(“Oh, that I had someone to hear me! I sign now my defense—let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser put his indictment in writing.

May my accusers perish in shame; may those who want to harm me be covered with scorn and disgrace.

Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy; let an accuser stand at his right hand.

May this be the Lord’s payment to my accusers, to those who speak evil of me.

I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they shake their heads.

May my accusers be clothed with disgrace and wrapped in shame as in a cloak.

He who vindicates me is near. Who then will bring charges against me? Let us face each other! Who is my accuser? Let him confront me!

Listen to me, Lord; hear what my accusers are saying!

“But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set.

When I was informed of a plot to be carried out against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also ordered his accusers to present to you their case against him.

he said, “I will hear your case when your accusers get here.” Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod’s palace.

My accusers did not find me arguing with anyone at the temple, or stirring up a crowd in the synagogues or anywhere else in the city.

“I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand over anyone before they have faced their accusers and have had an opportunity to defend themselves against the charges.

When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.