I have heard the many rumors about me. They call me“ The Man Who Lives in Terror.” They threaten,“ If you say anything, we will report it.” Even my old friends are watching me, waiting for a fatal slip.“ He will trap himself,” they say,“ and then we will get our revenge on him.”

我听见了许多人的谗谤，四围都是惊吓；就是我知己的朋友也都窥探我，愿我跌倒，说：“告他吧，我们也要告他！或者他被引诱，我们就能胜他，在他身上报仇。”

我听见许多的毁谤，四围都是惊吓；连我知己朋友都看着我跌倒：“告他吧，我们要告他！或者他被引诱，我们就能胜他，在他身上报仇。”

我听见许多的毁谤，四围都是惊吓；连我知己朋友都看着我跌倒：“告他吧，我们要告他！或者他被引诱，我们就能胜他，在他身上报仇。”

我听见许多人窃窃私语：“看那个说‘四面有恐怖’的人，我们告发他！告发他！”我的好友都盼着我灭亡，说：“或许他会受骗，那样我们便能打倒他，一泄心头之恨。”

我听见许多人耳语：“玛歌珥．米撒毕！告发他，我们要告发他！”我所有的知己朋友都等着看我行差踏错，他们说：“希望他会上当，我们就可以胜过他，向他报复。”

我聽見了許多人的讒謗，四圍都是驚嚇；就是我知己的朋友也都窺探我，願我跌倒，說：告他吧，我們也要告他！或者他被引誘，我們就能勝他，在他身上報仇。

我聽見許多的毀謗，四圍都是驚嚇；連我知己朋友都看着我跌倒：「告他吧，我們要告他！或者他被引誘，我們就能勝他，在他身上報仇。」

我聽見許多的毀謗，四圍都是驚嚇；連我知己朋友都看着我跌倒：「告他吧，我們要告他！或者他被引誘，我們就能勝他，在他身上報仇。」

我聽見許多人竊竊私語：「看那個說『四面有恐怖』的人，我們告發他！告發他！」我的好友都盼著我滅亡，說：「或許他會受騙，那樣我們便能打倒他，一泄心頭之恨。」

我聽見許多人耳語：“瑪歌珥．米撒畢！告發他，我們要告發他！”我所有的知己朋友都等著看我行差踏錯，他們說：“希望他會上當，我們就可以勝過他，向他報復。”

我聽見了許多人的讒誹；四圍盡是恐怖！『告發他！我們要告發他！』我的一切盟友，那些等着瞧我顛沛的說：『或者他被誘騙，我們就能勝過他，而在他身上得報復。』

我聞眾謗、隨在驚惶、我之密友望我顚越、咸曰訟之、予亦訟之、或彼受誘、予則勝之、以復予仇、

我聞眾民、訕謗我躬、隨在驚惶、彼此傳語、聲罪辱我、我之友朋、望我趑趄、云、或可誘而勝之、以雪我忿。

我聞眾人之讒謗、我隨在驚惶、彼此相語必控我、素與我相交在我側者、亦云我儕盍誘之、或可勝之、以復我仇於其身、

I hear many whispering,“ Terror on every side! Denounce him! Let’s denounce him!” All my friends are waiting for me to slip, saying,“ Perhaps he will be deceived; then we will prevail over him and take our revenge on him.”

I hear many people whispering,“ There is terror on every side! Bring charges against Jeremiah! Let’s bring charges against him!” All my friends are waiting for me to slip. They are saying,“ Perhaps he will be tricked into making a mistake. Then we’ll win out over him. We’ll get even with him.”

For I hear many whispering. Terror is on every side!“ Denounce him! Let us denounce him!” say all my close friends, watching for my fall.“ Perhaps he will be deceived; then we can overcome him and take our revenge on him.”

For I have heard the gossip of many people,“ Terror is on every side! Report him; let’s report him!” Everyone I trusted watches for my fall.“ Perhaps he will be deceived so that we might prevail against him and take our vengeance on him.”

For I have heard the whispering of many,“ Terror on every side! Denounce him; let’s denounce him!” All my trusted friends, Watching for my fall, say:“ Perhaps he will be persuaded, so that we may prevail against him And take our revenge on him.”

For I heard many mocking:“ Fear on every side!”“ Report,” they say,“ and we will report it!” All my acquaintances watched for my stumbling, saying,“ Perhaps he can be induced; Then we will prevail against him, And we will take our revenge on him.”

For I have heard the defaming of many, terror on every side. Denounce, and we will denounce him, say all my familiar friends, they that watch for my fall; peradventure he will be persuaded, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.

For I have heard the gossip of many people,“ Terror is on every side! Report him; let’s report him!” Everyone I trusted watches for my fall.“ Perhaps he will be deceived so that we might prevail against him and take our vengeance on him.”

For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report,[ say they], and we will report it. All my familiars watched for my halting,[ saying], Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.

I hear many whispering words of intrigue against me. Those who would cause me terror are everywhere! They are saying,“ Come on, let’s publicly denounce him!” All my so-called friends are just watching for something that would lead to my downfall. They say,“ Perhaps he can be enticed into slipping up, so we can prevail over him and get our revenge on him.

For I have heard the defaming of many,“ Terror on every side! Denounce, and we will denounce him!” say all my familiar friends, those who watch for my fall.“ Perhaps he will be persuaded, and we will prevail against him, and we will take our revenge on him.”

I have heard the many rumors about me, and I am surrounded by terror. My enemies conspire against me, plotting to take my life.

Even my best friend, the one I trusted completely, the one who shared my food, has turned against me.

Those who convict the innocent by their false testimony will disappear. A similar fate awaits those who use trickery to pervert justice and who tell lies to destroy the innocent.

So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah:“ May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.”

Then the people said,“ Come on, let’s plot a way to stop Jeremiah. We have plenty of priests and wise men and prophets. We don’t need him to teach the word and give us advice and prophecies. Let’s spread rumors about him and ignore what he says.”

Hide me from the plots of this evil mob, from this gang of wrongdoers.They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their bitter words like arrows.They shoot from ambush at the innocent, attacking suddenly and fearlessly.

Hiding hatred makes you a liar; slandering others makes you a fool.

My close friends detest me. Those I loved have turned against me.

Instead, it is you— my equal, my companion and close friend.What good fellowship we once enjoyed as we walked together to the house of God.

People accuse others falsely and send them to their death. You are filled with idol worshipers and people who do obscene things.

and this is what it said:“ There is a rumor among the surrounding nations, and Geshem tells me it is true, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel and that is why you are building the wall. According to his reports, you plan to be their king.He also reports that you have appointed prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim about you,‘ Look! There is a king in Judah!’“ You can be very sure that this report will get back to the king, so I suggest that you come and talk it over with me.”I replied,“ There is no truth in any part of your story. You are making up the whole thing.”They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination.Later I went to visit Shemaiah son of Delaiah and grandson of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home. He said,“ Let us meet together inside the Temple of God and bolt the doors shut. Your enemies are coming to kill you tonight.”But I replied,“ Should someone in my position run from danger? Should someone in my position enter the Temple to save his life? No, I won’t do it!”I realized that God had not spoken to him, but that he had uttered this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.They were hoping to intimidate me and make me sin. Then they would be able to accuse and discredit me.

As Jesus was leaving, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees became hostile and tried to provoke him with many questions.They wanted to trap him into saying something they could use against him.

Don’t go out to the fields! Don’t travel on the roads! The enemy’s sword is everywhere and terrorizes us at every turn!

The next morning a group of Jews got together and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.There were more than forty of them in the conspiracy.They went to the leading priests and elders and told them,“ We have bound ourselves with an oath to eat nothing until we have killed Paul.So you and the high council should ask the commander to bring Paul back to the council again. Pretend you want to examine his case more fully. We will kill him on the way.”

So they persuaded some men to lie about Stephen, saying,“ We heard him blaspheme Moses, and even God.”This roused the people, the elders, and the teachers of religious law. So they arrested Stephen and brought him before the high council.The lying witnesses said,“ This man is always speaking against the holy Temple and against the law of Moses.We have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy the Temple and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”At this point everyone in the high council stared at Stephen, because his face became as bright as an angel’s.

Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find witnesses who would lie about Jesus, so they could put him to death.But even though they found many who agreed to give false witness, they could not use anyone’s testimony. Finally, two men came forward

Give them this order from the king:‘ Put this man in prison, and feed him nothing but bread and water until I return safely from the battle!’”

When they heard this, the high council was furious and decided to kill them.

Watching for their opportunity, the leaders sent spies pretending to be honest men. They tried to get Jesus to say something that could be reported to the Roman governor so he would arrest Jesus.

The king of Israel replied to Jehoshaphat,“ There is one more man who could consult the Lord for us, but I hate him. He never prophesies anything but trouble for me! His name is Micaiah son of Imlah.” Jehoshaphat replied,“ That’s not the way a king should talk! Let’s hear what he has to say.”

So Herodias bore a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But without Herod’s approval she was powerless,for Herod respected John; and knowing that he was a good and holy man, he protected him. Herod was greatly disturbed whenever he talked with John, but even so, he liked to listen to him.Herodias’s chance finally came on Herod’s birthday. He gave a party for his high government officials, army officers, and the leading citizens of Galilee.Then his daughter, also named Herodias, came in and performed a dance that greatly pleased Herod and his guests.“ Ask me for anything you like,” the king said to the girl,“ and I will give it to you.”He even vowed,“ I will give you whatever you ask, up to half my kingdom!”She went out and asked her mother,“ What should I ask for?” Her mother told her,“ Ask for the head of John the Baptist!”So the girl hurried back to the king and told him,“ I want the head of John the Baptist, right now, on a tray!”Then the king deeply regretted what he had said; but because of the vows he had made in front of his guests, he couldn’t refuse her.So he immediately sent an executioner to the prison to cut off John’s head and bring it to him. The soldier beheaded John in the prison,brought his head on a tray, and gave it to the girl, who took it to her mother.

“ So, my enemy, you have found me!” Ahab exclaimed to Elijah.“ Yes,” Elijah answered,“ I have come because you have sold yourself to what is evil in the Lord’s sight.

From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against— or two in favor and three against.‘ Father will be divided against son and son against father; mother against daughter and daughter against mother; and mother in law against daughter in law and daughter in law against mother in law.’”

The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen’s accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage.

These men cannot prove the things they accuse me of doing.

Five days later Ananias, the high priest, arrived with some of the Jewish elders and the lawyer Tertullus, to present their case against Paul to the governor.When Paul was called in, Tertullus presented the charges against Paul in the following address to the governor:“ You have provided a long period of peace for us Jews and with foresight have enacted reforms for us.For all of this, Your Excellency, we are very grateful to you.But I don’t want to bore you, so please give me your attention for only a moment.We have found this man to be a troublemaker who is constantly stirring up riots among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the cult known as the Nazarenes.Furthermore, he was trying to desecrate the Temple when we arrested him.

I am surrounded by fierce lions who greedily devour human prey— whose teeth pierce like spears and arrows, and whose tongues cut like swords.