Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the walls {thereof}, and joined the foundations. {set up: or, finished} {joined: Chaldee, sewed together}

And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,

Israel {is} a scattered sheep; the lions have driven {him} away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones.

And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste.

Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles? {Gentiles: or, Greeks}

But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate. {pleasant...: Heb. land of desire}

And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you.

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:

Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.

Yet will I leave a remnant, that ye may have {some} that shall escape the sword among the nations, when ye shall be scattered through the countries.

Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, {If} ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:

I said, I would scatter them into corners, I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men:

But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against.

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee.

And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find {it} against him concerning the law of his God.

Esther had not shewed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had charged her that she should not shew {it}.

And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men: {persecuted us: or, chased us out}

For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.

Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews.

Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which {is} of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.

Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand.

For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition {between us};

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

{There shall be} no more praise of Moab: in Heshbon they have devised evil against it; come, and let us cut it off from {being} a nation. Also thou shalt be cut down, O Madmen; the sword shall pursue thee. {be cut...: or, be brought to silence} {pursue...: Heb. go after thee}

And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove.

There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. {have...: Chaldee, have set no regard upon thee}

And the king said, Who {is} in the court? Now Haman was come into the outward court of the king's house, to speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.

Take heed now that ye fail not to do this: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?

By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.

And Moab shall be destroyed from {being} a people, because he hath magnified {himself} against the LORD.

And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,

Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him, Let a gallows be made of fifty cubits high, and to morrow speak thou unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon: then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made. {gallows: Heb. tree}

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:

And Esther spake yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews. {and besought...: Heb. and she wept, and besought him}

He draweth also the mighty with his power: he riseth up, and no {man} is sure of life. {no...: or, he trusteth not his own life}

They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land. {destroy: Heb. break}

When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry;

And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. {of this way: Gr. of the way}