Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
24 They have seen Your people walking together, O God. They have seen the people of my God and King walking into the holy place. 25 Those who sing are in front. Those who play music are behind. And young women who beat timbrels are between. 26 Give thanks to God in the meetings of worship. Give thanks to the Lord, you who are of the family of Israel. 27 There is young Benjamin leading them. The rulers of Judah are among the people, and the rulers of Zebulun, and the rulers of Naphtali.
28 Your God has called for your strength. Show Your strength, O God, Who has acted for us. 29 Kings will bring gifts to You because of Your holy house at Jerusalem. 30 Speak sharp words to the wild animals in the tall grass by the river, the group of bulls with the calves of the people. Walk on those who desire pieces of silver. Divide the people who have joy in war. 31 Princes will come from Egypt. Ethiopia will hurry to put her hands out to God.
32 Sing to God, O nations of the earth. Sing praises to the Lord. 33 Sing to Him Who sits upon the heavens, the heavens of old. Listen, He sends out His voice, His powerful voice. 34 Tell of the power of God. His great power is over Israel and His strength is in the sky. 35 O God, You are honored with fear as You come from Your holy place. The God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to His people. Honor and thanks be to God!
12 Then Abner sent men with news to David at Hebron, saying, “Whose land is this? Make your agreement with me, and I will help you bring all Israel over to you.” 13 David said, “Good! I will make an agreement with you. But you must do one thing that I say. You will not see my face unless you first bring Saul’s daughter Michal when you come to see me.” 14 Then David sent men to Saul’s son Ish-bosheth, saying, “Give me my wife Michal. I was married to her by giving a hundred pieces of skin from the sex parts of the Philistines.” 15 So Ish-bosheth sent men to take her from her husband Paltiel the son of Laish. 16 But her husband went with her, crying as he went. He followed her as far as Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go, return.” So he returned.
The Plan to Kill Paul
12 In the morning some of the Jews gathered together and made a plan to kill Paul. They promised each other that they would not eat or drink until they had killed him. 13 There were more than forty of them who had made this promise. 14 These people came to the head religious leader and to the leaders of the people and said, “We have made a promise not to eat any food until we have killed Paul. 15 We ask you and the court to have the captain bring Paul down to you tomorrow. It will look as if you want to ask him some things. Before he gets near you, we will be waiting to kill him.”
16 Paul’s nephew heard about the plan. He went to the soldiers’ building and told Paul. 17 Paul called one of the soldiers and said, “Take this young man to the captain. He has something to tell him.” 18 The soldiers brought the young man to the captain and said, “Paul asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to tell you.” 19 The captain took him by the hand and they walked over where they could be alone. He said, “What is it that you have to tell me?” 20 The young man said, “The Jews have made a plan to ask you to bring Paul to the courtroom tomorrow. It would look as if they were going to ask him some things. 21 Do not let them talk you into it. More than forty men are waiting in secret to kill him. They have promised each other not to eat or drink anything until they have killed him. They are all waiting for you to say the word.” 22 The captain told the young man to go. He said, “Do not tell anyone you have told me this.”
Paul Is Sent to Felix in Caesarea
23 Then the captain called two soldiers and said, “Get 200 men ready to go to the city of Caesarea by nine o’clock tonight. Also have seventy men ride on horses and 200 men carry spears. 24 Get horses ready for Paul to ride. Take him to Felix, the leader of the people.”
25 He wrote a letter which said, 26 “Claudius Lysias greets Felix, the best leader of the people. 27 This man Paul was taken by the Jews. He was about to be killed by them. But I came along with my soldiers and kept him from being killed. I did this when I learned that he was a Roman citizen. 28 I wanted to know what they had against him. So I took him to the religious leaders’ court. 29 I learned they were holding him because of something about their Law. There was no reason for him to be killed or to be put in prison. 30 I was told that the Jews had a plan to kill this man. At once I sent him to you. I told the Jews who wanted to kill him to tell you what they have against him. Good-bye.”
31 The soldiers took Paul as they were told. They brought him during the night to Antipatris. 32 The next day they went back to their building in Jerusalem. The men riding horses went on with Paul. 33 When they came to Caesarea, they gave the letter to the leader of the people. They also handed Paul over to him. 34 After he read the letter, he asked what part of the country Paul was from. He was told that Paul was from the city of Cilicia. 35 He said, “I will listen to all of this when the men come who want to kill you.” He had Paul kept in King Herod’s building.
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