6 As gold in the furnace he hath proved them, and as a victim of a holocaust he hath received them, and in time there shall be respect had to them.7 The just shall shine, and shall run to and fro like sparks among the reeds.8 They shall judge nations, and rule over people, and their Lord shall reign for ever.
The good God, showing his great and varied providence, not only ordained all of creation, unfolded the heavens, spread the seas, enkindled the sun, caused the moon to shine, gave the earth to be inhabited and offered all the resources of the earth for food and for the sustenance of our bodies, but he also gave us the relics of the holy martyrs. After taking their souls ("The souls of the righteous," it says, "are in the hand of God"), he left us their bodies in the meantime as an exhortation and a comfort, so that, drawing near to the graves of these saints, we might be moved to zeal and to imitation and that seeing them we might keep the memory of their good works and of the rewards associated with them.
And when you shall hear of wars and seditions, be not terrified: these things must first come to pass; but the end is not yet presently.10 Then he said to them: Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.11 And there shall be great earthquakes in divers places, and pestilences, and famines, and terrors from heaven; and there shall be great signs.12 But before all these things, they will lay their hands upon you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and into prisons, dragging you before kings and governors, for my name’s sake.†13 And it shall happen unto you for a testimony.14 Lay it up therefore into your hearts, not to meditate before how you shall answer:15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to resist and gainsay.16 And you shall be betrayed by your parents and brethren, and kinsmen and friends; and some of you they will put to death.17 And you shall be hated by all men for my name’s sake.18 But a hair of your head shall not perish.19 In your patience you shall possess your souls.†
But let us consider the state of things at that time. While all men were suspected, kinsfolk were divided against one another, each differing from the other in religion; the gentile son stood up the betrayer of his believing parents, and of his believing son the unbelieving father became the determined accuser; no age was spared in the persecution of the faith; women were unprotected even by the natural weakness of their sex.
About CSB. A personal translation of the New Testament, rendered directly from the public-domain Greek in a literary style — not a scholarly critical edition, and not for liturgical or doctrinal authority. It is one reader's work, offered for enjoyment; where it matters, weigh it against an established translation. (Placeholder text — final wording to come.)