Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
142 Hear, O Lord, my prayer: give ear to my supplication in thy truth: hear me in thy justice.
2 And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight no man living shall be justified.
3 For the enemy hath persecuted my soul: he hath brought down my life to the earth. He hath made me to dwell in darkness as those that have been dead of old:
4 And my spirit is in anguish within me: my heart within me is troubled.
5 I remembered the days of old, I meditated on all thy works: I meditated upon the works of thy hands.
6 I stretched forth my hands to thee: my soul is as earth without water unto thee.
7 Hear me speedily, O Lord: my spirit hath fainted away. Turn not away thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.
8 Cause me to hear thy mercy in the morning; for in thee have I hoped. Make the way known to me, wherein I should walk: for I have lifted up my soul to thee.
9 Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord, to thee have I fled:
10 Teach me to do thy will, for thou art my God. Thy good spirit shall lead me into the right land:
11 For thy name's sake, O Lord, thou wilt quicken me in thy justice. Thou wilt bring my soul out of trouble:
12 And in thy mercy thou wilt destroy my enemies. And thou wilt cut off all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.
9 I saw the Lord standing upon the altar, and he said: Strike the hinges, and let the lintels be shook: for there is covetousness in the head of them all, and I will slay the last of them with the sword: there shall be no flight for them: they shall flee, and he that shall flee of them shall not be delivered.
2 Though they go down even to hell, thence shall my hand bring them out: and though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down.
3 And though they be hid in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them away from thence: and though they hide themselves from my eyes in the depth of the sea, there will I command the serpent and he shall bite them.
4 And if they go into captivity before their enemies, there will I command the sword, and it shall kill them. And I will set my eyes upon them for evil, and not for good.
12 And when day was come, some of the Jews gathered together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying, that they would neither eat, nor drink, till they killed Paul.
13 And they were more than forty men that had made this conspiracy.
14 Who came to the chief priests and the ancients, and said: We have bound ourselves under a great curse that we will eat nothing till we have slain Paul.
15 Now therefore do you with the council signify to the tribune, that he bring him forth to you, as if you meant to know something more certain touching him. And we, before he come near, are ready to kill him.
16 Which when Paul's sister's son had heard, of their lying in wait, he came and entered into the castle and told Paul.
17 And Paul, calling to him one of the centurions, said: Bring this young man to the tribune, for he hath some thing to tell him.
18 And he taking him, brought him to the tribune, and said: Paul, the prisoner, desired me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath some thing to say to thee.
19 And the tribune taking him by the hand, went aside with him privately, and asked him: What is it that thou hast to tell me?
20 And he said: The Jews have agreed to desire thee, that thou wouldst bring forth Paul to morrow into the council, as if they meant to inquire some thing more certain touching him.
21 But do not thou give credit to them; for there lie in wait for him more than forty men of them, who have bound themselves by oath neither to eat, nor to drink, till they have killed him: and they are now ready, looking for a promise from thee.
22 The tribune therefore dismissed the young man, charging him that he should tell no man, that he had made known these things unto him.
23 Then having called two centurions, he said to them: Make ready two hundred soldiers to go as far as Caesarea, and seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen for the third hour of the night:
24 And provide beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe to Felix the governor.
25 (For he feared lest perhaps the Jews might take him away by force and kill him, and he should afterwards be slandered, as if he was to take money.) And he wrote a letter after this manner:
26 Claudius Lysias to the most excellent governor, Felix, greeting.
27 This man being taken by the Jews, and ready to be killed by them, I rescued coming in with an army, understanding that he is a Roman:
28 And meaning to know the cause which they objected unto him, I brought him forth into their council.
29 Whom I found to be accused concerning questions of their law; but having nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bands.
30 And when I was told of ambushes that they had prepared for him, I sent him to thee, signifying also to his accusers to plead before thee. Farewell.
31 Then the soldiers, according as it was commanded them, taking Paul, brought him by night to Antipatris.
32 And the next day, leaving the horsemen to go with him, they returned to the castle.
33 Who, when they were come to Caesarea, and had delivered the letter to the governor, did also present Paul before him.
34 And when he had read it, and had asked of what province he was, and understood that he was of Cilicia;
35 I will hear thee, said he, when thy accusers come. And he commanded him to be kept in Herod's judgment hall.
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