Peter,an apostleof JesusChrist,To those who reside as aliens,scattered throughoutPontus,Galatia,Cappadocia,Asia,and Bithynia,who are chosen
Then Hamansaidto KingAhasuerus,"Thereis a certainpeoplescatteredand dispersedamongthe peoplesin allthe provincesof your kingdom;their lawsare differentfrom [those] of all[other] peopleand they do not observethe king'slaws,so it is not in the king'sinterestto let them remain.
You giveus as sheepto be eatenAnd have scatteredus among the nations.
"However, I will leavea remnant,for you will havethose whoescapedthe swordamong the nationswhen you are scatteredamong the countries.
You, however, I will scatteramong the nationsand will drawout a swordafteryou, as your landbecomesdesolateand your citiesbecomewaste.
Nowthe namesof the twelveapostlesare these:The first,Simon,who is calledPeter,and Andrewhis brother;and Jamesthe son of Zebedee,and Johnhis brother;
"Unlessthosedayshad been cutshort,nolifewould have been saved;but for the sakeof the electthosedayswill be cut short.
Now as Jesus was walkingby the Seaof Galilee,He sawtwobrothers,Simonwho was calledPeter,and Andrewhis brother,castinga netinto the sea;for they were fishermen.
now,will not Godbring aboutjusticefor His electwho cryto Him dayand night,and will He delay longoverthem?
and not for the nationonly,but in orderthat He might alsogather togetherinto onethe childrenof Godwho are scattered abroad.
The Jewsthensaidto one another,"Wheredoes this manintendto gothat we will not findHim? He is not intendingto goto the Dispersionamong the Greeks,and teachthe Greeks,is He?
And he founda JewnamedAquila,a nativeof Pontus,having recentlycomefrom Italywith his wifePriscilla,becauseClaudiushad commandedallthe Jewsto leaveRome.He cameto them,
And having spentsometime[there], he leftand passedsuccessivelythroughthe Galatianregionand Phrygia,strengtheningallthe disciples.
Thistook placefor twoyears,sothat allwho livedin Asiaheardthe wordof the Lord,bothJewsand Greeks.
But some menfrom what was calledthe Synagogueof the Freedmen,[including] bothCyreniansand Alexandrians,and somefrom Ciliciaand Asia,roseup and arguedwith Stephen.
Therefore,thosewho had been scatteredwent aboutpreachingthe word.
The churchesof Asiagreetyou. Aquilaand Priscagreetyou heartilyin the Lord,with the churchthat is in their house.
For we do not wantyou to be unaware,brethren,of our afflictionwhich came[to us] in Asia,that we were burdenedexcessively,beyondour strength,sothat we despairedevenof life;
and allthe brethrenwho are with me, To the churchesof Galatia:
[remember] that you were at that timeseparatefrom Christ,excludedfrom the commonwealthof Israel,and strangersto the covenantsof promise,havingnohopeand without Godin the world.
So thenyou are no longerstrangersand aliens,but you are fellow citizenswith the saints,and are of God'shousehold,
"Moreover, the LORDwill scatteryou among allpeoples,from one endof the earthto the other endof the earth;and thereyou shall serveothergods,woodand stone,whichyou or your fathershave not known.
I would have said,"I will cutthem to pieces,I will removethe memoryof them from men,"
"The LORDwill scatteryou among the peoples,and you will be leftfewin numberamong the nationswherethe LORDdrivesyou.
You are awareof the factthat allwho are in Asiaturned awayfrom me, among whomare Phygelusand Hermogenes.
Allthesediedin faith,withoutreceivingthe promises,but having seenthem and having welcomedthem from a distance,and having confessedthat they were strangersand exileson the earth.
James,a bond-servantof Godand of the LordJesusChrist,To the twelvetribeswhoare dispersedabroad: Greetings.
Beloved,I urgeyou as aliensand strangersto abstainfrom fleshlylustswhichwage waragainstthe soul.
SimonPeter,a bond-servantand apostleof JesusChrist,To thosewho have receiveda faithof the same kindas ours,by the righteousnessof our Godand Savior,JesusChrist:
saying,"Writein a bookwhatyou see,and send[it] to the sevenchurches:to Ephesusand to Smyrnaand to Pergamumand to Thyatiraand to Sardisand to Philadelphiaand to Laodicea."
