Old/New Testament
35 Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me; fight against them that fight against me.
2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.
3 Draw out also the spear, and block the way against them that persecute me. Say unto my soul, “I am thy salvation.”
4 Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul; let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.
5 Let them be as chaff before the wind, and let the angel of the Lord chase them.
6 Let their way be dark and slippery, and let the angel of the Lord persecute them.
7 For without cause they have hid their net for me in a pit, which without cause they have dug for my soul.
8 Let destruction come upon him unawares; and let the net which he hath hidden catch himself; into that very destruction let him fall.
9 Then my soul shall be joyful in the Lord; it shall rejoice in His salvation.
10 All my bones shall say, “Lord, who is like unto Thee, who deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and needy from him that would plunder him?”
11 False witnesses rose up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.
12 They rewarded me evil for good, to the grieving of my soul.
13 But as for me, when they were sick my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled my soul with fasting, and my prayer returned unto mine own bosom.
14 I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother; I bowed down in heaviness, as one that mourneth for his mother.
15 But in mine adversity they rejoiced and gathered themselves together; yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they tore at me and ceased not.
16 With hypocritical mockers at feasts they gnashed their teeth against me.
17 Lord, how long wilt Thou look on? Rescue my soul from their destructions, my precious soul from the lions.
18 I will give Thee thanks in the great congregation; I will praise Thee among many people.
19 Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me; neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.
20 For they speak not peace, but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.
21 Yea, they opened their mouths wide against me and said, “Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen it.”
22 This Thou hast seen, O Lord; keep not silence; O Lord, be not far from me.
23 Stir up Thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.
24 Judge me, O Lord my God, according to Thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.
25 Let them not say in their hearts, “Ah, so would we have it!” Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up.”
26 Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at my hurt; let them be clothed with shame and dishonor that magnify themselves against me.
27 Let them shout for joy and be glad that favor my righteous cause; yea, let them say continually, “Let the Lord be magnified who hath pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”
28 And my tongue shall speak of Thy righteousness and of Thy praise all the day long.
36 The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart that there is no fear of God before his eyes.
2 For he flattereth himself in his own eyes until his iniquity be found to be hateful.
3 The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit; he hath ceased to be wise and to do good.
4 He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.
5 Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens, and Thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.
6 Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; Thy judgments are a great deep; O Lord, Thou preservest man and beast.
7 How excellent is Thy lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings.
8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the bounty of Thy house, and Thou shalt make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures.
9 For with Thee is the fountain of life; in Thy light shall we see light.
10 O continue Thy lovingkindness unto them that know Thee, and Thy righteousness to the upright in heart.
11 Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me.
12 There the workers of iniquity lie fallen; they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.
25 Now when Festus had come into the province, after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem.
2 Then the high priest and the chief men of the Jews informed him against Paul and besought him,
3 desiring a favor against him: that he would have Paul brought to Jerusalem, so that they might lie in wait on the way to kill him.
4 But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself would depart shortly thither.
5 “Let those therefore,” he said, “who among you are able, go down with me and accuse this man, if there be any wickedness in him.”
6 And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he went down unto Caesarea. And the next day, sitting in the judgment seat, he commanded Paul to be brought.
7 And when he had come, the Jews who came down from Jerusalem stood round about and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove,
8 while Paul answered for himself: “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor yet against Caesar have I offended any thing at all.”
9 But Festus, desiring to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, “Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem and there be judged of these things before me?”
10 Then said Paul, “I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest.
11 For if I am an offender, or have committed anything worthy of death, I should not refuse to die; but if there is nothing to these things whereof they accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar.”
12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, “Hast thou appealed unto Caesar? Unto Caesar shalt thou go!”
13 Some days later, King Agrippa and Bernice came unto Caesarea to salute Festus.
14 And when they had been there many days, Festus declared Paul’s cause unto the king, saying, “There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix,
15 about whom, when I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him.
16 To them I answered, ’It is not in the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die before he that is accused has the accusers face to face, and has license to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him.’
17 Therefore when they had come hither, without any delay on the morrow, I sat on the judgment seat and commanded the man to be brought forth,
18 against whom, when the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation of such things as I supposed,
19 but had certain questions against him concerning their own superstition and of one Jesus, who was dead and whom Paul affirmed to be alive.
20 And because I was in doubt as to this manner of questions, I asked him whether he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged on these matters.
21 But when Paul appealed to be reserved for a hearing by Augustus, I commanded him to be kept until I might send him to Caesar.”
22 Then Agrippa said unto Festus, “I would also hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” said he, “thou shalt hear him.”
23 And on the morrow, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp, and had entered into the place of hearing with the chief captains and principal men of the city, at Festus’ command Paul was brought forth.
24 And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all men who are here present with us, ye see this man about whom all the multitude of the Jews have applied to me, both at Jerusalem and also here, crying out that he ought not to live any longer.
25 But when I found that he hath committed nothing worthy of death, and that he himself hath appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him.
26 Of him I have nothing certain to write unto my lord. Therefore I have brought him forth before you, and especially before thee, O King Agrippa, that after we have examined him I might have something to write.
27 For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not also to specify the crimes laid against him.”
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