Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

¹⁸ And they said: Come, and let us invent devices against Jeremias: for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet: come, and let us strike him with the tongue, and let us give no heed to all his words.

¹⁹ Give heed to me, O Lord, and hear the voice of my adversaries.

²⁰ Shall evil be rendered for good, because they have digged a pit for my soul? Remember that I have stood in thy sight, so speak good for them, and turn away thy indignation from them.

²¹ Therefore deliver up their children to famine, and bring them into the hands of the sword: let their wives be bereaved of children and widows: and let their husbands be slain by death: let their young men be stabbed with the sword in battle.

²² Let a cry be heard out of their houses: for thou shalt bring the robber upon them suddenly: because they have digged a pit to take me, and have hid snares for my feet.

²³ But thou, O Lord, knowest all their counsel against me unto death: forgive not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from thy sight: let them be overthrown before thy eyes, in the time of thy wrath do thou destroy them.

¹⁷ Then the high priest rising up, and all they that were with him, (which is the heresy of the Sadducees,) were filled with envy.

¹⁸ And they laid hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.

¹⁹ But an angel of the Lord by night opening the doors of the prison, and leading them out, said:

²⁰ Go, and standing speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.

²¹ Who having heard this, early in the morning, entered into the temple, and taught. And the high priest coming, and they that were with him, called together the council, and all the ancients of the children of Israel; and they sent to the prison to have them brought.

²² But when the ministers came, and opening the prison, found them not there, they returned and told,

²³ Saying: The prison indeed we found shut with all diligence, and the keepers standing before the doors; but opening it, we found no man within.

²⁴ Now when the officer of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were in doubt concerning them, what would come to pass.

²⁵ But one came and told them: Behold, the men whom you put in prison are in the temple standing, and teaching the people.

²⁶ Then went the officer with the ministers, and brought them without violence; for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned.