Now Herod ¹  was having an angry quarrel ²  with the people of Tyre ³  and Sidon. ⁴  So they joined together ⁵  and presented themselves before him. And after convincing ⁶  Blastus, the king’s personal assistant, ⁷  to help them, ⁸  they asked for peace, ⁹  because their country’s food supply was provided by the king’s country.

After listening to the king they left, and once again ¹  the star they saw when it rose ²  led them until it stopped above the place where the child was.

Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Tie him up hand and foot and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!’

Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

And the king will answer them, ¹  ‘I tell you the truth, ²  just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters ³  of mine, you did it for me.’

and after braiding ¹  a crown of thorns, ²  they put it on his head. They ³  put a staff ⁴  in his right hand, and kneeling down before him, they mocked him: ⁵  “Hail, king of the Jews!” ⁶ 

Now ¹  King Herod ²  heard this, for Jesus’ ³  name had become known. Some ⁴  were saying, “John the baptizer ⁵  has been raised from the dead, and because of this, miraculous powers are at work in him.”

When his daughter Herodias ¹  came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.”

Let the Christ, ¹  the king of Israel, come down from the cross now, that we may see and believe!” Those who were crucified with him also spoke abusively to him. ² 

During the reign ¹  of Herod ²  king of Judea, there lived a priest named Zechariah who belonged to ³  the priestly division of Abijah, ⁴  and he had a wife named Elizabeth, ⁵  who was a descendant of Aaron. ⁶ 

They ¹  began to accuse ²  him, saying, “We found this man subverting ³  our nation, forbidding ⁴  us to pay the tribute tax ⁵  to Caesar ⁶  and claiming that he himself is Christ, ⁷  a king.”

So they took branches of palm trees ¹  and went out to meet him. They began to shout, ²  “Hosanna! ³  Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! ⁴  Blessed is ⁵  the king of Israel!”

But it is your custom that I release one prisoner ¹  for you at the Passover. ²  So do you want me to release for you the king of the Jews?”

From this point on, Pilate tried ¹  to release him. But the Jewish leaders ²  shouted out, ³  “If you release this man, ⁴  you are no friend of Caesar! ⁵  Everyone who claims to be a king ⁶  opposes Caesar!”

and rescued him from all his troubles, and granted him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made ¹  him ruler over Egypt and over all his household.

After removing him, God ¹  raised up ²  David their king. He testified about him: ³  ‘I have found David ⁴  the son of Jesse to be a man after my heart, ⁵  who will accomplish everything I want him to do.’ ⁶ 

While ¹  they were staying there many days, Festus ²  explained Paul’s case to the king to get his opinion, ³  saying, “There is a man left here as a prisoner by Felix.

But I have nothing definite ¹  to write to my lord ²  about him. ³  Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, ⁴  so that after this preliminary hearing ⁵  I may have something to write.

“Regarding all the things I have been accused of by the Jews, King Agrippa, ¹  I consider myself fortunate that I am about to make my defense before you today,

For the king knows about these things, and I am speaking freely ¹  to him, ²  because I cannot believe ³  that any of these things has escaped his notice, ⁴  for this was not done in a corner. ⁵