and requested from him letters [of authority] to the synagogues of Damascus, that if he should find any who were of the Way, both men or women, he might bring them, having been bound, to Jerusalem.

And the Ziphites came up out of the dry country to Saul to the hill, saying, Behold, is not David hidden with us in Messara, in the narrows in Caene in the hill of Echela, which is on the right of Jeshimon?

And Saul said to them, Blessed are you of the Lord, for you have been grieved on my account.

And they said to the king, Let that man be slain, for he weakens the hands of the fighting men that are left in the city, and the hands of all the people, speaking to them according to these words; for this man does not prophesy peace to this people, but evil.

He also swore to her, "Whatever you may ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom."

Immediately she came in with haste to the king and she requested, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."

Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad; for he had desired for a long time to see Him, because he had heard many things about Him, and he was hoping to see some miracle being done by Him.

And the chief priests and scribes stood, vehemently accusing Him.

That very day Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for previously they had been at enmity with each other.

said to them, "You have brought this Man to me, on the charge of misleading the people. And indeed, when I examined Him in your presence, I found no guilt in this Man in the matters which you bring as charges against Him;

Therefore when I have flogged Him, I will release [Him]."

But they all cried out together, saying, "Away with this [Man], and release to us Barabbas"--

Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them.

Then he said to them the third [time], "Why, what evil did He do? I have found no guilt deserving death in Him. Therefore when I have flogged Him, I will release [Him]."

So Pilate decided [that] their request should be carried out.

Now when it was day, some of the Jews joined in a conspiracy and bound themselves by a curse, saying neither would they eat nor drink until they would kill Paul.

who came to the chief priests and to the elders and said, "We have bound ourselves by oath with a curse to taste nothing until we kill Paul.

Therefore I thought in myself that it was necessary to do many hostile things against the name of Jesus the Nazarene;

And I punished them often in all the synagogues, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even as far as to foreign cities.

The sinner watches the righteous, and seeks to slay him.

But the Lord will not leave him in his hands, nor by any means condemn him when he is judged.

You have sheltered me from the conspiracy of them that do wickedly; from the multitude of them that work iniquity;

to shoot in secret at the blameless; they will shoot him suddenly, and will not fear.

They have searched out iniquity; they have wearied themselves with searching diligently, a man shall approach and the heart is deep,

For the end, A Psalm of David. Rescue me, O Lord, from the evil man; deliver me from the unjust man.

They have sharpened their tongue as [the tongue] of a serpent; the poison of asps is under their lips. Pause.

The proud have hid a snare for me, and have stretched out ropes [for] snares for my feet; they set a stumbling block for me near the path. Pause.

Then they said, Come, and let us devise a plan against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us attack him with the tongue, and we will hear all his words.

And these things they will do [to you] because they did not know the Father nor Me.

And why not say, "Let us do evil so that good may come"?--just as we are slandered, and just as some affirm that we say. [The] judgment of whom is just.