Psalms 35; Psalms 36; Acts 25

1 Lord, battle with those who battle with me. Fight against those who fight against me.

2 Pick up the shield and armor. Rise up and help me.

3 Lift up your spears, both large and small, against those who chase me. Tell me, "I will save you."

4 Make those who want to kill me be ashamed and disgraced. Make those who plan to harm me turn back and run away.

5 Make them like chaff blown by the wind as the angel of the Lord forces them away.

6 Let their road be dark and slippery as the angel of the Lord chases them.

7 For no reason they spread out their net to trap me; for no reason they dug a pit for me.

8 So let ruin strike them suddenly. Let them be caught in their own nets; let them fall into the pit and die.

9 Then I will rejoice in the Lord; I will be happy when he saves me.

10 Even my bones will say, "Lord, who is like you? You save the weak from the strong, the weak and poor from robbers."

11 Men without mercy stand up to testify. They ask me things I do not know.

12 They repay me with evil for the good I have done, and they make me very sad.

13 Yet when they were sick, I put on clothes of sadness and showed my sorrow by going without food. But my prayers were not answered.

14 I acted as if they were my friends or brothers. I bowed in sadness as if I were crying for my mother.

15 But when I was in trouble, they gathered and laughed; they gathered to attack before I knew it. They insulted me without stopping.

16 They made fun of me and were cruel to me and ground their teeth at me in anger.

17 Lord, how long will you watch this happen? Save my life from their attacks; save me from these people who are like lions.

18 I will praise you in the great meeting. I will praise you among crowds of people.

19 Do not let my enemies laugh at me; they hate me for no reason. Do not let them make fun of me; they have no cause to hate me.

20 Their words are not friendly but are lies about peace-loving people.

21 They speak against me and say, "Aha! We saw what you did!"

22 Lord, you have been watching. Do not keep quiet. Lord, do not leave me alone.

23 Wake up! Come and defend me! My God and Lord, fight for me!

24 Lord my God, defend me with your justice. Don't let them laugh at me.

25 Don't let them think, "Aha! We got what we wanted!" Don't let them say, "We destroyed him."

26 Let them be ashamed and embarrassed, because they were happy when I hurt. Cover them with shame and disgrace, because they thought they were better than I was.

27 May my friends sing and shout for joy. May they always say, "Praise the greatness of the Lord, who loves to see his servants do well."

28 I will tell of your goodness and will praise you every day. For the director of music. Of David, the servant of the Lord.

1 Sin speaks to the wicked in their hearts. They have no fear of God.

2 They think too much of themselves so they don't see their sin and hate it.

3 Their words are wicked lies; they are no longer wise or good.

4 At night they make evil plans; what they do leads to nothing good. They don't refuse things that are evil.

5 Lord, your love reaches to the heavens, your loyalty to the skies.

6 Your goodness is as high as the mountains. Your justice is as deep as the great ocean. Lord, you protect both people and animals.

7 God, your love is so precious! You protect people in the shadow of your wings.

8 They eat the rich food in your house, and you let them drink from your river of pleasure.

9 You are the giver of life. Your light lets us enjoy life.

10 Continue to love those who know you and to do good to those who are good.

11 Don't let proud people attack me and the wicked force me away.

12 Those who do evil have been defeated. They are overwhelmed; they cannot do evil any longer. Of David.

1 Three days after Festus became governor, he went from Caesarea to Jerusalem.

2 There the leading priests and the important Jewish leaders made charges against Paul before Festus.

3 They asked Festus to do them a favor. They wanted him to send Paul back to Jerusalem, because they had a plan to kill him on the way.

4 But Festus answered that Paul would be kept in Caesarea and that he himself was returning there soon.

5 He said, "Some of your leaders should go with me. They can accuse the man there in Caesarea, if he has really done something wrong."

6 Festus stayed in Jerusalem another eight or ten days and then went back to Caesarea. The next day he told the soldiers to bring Paul before him. Festus was seated on the judge's seat

7 when Paul came into the room. The Jewish people who had come from Jerusalem stood around him, making serious charges against him, which they could not prove.

8 This is what Paul said to defend himself: "I have done nothing wrong against the Jewish law, against the Temple, or against Caesar."

9 But Festus wanted to please the Jews. So he asked Paul, "Do you want to go to Jerusalem for me to judge you there on these charges?"

10 Paul said, "I am standing at Caesar's judgment seat now, where I should be judged. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews; you know this is true.

11 If I have done something wrong and the law says I must die, I do not ask to be saved from death. But if these charges are not true, then no one can give me to them. I want Caesar to hear my case!"

12 Festus talked about this with his advisers. Then he said, "You have asked to see Caesar, so you will go to Caesar!"

13 A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to visit Festus.

14 They stayed there for some time, and Festus told the king about Paul's case. Festus said, "There is a man that Felix left in prison.

15 When I went to Jerusalem, the leading priests and the older Jewish leaders there made charges against him, asking me to sentence him to death.

16 But I answered, 'When a man is accused of a crime, Romans do not hand him over until he has been allowed to face his accusers and defend himself against their charges.'

17 So when these Jews came here to Caesarea for the trial, I did not waste time. The next day I sat on the judge's seat and commanded that the man be brought in.

18 The Jews stood up and accused him, but not of any serious crime as I thought they would.

19 The things they said were about their own religion and about a man named Jesus who died. But Paul said that he is still alive.

20 Not knowing how to find out about these questions, I asked Paul, 'Do you want to go to Jerusalem and be judged there?'

21 But he asked to be kept in Caesarea. He wants a decision from the emperor. So I ordered that he be held until I could send him to Caesar."

22 Agrippa said to Festus, "I would also like to hear this man myself." Festus said, "Tomorrow you will hear him."

23 The next day Agrippa and Bernice appeared with great show, acting like very important people. They went into the judgment room with the army leaders and the important men of Caesarea. Then Festus ordered the soldiers to bring Paul in.

24 Festus said, "King Agrippa and all who are gathered here with us, you see this man. All the Jewish people, here and in Jerusalem, have complained to me about him, shouting that he should not live any longer.

25 When I judged him, I found no reason to order his death. But since he asked to be judged by Caesar, I decided to send him.

26 But I have nothing definite to write the emperor about him. So I have brought him before all of you -- especially you, King Agrippa. I hope you can question him and give me something to write.

27 I think it is foolish to send a prisoner to Caesar without telling what charges are against him."