Old/New Testament
A Psalm of David.
1 ¶ Plead my cause, O LORD, with those that strive with me; fight against those that fight against me.
2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up in my help.
3 Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against those that persecute me; say unto my soul; I am thy saving health.
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 at unawares, and let his net that he has hid catch himself; into that very destruction let him fall.
9 And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD; it shall rejoice in his saving health.
10 All my bones shall say, LORD, who is like unto thee, who delivers the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoils him?
11 ¶ False witnesses rose up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.
12 They rewarded me evil for good until my soul was alone.
13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled my soul with fasting, and my prayer rose up in my bosom.
14 I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother; I bowed down heavily, as one that mourns for his mother.
15 But in my adversity they rejoiced and gathered themselves together; yea, the smiters gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they tore me apart and did not cease:
16 With immature hypocritical mockers, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.
17 ¶ Lord, how long wilt thou look on? Restore my soul from their destructions, my life from the lions.
18 I will give thee thanks in the great congregation; I will praise thee among many people.
19 Let not those that are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me; neither let those that hate me wink with the eye without a cause.
20 For they do not speak peace, but they devise deceitful matters against those that are meek in the land.
21 Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me and said, Aha, aha, our eye has seen it.
22 This thou hast seen, O LORD; do not keep silence; O Lord, do not be 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 dishonour that magnify themselves against me.
27 Let them shout for joy and be glad that favour my righteous cause; let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, who has pleasure in the peace of his slave.
28 And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.
To the Overcomer, A Psalm of David the slave of the LORD.
1 ¶ The rebellion of the wicked saith to my heart that there is no fear of God before his eyes.
2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes until his iniquity is found to be hateful.
3 The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit; he has left off to be wise and to do good.
4 He devises iniquity upon his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not abhor evil.
5 ¶ Thy mercy, O LORD, reaches unto the heavens, and thy truth reaches unto the clouds.
6 Thy righteousness is like the mountains of God; thy judgments are a great deep; O LORD, thou dost preserve man and beast.
7 How excellent is thy mercy, O God! therefore the sons of Adam cover themselves in the shadow of thy wings.
8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness 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 Extend thy mercy unto those 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 are the workers of iniquity fallen; they are cast down and shall not be able to rise.
25 ¶ Now when Festus was come into the province, after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem.
2 Then the prince of the priests and the principals of the Jews informed him against Paul and besought him,
3 asking for grace against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, they placing an ambush in the way to kill him.
4 But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea and that he himself would depart shortly there.
5 Let them, therefore, said he, who among you are able, go down with me and accuse this man, if there is anything in him.
6 And when he had tarried among them no more than ten days, he went down unto Caesarea and the next day, sitting on the judgment seat, commanded Paul to be brought.
7 And when he was 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 he answered for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar have I sinned in anything at all.
9 But Festus, willing to ingratiate himself with the Jews, 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 I have done no wrong, as thou very well knowest.
11 For if I am an offender or have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if there are none of these things of which these accuse me, no one 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 ¶ And after certain days 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 at Jerusalem, the princes of the priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have vengeance against him.
16 To whom I answered, It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, before the one who is accused is face to face with his accusers and is given license to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him.
17 Therefore, when they were come here, without any delay on the next day 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 of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.
20 And because I doubted of such manner of questions, I asked him whether he would go to Jerusalem and there be judged of these matters.
21 But when Paul had appealed to be reserved unto the hearing of 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 the next day when Agrippa was come and Bernice, with great pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing, with the tribunals and principal men of the city, at Festus’ commandment, Paul was brought forth.
24 Then 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 dealt with me, both at Jerusalem and also here, crying that he ought not to live any longer.
25 But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death and that he himself has appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him.
26 Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Therefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, O King Agrippa, that, after examination, I might have something to write.
27 For it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not to signify the crimes laid against him.
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