1
"King Ptolemy Philopator to the generals in Egypt and all in authority in his government, greetings and good health.
2
We ourselves and our children are faring well, the great God guiding our affairs according to our desire.
3
Certain of our friends, frequently urging us with malicious intent, persuaded us to gather together the Jews of the kingdom in a body and to punish them with barbarous penalties as traitors;
4
for they declared that our government would never be firmly established until this was accomplished, because of the ill-will which these people had toward all nations.
5
They also led them out with harsh treatment as slaves, or rather as traitors, and, girding themselves with a cruelty more savage than that of Scythian custom, they tried without any inquiry or examination to put them to death.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.