Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
142 The Prophet neither astonied with fear, nor carried away with anger, nor forced by desperation, would kill Saul: but with a quiet mind directed his earnest prayer to God, who did preserve him.
A Psalm of David, to give instruction, and a prayer when he was in the cave.
1 I cried unto the Lord with my voice: with my voice I [a]prayed unto the Lord.
2 I poured out my meditation before him, and declared mine affection in his presence.
3 Though my spirit [b]was in perplexity in me, yet thou knewest my path: in the way wherein I walked, have they privily laid a snare for me.
4 I looked upon my right hand, and beheld, but there was none that would know me: all refuge failed me, and [c]none cared for my soul.
5 Then cried I unto thee, O Lord, and said, Thou art mine [d]hope, and my portion in the land of the living.
6 Hearken unto my cry, for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me.
7 Bring my soul out of [e]prison, that I may praise thy Name: then shall the righteous [f]come about me, when thou art beneficial unto me.
9 Threatenings against the Temple, 2 And against Israel. 11 The restoring of the Church.
1 I saw the Lord standing upon the [a]Altar, and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in pieces, even the [b]heads of them all, and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them, shall not flee away: and he that escapeth of them, shall not be delivered.
2 Though they dig into the hell, thence shall mine hand take them: though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down.
3 And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence: and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the [c]serpent, and he shall bite them.
4 And though they go into captivity before their enemies, thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them: and I will set mine eyes upon them for evil, and not for good.
12 [a]And when the day was come, certain of the Jews made an assembly, and bound themselves [b]with a curse, saying, that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.
13 And they were more than forty, which had made this conspiracy.
14 And they came to the chief Priests and Elders, and said, We have bound ourselves with a solemn curse, that we will eat nothing, until we have slain Paul.
15 Now therefore, [c]ye and the Council, signify to the chief captain, that he bring him forth unto you tomorrow, as though you would know something more perfectly of him, and we, or ever he come near will be ready to kill him.
16 But when Paul’s sister’s son heard of their laying await, he went, and entered into the castle, and told Paul.
17 [d]And Paul called one of the Centurions unto him, and said, Take this young man hence unto the chief captain: for he hath a certain thing to show him.
18 So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and said, Paul the prisoner called me unto him, and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, which hath something to say unto thee.
19 Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and went apart with him alone, and asked him, What hast thou to show me?
20 And he said, The Jews have conspired to desire thee, that thou wouldest bring forth Paul tomorrow into the Council, as though they would inquire somewhat of him more perfectly:
21 But let them not persuade thee: for there lie in wait for him of them, more than forty men, which have bound themselves with a curse, that they will neither eat nor drink, till they have killed him: and now are they ready, and wait for thy promise.
22 [e]The chief captain then let the young man depart, after he had charged him to utter it to no man, that he had [f]showed him these things.
23 And he called unto him two certain Centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers, that they may go to Caesarea, and horsemen threescore and ten, and two hundred with darts, at the third hour of the night:
24 And let them make ready an horse, that Paul being set on, may be brought safe unto Felix the governor.
25 And he wrote an Epistle in this manner:
26 [g]Claudius Lysias unto the most noble governor Felix sendeth greeting.
27 As this man was taken of the Jews, and should have been killed of them, I came upon them with a garrison, and rescued him, perceiving that he was a Roman.
28 And when I would have known the cause wherefore they accused him, I brought him forth into their Council.
29 There I perceived that he was accused of questions of their Law, but had no crime worthy of death, or of bonds.
30 And when it was showed me, how that the Jews laid wait for the man, I sent him straightway to thee, and commanded his accusers to speak before thee the things that they had against him. Farewell.
31 Then the soldiers as it was commanded them, took Paul, and brought him by night to Antipatris,
32 And the next day, they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned into the Castle.
33 Now when they came to Caesarea, they delivered the Epistle to the governor, and presented Paul also unto him.
34 So when the Governor had read it, he asked of what province he was: and when he understood that he was of Cilicia,
35 I will hear thee, said he, when thine accusers also are come, and commanded him to be kept in Herod’s judgment hall.
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