James,a bond-servantof Godand of the LordJesusChrist,To the twelvetribeswhoare dispersedabroad: Greetings.
Elijahtooktwelvestonesaccording to the numberof the tribesof the sonsof Jacob,to whomthe wordof the LORDhad come,saying,"Israelshall be your name."
They offeredfor the dedicationof thistempleof God100bulls,200rams,400lambs,and as a sinofferingfor allIsrael12malegoats,corresponding to the numberof the tribesof Israel.
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.
Moseswrotedownallthe wordsof the LORD.Then he aroseearlyin the morning,and builtan altarat the footof the mountainwith twelvepillarsfor the twelvetribesof Israel.
"The stonesshall be accordingto the namesof the sonsof Israel:twelve,accordingto their names;they shall be [like] the engravingsof a seal,eachaccordingto his namefor the twelvetribes.
The stoneswere correspondingto the namesof the sonsof Israel;they were twelve,correspondingto their names,[engraved with] the engravingsof a signet,eachwith its namefor the twelvetribes.
"So they will knowthat I am the LORDwhen I scatterthem among the nationsand spreadthem among the countries.
You, however, I will scatteramong the nationsand will drawout a swordafteryou, as your landbecomesdesolateand your citiesbecomewaste.
Philipand Bartholomew;Thomasand Matthewthe tax collector;Jamesthe son of Alphaeus,and Thaddaeus;
"Is not thisthe carpenter'sson?Is not His mothercalledMary,and His brothers,Jamesand Josephand Simonand Judas?
And Jesussaidto them, "TrulyI sayto you, that you who have followedMe, in the regenerationwhenthe Sonof Manwill siton His gloriousthrone,you alsoshall situpon twelvethrones,judgingthe twelvetribesof Israel.
and Andrew,and Philip,and Bartholomew,and Matthew,and Thomas,and Jamesthe son of Alphaeus,and Thaddaeus,and Simonthe Zealot;
that you may eatand drinkat My tablein My kingdom,and you will siton thronesjudgingthe twelvetribesof Israel.
and Matthewand Thomas;James[the son] of Alphaeus,and Simonwho was calledthe Zealot;
"IfanyoneservesMe, he must followMe; and whereI am,thereMy servantwill be also;ifanyoneservesMe, the Fatherwill honorhim.
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?
Whenthey had entered[the city], they wentup to the upper roomwherethey were staying;that is, Peterand Johnand Jamesand Andrew,Philipand Thomas,Bartholomewand Matthew,James[the son] of Alphaeus,and Simonthe Zealot,and Judas[the] [son] of James.
But motioningto them with his handto be silent,he describedto them howthe Lordhad ledhim out of the prison.And he said,"Reportthese thingsto Jamesand the brethren."Thenhe leftand wentto anotherplace.
Afterthey had stopped speaking,Jamesanswered,saying,"Brethren,listento me.
"For Mosesfrom ancientgenerationshasin everycitythosewho preachhim, since he is readin the synagogueseverySabbath."
and they sent this letterby them, "The apostlesand the brethrenwho are elders,to the brethrenin Antiochand Syriaand Ciliciawhoare from the Gentiles,greetings.
Nowthere were Jewslivingin Jerusalem,devoutmenfrom everynationunderheaven.
And the followingday Paulwentin with us to James,and allthe elderswere present.
"ClaudiusLysias,to the most excellentgovernorFelix,greetings.
[the promise] to whichour twelve tribeshopeto attain,as they earnestlyserve[God] nightand day.And for thishope,O King,I am being accusedby Jews.
Saulwas in hearty agreementwith putting him to death.And on that daya greatpersecutionbeganagainstthe churchin Jerusalem,and they were allscatteredthroughoutthe regionsof Judeaand Samaria,exceptthe apostles.
Paul,a bond-servantof ChristJesus,called[as] an apostle,set apartfor the gospelof God,
But I did not seeany otherof the apostlesexceptJames,the Lord'sbrother.
For priorto the comingof certain menfrom James,he used to eatwith the Gentiles;but whenthey came,he [began] to withdrawand holdhimselfaloof,fearingthe party of the circumcision.
and recognizingthe gracethat had been givento me, Jamesand Cephasand John,who were reputedto be pillars,gaveto me and Barnabasthe right handof fellowship,sothat we [might] [go] to the Gentilesand they to the circumcised.
"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.
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.
Pauland Timothy,bond-servantsof ChristJesus,To allthe saintsin ChristJesuswho are in Philippi,includingthe overseersand deacons:
Make every effortto comebeforewinter.Eubulusgreetsyou, alsoPudensand Linusand Claudiaand allthe brethren.
Paul,a bond-servantof Godand an apostleof JesusChrist,for the faithof those chosenof Godand the knowledgeof the truthwhich is accordingto godliness,
Peter,an apostleof JesusChrist,To those who reside as aliens,scattered throughoutPontus,Galatia,Cappadocia,Asia,and Bithynia,who are chosen
SimonPeter,a bond-servantand apostleof JesusChrist,To thosewho have receiveda faithof the same kindas ours,by the righteousnessof our Godand Savior,JesusChrist:
Jude,a bond-servantof JesusChrist,and brotherof James,To thosewho are the called,belovedin Godthe Father,and keptfor JesusChrist:
And I heardthe numberof thosewho were sealed,one hundredand forty-fourthousandsealedfrom everytribeof the sonsof Israel:
