Praise to the Creator and Preserver

331 Exult, ye righteous, in Jehovah: praise is comely for the upright. 2 Give thanks unto Jehovah with the harp; sing psalms unto him with the ten-stringed lute. 3 Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud sound. 4 For the word of Jehovah is right, and all his work is in faithfulness. 5 He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the loving-kindness of Jehovah. 6 By the word of Jehovah were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. 7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together as a heap; he layeth up the deeps in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear Jehovah; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. 9 For he spoke, and it was [done]; he commanded, and it stood fast. 10 Jehovah frustrateth the counsel of the nations; he maketh the thoughts of the peoples of none effect. 11 The counsel of Jehovah standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart from generation to generation.

12 Blessed is the nation whose God is Jehovah, the people that he hath chosen for his inheritance! 13 Jehovah looketh from the heavens; he beholdeth all the sons of men: 14 From the place of his habitation he looketh forth upon all the inhabitants of the earth; 15 He who fashioneth the hearts of them all, who considereth all their works. 16 The king is not saved by the multitude of [his] forces; a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. 17 The horse is a vain thing for safety; neither doth he deliver by his great power. 18 Behold, the eye of Jehovah is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his loving-kindness, 19 To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. 20 Our soul waiteth for Jehovah: he is our help and our shield. 21 For in him shall our heart rejoice, because we have confided in his holy name. 22 Let thy loving-kindness, O Jehovah, be upon us, according as we have hoped in thee.

Praise for Deliverance from Troubles

341 [A Psalm] of David; when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed. I will bless Jehovah at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul shall make its boast in Jehovah: the meek shall hear, and rejoice. 3 Magnify Jehovah with me, and let us exalt his name together. 4 I sought Jehovah, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. 5 They looked unto him, and were enlightened, and their faces were not confounded. 6 This afflicted one called, and Jehovah heard [him], and saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of Jehovah encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. 8 Taste and see that Jehovah is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him! 9 Fear Jehovah, ye his saints; for there is no want to them that fear him. 10 The young lions are in need and suffer hunger; but they that seek Jehovah shall not want any good.

11 Come, ye sons, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of Jehovah. 12 What man is he that desireth life, [and] loveth days, that he may see good? 13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile; 14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. 15 The eyes of Jehovah are upon the righteous, and his ears are toward their cry; 16 The face of Jehovah is against them that do evil, to cutoff the remembrance of them from the earth: 17 [The righteous] cry, and Jehovah heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. 18 Jehovah is nigh to those that are of a broken heart, and saveth them that are of a contrite spirit. 19 Many are the adversities of the righteous, but Jehovah delivereth him out of them all: 20 He keepeth all his bones; not one of them is broken. 21 Evil shall destroy the wicked; and they that hate the righteous shall bear their guilt. 22 Jehovah redeemeth the soul of his servants; and none of them that trust in him shall bear guilt.

Paul's Defense before Felix

241 And after five days came down the high priest Ananias, with the elders, and a certain orator called Tertullus, and laid their informations against Paul before the governor. 2 And he having been called, Tertullus began to accuse, saying, Seeing we enjoy great peace through thee, and that excellent measures are executed for this nation by thy forethought, 3 we receive [it] always and everywhere, most excellent Felix, with all thankfulness. 4 But that I may not too much intrude on thy time, I beseech thee to hear us briefly in thy kindness. 5 For finding this man a pest, and moving sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a leader of the sect of the Nazaraeans; 6 who also attempted to profane the temple; whom we also had seized, [and would have judged according to our law; 7 but Lysias, the chiliarch, coming up, took [him] away with great force out of our hands, 8 having commanded his accusers to come to thee;] of whom thou canst thyself, in examining [him], know the certainty of all these things of which we accuse him. 9 And the Jews also joined in pressing the matter against [Paul], saying that these things were so.

10 But Paul, the governor having beckoned to him to speak, answered, Knowing that for many years thou hast been judge to this nation, I answer readily as to the things which concern myself. 11 As thou mayest know that there are not more than twelve days since I went up to worship at Jerusalem, 12 and neither in the temple did they find me discoursing to any one, or making any tumultuous gathering together of the crowd, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city; 13 neither can they make good the things of which they now accuse me. 14 But this I avow to thee, that in the way which they call sect, so I serve my fathers' God, believing all things which are written throughout the law, and in the prophets; 15 having hope towards God, which they themselves also receive, that there is to be a resurrection both of just and unjust. 16 For this cause I also exercise [myself] to have in everything a conscience without offence towards God and men. 17 And after a lapse of many years I arrived, bringing alms to my nation, and offerings. 18 Whereupon they found me purified in the temple, with neither crowd nor tumult. But it was certain Jews from Asia, 19 who ought to appear before thee and accuse, if they have anything against me; 20 or let these themselves say what wrong they found in me when I stood before the council, 21 [other] than concerning this one voice which I cried standing amongst them: I am judged this day by you touching [the] resurrection of [the] dead.

22 And Felix, knowing accurately the things concerning the way, adjourned them, saying, When Lysias the chiliarch is come down I will determine your affair; 23 ordering the centurion to keep him, and that he should have freedom, and to hinder none of his friends to minister to him. 24 And after certain days, Felix having arrived with Drusilla his wife, who was a Jewess, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. 25 And as he reasoned concerning righteousness, and temperance, and the judgment about to come, Felix, being filled with fear, answered, Go for the present, and when I get an opportunity I will send for thee; 26 hoping at the same time that money would be given him by Paul: wherefore also he sent for him the oftener and communed with him. 27 But when two years were completed, Felix was relieved by Porcius Festus as his successor; and Felix, desirous to oblige the Jews, to acquire their favour, left Paul bound.