For you also showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted with joy the seizure of your possessions, knowing that you have for yourselves a better and lasting possession.

fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Obey your leaders and submit to them—for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account—so that they will do this with joy and not with groaning, for this would be unprofitable for you.

Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials,

Be miserable and mourn and cry. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom.

And though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,

And these things we are writing, so that our joy may be made complete.

Though I have many things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, so that your joy may be made complete.

I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,