A Prayer for Rescue from Enemies

351 Strive thou, O Jehovah, with them that strive with me: Fight thou against them that fight against me. 2 Take hold of shield and buckler, And stand up for my help. 3 Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that pursue me: Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation. 4 Let them be put to shame and brought to dishonor that seek after my soul: Let them be turned back and confounded that devise my hurt. 5 Let them be as chaff before the wind, And the angel of Jehovah driving [them] on. 6 Let their way be dark and slippery, And the angel of Jehovah pursuing them. 7 For without cause have they hid for me their net [in] a pit; Without cause have they digged [a pit] for my soul. 8 Let destruction come upon him unawares; And let his net that he hath hid catch himself: With destruction let him fall therein. 9 And my soul shall be joyful in Jehovah: It shall rejoice in his salvation. 10 All my bones shall say, Jehovah, who is like unto thee, Who deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, Yea, the poor and the needy from him that robbeth him?

11 Unrighteous witnesses rise up; They ask me of things that I know not. 12 They reward me evil for good, [To] the bereaving of my soul. 13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I afflicted my soul with fasting; And my prayer returned into mine own bosom. 14 I behaved myself as though it had been my friend or my brother: I bowed down mourning, as one that bewaileth his mother. 15 But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: The abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew [it] not; They did tear me, and ceased not: 16 Like the profane mockers in feasts, They gnashed upon me with their teeth.

17 Lord, how long wilt thou look on? Rescue my soul from their destructions, My darling from the lions. 18 I will give thee thanks in the great assembly: I will praise thee among much people. 19 Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me; Neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause. 20 For they speak not peace; But they devise deceitful words against them that are quiet in the land. 21 Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me; They said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it. 22 Thou hast seen it, O Jehovah; Keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me. 23 Stir up thyself, and awake to the justice [due] unto me, [Even] unto my cause, my God and my Lord. 24 Judge me, O Jehovah my God, according to thy righteousness; And let them not rejoice over me. 25 Let them not say in their heart, Aha, so would we have it: Let them not say, We have swallowed him up. 26 Let them be put to shame and confounded together that rejoice at my hurt: Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor that magnify themselves against me. 27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favor my righteous cause: Yea, let them say continually, Jehovah be magnified, Who hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant. 28 And my tongue shall talk of thy righteousness [And] of thy praise all the day long.

The Steadfast Love of God

361 The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, There is no fear of God before his eyes. 2 For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, That his iniquity will not be found out and be hated. 3 The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: He hath ceased to be wise [and] to do good. 4 He deviseth iniquity upon his bed; He setteth himself in a way that is not good; He abhorreth not evil.

5 Thy lovingkindness, O Jehovah, is in the heavens; Thy faithfulness [reacheth] unto the skies. 6 Thy righteousness is like the mountains of God; Thy judgments are a great deep: O Jehovah, thou preservest man and beast. 7 How precious is thy lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge under the shadow of thy wings. 8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; And thou wilt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. 9 For with thee is the fountain of life: In thy light shall we see light. 10 Oh continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee, And thy righteousness to the upright in heart. 11 Let not the foot of pride come against me, And let not the hand of the wicked drive me away. 12 There are the workers of iniquity fallen: They are thrust down, and shall not be able to rise.

Paul Appeals to Caesar

251 Festus therefore, having come into the province, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. 2 And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews informed him against Paul; and they besought him, 3 asking a favor against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem; laying a plot to kill him on the way. 4 Howbeit Festus answered, that Paul was kept in charge at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to depart [thither] shortly. 5 Let them therefore, saith he, that are of power among you go down with me, and if there is anything amiss in the man, let them accuse him. 6 And when he had tarried among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down unto Caesarea; and on the morrow he sat on the judgment-seat, and commanded Paul to be brought. 7 And when he was come, the Jews that had come down from Jerusalem stood round about him, bringing against him many and grievous charges which they could not prove; 8 while Paul said in his defense, Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I sinned at all. 9 But Festus, desiring to gain favor with the Jews, answered Paul and said, Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me? 10 But Paul said, I am standing before Caesar's judgment-seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou also very well knowest. 11 If then I am a wrong-doer, and have committed anything worthy of death, I refuse not to die; but if none of those things is [true] whereof these accuse me, no man can give me up unto them. I appeal unto Caesar. 12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Thou hast appealed unto Caesar: unto Caesar shalt thou go.

Paul Brought before Agrippa and Bernice

13 Now when certain days were passed, Agrippa the King and Bernice arrived at Caesarea, and saluted Festus. 14 And as they tarried there many days, Festus laid Paul's case before the King, saying, There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix; 15 about whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed [me], asking for sentence against him. 16 To whom I answered, that it is not the custom of the Romans to give up any man, before that the accused have the accusers face to face, and have had opportunity to make his defense concerning the matter laid against him. 17 When therefore they were come together here, I made no delay, but on the next day sat on the judgment-seat, and commanded the man to be brought. 18 Concerning whom, when the accusers stood up, they brought no charge of such evil things as I supposed; 19 but had certain questions against him of their own religion, and of one Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. 20 And I, being perplexed how to inquire concerning these things, asked whether he would go to Jerusalem and there be judged of these matters. 21 But when Paul had appealed to be kept for the decision of the emperor, I commanded him to be kept till I should send him to Caesar. 22 And Agrippa [said] unto Festus, I also could wish to hear the man myself. To-morrow, saith he, thou shalt hear him. 23 So on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and they were entered into the place of hearing with the chief captains and principal men of the city, at the command of Festus Paul was brought in. 24 And Festus saith, King Agrippa, and all men who are here present with us, ye behold this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews made suit to me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying that he ought not to live any longer. 25 But I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death: and as he himself appealed to the emperor I determined to send him. 26 Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I may have somewhat to write. 27 For it seemeth to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not withal to signify the charges against him.