Psalm 36^[a]

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord.

²⁷ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs,^(A) which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. ²⁸ In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

²⁹ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets^(B) and decorate the graves of the righteous. ³⁰ And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ ³¹ So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.^{(C) 32} Go ahead, then, and complete^(D) what your ancestors started!^(E)

³³ “You snakes! You brood of vipers!^(F) How will you escape being condemned to hell?^{(G) 34} Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify;^(H) others you will flog in your synagogues^(I) and pursue from town to town.^{(J) 35} And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel^(K) to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah,^(L) whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.^{(M) 36} Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation.^(N)

³⁷ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,^(O) how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings,^(P) and you were not willing. ³⁸ Look, your house is left to you desolate.^{(Q) 39} For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’^[a]”^(R)

Paul Preaches at Rome Under Guard

¹⁷ Three days later he called together the local Jewish leaders.^(A) When they had assembled, Paul said to them: “My brothers,^(B) although I have done nothing against our people^(C) or against the customs of our ancestors,^(D) I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. ¹⁸ They examined me^(E) and wanted to release me,^(F) because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death.^{(G) 19} The Jews objected, so I was compelled to make an appeal to Caesar.^(H) I certainly did not intend to bring any charge against my own people. ²⁰ For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel^(I) that I am bound with this chain.”^(J)

²¹ They replied, “We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of our people^(K) who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you. ²² But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect.”^(L)