“ This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: You in your own name have sent out letters to all the people of Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests, saying:

万军之耶和华以色列的神如此说：你曾用自己的名寄信给耶路撒冷的众民和祭司玛西雅的儿子西番雅，并众祭司，说：

万军之耶和华—以色列的上帝如此说：你曾用自己的名送信给耶路撒冷的众百姓和玛西雅的儿子西番雅祭司，并众祭司，说：

万军之耶和华—以色列的神如此说：你曾用自己的名送信给耶路撒冷的众百姓和玛西雅的儿子西番雅祭司，并众祭司，说：

“以色列的上帝——万军之耶和华说，你曾以自己的名义写信给住在耶路撒冷的众民、玛西雅的儿子西番雅祭司及其他祭司。你在信中对西番雅说，

‘万军之耶和华以色列的神这样说：你曾用自己的名寄信给在耶路撒冷的众民、玛西雅祭司的儿子西番雅，和众祭司，说：

萬軍之耶和華－以色列的神如此說：你曾用自己的名寄信給耶路撒冷的眾民和祭司瑪西雅的兒子西番雅，並眾祭司，說：

萬軍之耶和華－以色列的上帝如此說：你曾用自己的名送信給耶路撒冷的眾百姓和瑪西雅的兒子西番雅祭司，並眾祭司，說：

萬軍之耶和華－以色列的神如此說：你曾用自己的名送信給耶路撒冷的眾百姓和瑪西雅的兒子西番雅祭司，並眾祭司，說：

「以色列的上帝——萬軍之耶和華說，你曾以自己的名義寫信給住在耶路撒冷的眾民、瑪西雅的兒子西番雅祭司及其他祭司。你在信中對西番雅說，

‘萬軍之耶和華以色列的神這樣說：你曾用自己的名寄信給在耶路撒冷的眾民、瑪西雅祭司的兒子西番雅，和眾祭司，說：

『萬軍之永恆主以色列之上帝這麼說：你曾用自己的名寄信給在耶路撒冷的眾民，給祭司瑪西雅的兒子西番雅、和眾祭司說：

萬軍之耶和華、以色列之上帝云、爾以己名、致書於耶路撒冷民眾、及祭司瑪西雅子西番雅、與諸祭司曰、

萬有之主以色列族之上帝耶和華云、爾曾書達耶路撒冷居民、與馬西雅子祭司西番雅及眾祭司、書曰、

萬有之主以色列之天主如是云、爾曾恃己名、寄書達於耶路撒冷居民、與祭司瑪西雅子西番亞、及眾祭司曰、

“ This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You sent letters in your own name to all the people in Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, and to all the other priests. You said to Zephaniah,

“ The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says,‘ You sent letters in your own name to all the people in Jerusalem. You also sent them to Zephaniah the priest. He is the son of Maaseiah. And you sent them to all the other priests. You said to Zephaniah,

“ Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: You have sent letters in your name to all the people who are in Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying,

“ This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: You wrote a letter on your own authority to Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, the priest, and you sent copies to the other priests and people in Jerusalem. You wrote to Zephaniah,

“ This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: You in your own name have sent out letters to all the people of Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests, saying,

“ This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says:‘ Because you have sent letters in your own name to all the people who are in Jerusalem, and to the priest Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests, saying,

Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: You have sent letters in your name to all the people who are at Jerusalem, to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying,

Thus speaketh Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Because thou hast sent letters in thine own name unto all the people that are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, and to all the priests, saying,

Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Because thou hast sent letters in thy name unto all the people that[ are] at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying,

that the LORD God of Israel who rules over all has a message for him. Tell him,‘ On your own initiative you sent a letter to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah and to all the other priests and to all the people in Jerusalem. In your letter you said to Zephaniah,

“ Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says,‘ Because you have sent letters in your own name to all the people who are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, and to all the priests, saying,

Nevertheless, King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, the priest, to Jeremiah the prophet, requesting,“ Please pray to the Lord our God for us!”

Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet.

The commander of the guards also took away Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest of the second rank, and the three doorkeepers.

The king had heard this about Tirhakah king of Cush:“ Look, he has set out to fight against you.” So he again sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,

These nobles kept mentioning Tobiah’s good deeds to me, and they reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord when King Zedekiah sent Pashhur son of Malchijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to Jeremiah, asking,“ Ask the Lord on our behalf, since Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is making war against us. Perhaps the Lord will perform for us something like all His past wonderful works so that Nebuchadnezzar will withdraw from us.”

During those days, the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them.

He also wrote letters to mock Yahweh, the God of Israel, saying against Him: Just like the national gods of the lands that did not deliver their people from my power, so Hezekiah’s God will not deliver His people from my power.

Since Ahab had 70 sons in Samaria, Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria to the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to the guardians of Ahab’s sons, saying:When this letter arrives, since your master’s sons are with you and you have chariots, horses, a fortified city, and weaponry,select the most qualified of your master’s sons, set him on his father’s throne, and fight for your master’s house.However, they were terrified and reasoned,“ Look, two kings couldn’t stand against him; how can we?”So the overseer of the palace, the overseer of the city, the elders, and the guardians sent a message to Jehu:“ We are your servants, and we will do whatever you tell us. We will not make anyone king. Do whatever you think is right.”Then Jehu wrote them a second letter, saying: If you are on my side, and if you will obey me, bring me the heads of your master’s sons at this time tomorrow at Jezreel. All 70 of the king’s sons were being cared for by the city’s prominent men.When the letter came to them, they took the king’s sons and slaughtered all 70, put their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel.

The commander of the guards also took away Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest of the second rank, and the three doorkeepers.He took a court official who had been appointed over the warriors from the city; five trusted royal aides found in the city; the secretary of the commander of the army, who enlisted the people of the land for military duty; and 60 men from the common people who were found within the city.Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guards, took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.The king of Babylon put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah went into exile from its land.

During the time of King Artaxerxes of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of his colleagues wrote to King Artaxerxes. The letter was written in Aramaic and translated.Rehum the chief deputy and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter to King Artaxerxes concerning Jerusalem as follows:From Rehum the chief deputy, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their colleagues— the judges and magistrates from Tripolis, Persia, Erech, Babylon, Susa( that is, the people of Elam),and the rest of the peoples whom the great and illustrious Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and the region west of the Euphrates River.This is the text of the letter they sent to him: To King Artaxerxes from your servants, the men from the region west of the Euphrates River:Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came from you have returned to us at Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and evil city, finishing its walls, and repairing its foundations.Let it now be known to the king that if that city is rebuilt and its walls are finished, they will not pay tribute, duty, or land tax, and the royal revenue will suffer.Since we have taken an oath of loyalty to the king, and it is not right for us to witness his dishonor, we have sent to inform the kingthat a search should be made in your fathers’ record books. In these record books you will discover and verify that the city is a rebellious city, harmful to kings and provinces. There have been revolts in it since ancient times. That is why this city was destroyed.We advise the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are finished, you will not have any possession west of the Euphrates.

So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal. She sent the letters to the elders and nobles who lived with Naboth in his city.In the letters, she wrote: Proclaim a fast and seat Naboth at the head of the people.Then seat two wicked men opposite him and have them testify against him, saying,“ You have cursed God and the king!” Then take him out and stone him to death.The men of his city, the elders and nobles who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had commanded them, as was written in the letters she had sent them.They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth at the head of the people.The two wicked men came in and sat opposite him. Then the wicked men testified against Naboth in the presence of the people, saying,“ Naboth has cursed God and the king!” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death with stones.

and requested letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women who belonged to the Way, he might bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem.

Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers, read it, then went up to the Lord’s temple, and spread it out before the Lord.

Sanballat sent me this same message a fifth time by his aide, who had an open letter in his hand.