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.
Now in the reignof Ahasuerus,in the beginningof his reign,they wrotean accusationagainstthe inhabitantsof Judahand Jerusalem.
"Rememberthe wordwhichYou commandedYour servantMoses,saying,If you are unfaithfulI will scatteryou among the peoples;
"Ifit is pleasingto the king,let it be decreedthat they be destroyed,and I will paytenthousandtalentsof silverinto the handsof those who carryon the [king's] business,to putinto the king's treasuries."
When Mordecailearnedallthat had been done,he torehis clothes,puton sackclothand ashes,and wentout into the midstof the cityand wailedloudlyand bitterly.
"Have you not observedwhatthispeoplehave spoken,saying,The twofamilieswhichthe LORDchose,He has rejectedthem'? Thus they despiseMy people,nolongerare they as a nationin their sight.
"Israelis a scatteredflock,the lionshave driven[them] away.The firstone[who] devouredhim was the kingof Assyria,and thislastone[who] has brokenhis bonesis Nebuchadnezzarkingof Babylon.
"Thereforesay,'Thussaysthe LordGOD,"ThoughI had removedthem faraway among the nationsand thoughI had scatteredthem among the countries,yet I was a sanctuaryfor them a littlewhilein the countrieswherethey had gone."'
"However, I will leavea remnant,for you will havethose whoescapedthe swordamong the nationswhen you are scatteredamong the countries.
For thisreasonat that timecertainChaldeanscameforwardand broughtchargesagainstthe Jews.
Thenthey answeredand spokebeforethe king,"Daniel,whois one of the exilesfrom Judah,paysnoattentionto you, O king,or to the injunctionwhichyou signed,but keeps makinghis petitionthreetimesa day."
Then,as soonas the kingheardthis statement,he was deeplydistressedand set[his] mindon deliveringDaniel;and even untilsunsethe kept exertinghimself to rescuehim.
You, however, I will scatteramong the nationsand will drawout a swordafteryou, as your landbecomesdesolateand your citiesbecomewaste.
"but I scatteredthem with a stormwindamongallthe nationswhomthey have not known.Thus the landis desolatedbehindthem sothat noone wentbackand forth,for they madethe pleasantlanddesolate."
"As I seehim from the topof the rocks,And I lookat him from the hills;Behold,a people[who] dwellsapart,And will not be reckonedamong the nations.
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?
"For we have foundthismana real pestand a fellow who stirsup dissensionamong allthe Jewsthroughoutthe world,and a ringleaderof the sectof the Nazarenes.
"But we desireto hearfrom you whatyour viewsare; for concerningthissect,it is knownto us that it is spoken againsteverywhere."
then the LORDyour Godwill restoreyou from captivity,and havecompassionon you, and will gatheryou againfrom allthe peopleswherethe LORDyour Godhas scatteredyou.
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.
James,a bond-servantof Godand of the LordJesusChrist,To the twelvetribeswhoare dispersedabroad: Greetings.
Peter,an apostleof JesusChrist,To those who reside as aliens,scattered throughoutPontus,Galatia,Cappadocia,Asia,and Bithynia,who are chosen
