10th May

¹ And Moses with the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, Keep all the commandments which I command you this day.² And it shall be on the day when ye shall pass over Jordan unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, that thou shalt set thee up great stones, and plaister them with plaister:³ And thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law, when thou art passed over, that thou mayest go in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, a land that floweth with milk and honey; as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee.⁴ Therefore it shall be when ye be gone over Jordan, that ye shall set up these stones, which I command you this day, in mount Ebal, and thou shalt plaister them with plaister.⁵ And there shalt thou build an altar unto the LORD thy God, an altar of stones: thou shalt not lift up any iron tool upon them.⁶ Thou shalt build the altar of the LORD thy God of whole stones: and thou shalt offer burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD thy God:⁷ And thou shalt offer peace offerings, and shalt eat there, and rejoice before the LORD thy God.⁸ And thou shalt write upon the stones all the words of this law very plainly.⁹ And Moses and the priests the Levites spake unto all Israel, saying, Take heed, and hearken, O Israel; this day thou art become the people of the LORD thy God.¹⁰ Thou shalt therefore obey the voice of the LORD thy God, and do his commandments and his statutes, which I command thee this day.¹¹ And Moses charged the people the same day, saying,¹² These shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people, when ye are come over Jordan; Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Joseph, and Benjamin:¹³ And these shall stand upon mount Ebal to curse; Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.¹⁴ And the Levites shall speak, and say unto all the men of Israel with a loud voice,¹⁵ Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen.¹⁶ Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen.¹⁷ Cursed be he that removeth his neighbour's landmark. And all the people shall say, Amen.¹⁸ Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of the way. And all the people shall say, Amen.¹⁹ Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, Amen.²⁰ Cursed be he that lieth with his father's wife; because he uncovereth his father's skirt. And all the people shall say, Amen.²¹ Cursed be he that lieth with any manner of beast. And all the people shall say, Amen.²² Cursed be he that lieth with his sister, the daughter of his father, or the daughter of his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen.²³ Cursed be he that lieth with his mother in law. And all the people shall say, Amen.²⁴ Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly. And all the people shall say, Amen.²⁵ Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person. And all the people shall say, Amen.²⁶ Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.

¹ How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O prince's daughter! the joints of thy thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a cunning workman.² Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor: thy belly is like an heap of wheat set about with lilies.³ Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins.⁴ Thy neck is as a tower of ivory; thine eyes like the fishpools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bathrabbim: thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon which looketh toward Damascus.⁵ Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair of thine head like purple; the king is held in the galleries.⁶ How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights!⁷ This thy stature is like to a palm tree, and thy breasts to clusters of grapes.⁸ I said, I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of the boughs thereof: now also thy breasts shall be as clusters of the vine, and the smell of thy nose like apples;⁹ And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine for my beloved, that goeth down sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak.¹⁰ I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me.¹¹ Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages.¹² Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give thee my loves.¹³ The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved.

¹ And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.² And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth.³ Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?⁴ And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high priest?⁵ Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.⁶ But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.⁷ And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided.⁸ For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.⁹ And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees' part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God.¹⁰ And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle.¹¹ And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.¹² And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.¹³ And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy.¹⁴ And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul.¹⁵ Now therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain that he bring him down unto you to morrow, as though ye would enquire something more perfectly concerning him: and we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him.¹⁶ And when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul.¹⁷ Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him, and said, Bring this young man unto the chief captain: for he hath a certain thing to tell him.¹⁸ So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and said, Paul the prisoner called me unto him, and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say unto thee.¹⁹ Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and went with him aside privately, and asked him, What is that thou hast to tell me?²⁰ And he said, The Jews have agreed to desire thee that thou wouldest bring down Paul to morrow into the council, as though they would enquire somewhat of him more perfectly.²¹ But do not thou yield unto them: for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, which have bound themselves with an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him: and now are they ready, looking for a promise from thee.²² So the chief captain then let the young man depart, and charged him, See thou tell no man that thou hast shewed these things to me.²³ And he called unto him two centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea, and horsemen threescore and ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the third hour of the night;²⁴ And provide them beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor.²⁵ And he wrote a letter after this manner:²⁶ Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix sendeth greeting.²⁷ This man was taken of the Jews, and should have been killed of them: then came I with an army, and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman.²⁸ And when I would have known the cause wherefore they accused him, I brought him forth into their council:²⁹ Whom I perceived to be accused of questions of their law, but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds.³⁰ And when it was told me how that the Jews laid wait for the man, I sent straightway to thee, and gave commandment to his accusers also to say before thee what they had against him. Farewell.³¹ Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul, and brought him by night to Antipatris.³² On the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the castle:³³ Who, when they came to Caesarea and delivered the epistle to the governor, presented Paul also before him.³⁴ And when the governor had read the letter, he asked of what province he was. And when he understood that he was of Cilicia;³⁵ I will hear thee, said he, when thine accusers are also come. And he commanded him to be kept in Herod's judgment hall.

¹ And after five days Ananias the high priest descended with the elders, and with a certain orator named Tertullus, who informed the governor against Paul.² And when he was called forth, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence,³ We accept it always, and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness.⁴ Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray thee that thou wouldest hear us of thy clemency a few words.⁵ For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes:⁶ Who also hath gone about to profane the temple: whom we took, and would have judged according to our law.⁷ But the chief captain Lysias came upon us, and with great violence took him away out of our hands,⁸ Commanding his accusers to come unto thee: by examining of whom thyself mayest take knowledge of all these things, whereof we accuse him.⁹ And the Jews also assented, saying that these things were so.¹⁰ Then Paul, after that the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, answered, Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself:¹¹ Because that thou mayest understand, that there are yet but twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem for to worship.¹² And they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither raising up the people, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city:¹³ Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me.¹⁴ But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:¹⁵ And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.¹⁶ And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void to offence toward God, and toward men.¹⁷ Now after many years I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings.¹⁸ Whereupon certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with multitude, nor with tumult.¹⁹ Who ought to have been here before thee, and object, if they had ought against me.²⁰ Or else let these same here say, if they have found any evil doing in me, while I stood before the council,²¹ Except it be for this one voice, that I cried standing among them, Touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question by you this day.²² And when Felix heard these things, having more perfect knowledge of that way, he deferred them, and said, When Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will know the uttermost of your matter.²³ And he commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and to let him have liberty, and that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister or come unto him.²⁴ And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.²⁵ And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.²⁶ He hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him: wherefore he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him.²⁷ But after two years Porcius Festus came into Felix' room: and Felix, willing to shew the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound.