“ 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,

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 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,

“ 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:

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 the priest, son of Maaseiah, to ask Jeremiah,“ Please pray to the Lord our God for us.”

But when Zephaniah the priest received Shemaiah’s letter, he took it to Jeremiah and read it to him.

Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took with him as prisoners Seraiah the high priest, Zephaniah the priest of the second rank, and the three chief gatekeepers.

Soon afterward King Sennacherib received word that King Tirhakah of Ethiopia was leading an army to fight against him. Before leaving to meet the attack, he sent messengers back to Hezekiah in Jerusalem with this message:

They kept telling me about Tobiah’s good deeds, and then they told him everything I said. And Tobiah kept sending threatening letters to intimidate me.

The Lord spoke through Jeremiah when King Zedekiah sent Pashhur son of Malkijah and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, the priest, to speak with him. They begged Jeremiah,“ Please speak to the Lord for us and ask him to help us. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon is attacking Judah. Perhaps the Lord will be gracious and do a mighty miracle as he has done in the past. Perhaps he will force Nebuchadnezzar to withdraw his armies.”

During those fifty two days, many letters went back and forth between Tobiah and the nobles of Judah.

The king also sent letters scorning the Lord, the God of Israel. He wrote,“ Just as the gods of all the other nations failed to rescue their people from my power, so the God of Hezekiah will also fail.”

Ahab had seventy sons living in the city of Samaria. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, to the elders and officials of the city, and to the guardians of King Ahab’s sons. He said,“ The king’s sons are with you, and you have at your disposal chariots, horses, a fortified city, and weapons. As soon as you receive this letter,select the best qualified of your master’s sons to be your king, and prepare to fight for Ahab’s dynasty.”But they were paralyzed with fear and said,“ We’ve seen that two kings couldn’t stand against this man! What can we do?”So the palace and city administrators, together with the elders and the guardians of the king’s sons, sent this message to Jehu:“ We are your servants and will do anything you tell us. We will not make anyone king; do whatever you think is best.”Jehu responded with a second letter:“ If you are on my side and are going to obey me, bring the heads of your master’s sons to me at Jezreel by this time tomorrow.” Now the seventy sons of the king were being cared for by the leaders of Samaria, where they had been raised since childhood.When the letter arrived, the leaders killed all seventy of the king’s sons. They placed their heads in baskets and presented them to Jehu at Jezreel.

Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took with him as prisoners Seraiah the high priest, Zephaniah the priest of the second rank, and the three chief gatekeepers.And from among the people still hiding in the city, he took an officer who had been in charge of the Judean army; five of the king’s personal advisers; the army commander’s chief secretary, who was in charge of recruitment; and sixty other citizens.Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took them all to the king of Babylon at Riblah.And there at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king of Babylon had them all put to death. So the people of Judah were sent into exile from their land.

Even later, during the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, the enemies of Judah, led by Bishlam, Mithredath, and Tabeel, sent a letter to Artaxerxes in the Aramaic language, and it was translated for the king.Rehum the governor and Shimshai the court secretary wrote the letter, telling King Artaxerxes about the situation in Jerusalem.They greeted the king for all their colleagues— the judges and local leaders, the people of Tarpel, the Persians, the Babylonians, and the people of Erech and Susa( that is, Elam).They also sent greetings from the rest of the people whom the great and noble Ashurbanipal had deported and relocated in Samaria and throughout the neighboring lands of the province west of the Euphrates River.This is a copy of their letter:“ To King Artaxerxes, from your loyal subjects in the province west of the Euphrates River.“ The king should know that the Jews who came here to Jerusalem from Babylon are rebuilding this rebellious and evil city. They have already laid the foundation and will soon finish its walls.And the king should know that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, it will be much to your disadvantage, for the Jews will then refuse to pay their tribute, customs, and tolls to you.“ Since we are your loyal subjects and do not want to see the king dishonored in this way, we have sent the king this information.We suggest that a search be made in your ancestors’ records, where you will discover what a rebellious city this has been in the past. In fact, it was destroyed because of its long and troublesome history of revolt against the kings and countries who controlled it.We declare to the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, the province west of the Euphrates River will be lost to you.”

So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the elders and other leaders of the town where Naboth lived.In her letters she commanded:“ Call the citizens together for a time of fasting, and give Naboth a place of honor.And then seat two scoundrels across from him who will accuse him of cursing God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death.”So the elders and other town leaders followed the instructions Jezebel had written in the letters.They called for a fast and put Naboth at a prominent place before the people.Then the two scoundrels came and sat down across from him. And they accused Naboth before all the people, saying,“ He cursed God and the king.” So he was dragged outside the town and stoned to death.

He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them— both men and women— back to Jerusalem in chains.

After Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it, he went up to the Lord’s Temple and spread it out before the Lord.

The fifth time, Sanballat’s servant came with an open letter in his hand,