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1 Kings 20 7
Then the king of Israel called for all the elders of the land and said,“ Think it over and you will see that this one is only looking for trouble, for he demanded my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, and I didn’t turn him down.”
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Nehemiah 6:5
Sanballat sent me this same message a fifth time by his aide, who had an open letter in his hand.
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Esther 8:8-13
You may write in the king’s name whatever pleases you concerning the Jews, and seal it with the royal signet ring. A document written in the king’s name and sealed with the royal signet ring cannot be revoked.”On the twenty-third day of the third month( that is, the month Sivan), the royal scribes were summoned. Everything was written exactly as Mordecai ordered for the Jews, to the satraps, the governors, and the officials of the 127 provinces from India to Cush. The edict was written for each province in its own script, for each ethnic group in its own language, and to the Jews in their own script and language.Mordecai wrote in King Ahasuerus’s name and sealed the edicts with the royal signet ring. He sent the documents by mounted couriers, who rode fast horses bred from the royal racing mares.The king’s edict gave the Jews in each and every city the right to assemble and defend themselves, to destroy, kill, and annihilate every ethnic and provincial army hostile to them, including women and children, and to take their possessions as spoils of war.This would take place on a single day throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month Adar.A copy of the text, issued as law throughout every province, was distributed to all the peoples so the Jews could be ready to avenge themselves against their enemies on that day.
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Ezra 4:7-8
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:
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Numbers 11:16
The Lord answered Moses,“ Bring Me 70 men from Israel known to you as elders and officers of the people. Take them to the tent of meeting and have them stand there with you.
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Ezra 4:11
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:
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2 Kings 10 11
So Jehu killed all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel— all his great men, close friends, and priests— leaving him no survivors.
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1 Kings 21 1
Some time passed after these events. Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard; it was in Jezreel next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.
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2 Samuel 11 14-2 Samuel 11 15
The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.In the letter he wrote: Put Uriah at the front of the fiercest fighting, then withdraw from him so that he is struck down and dies.
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Esther 3:12-15
The royal scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and the order was written exactly as Haman commanded. It was intended for the royal satraps, the governors of each of the provinces, and the officials of each ethnic group and written for each province in its own script and to each ethnic group in its own language. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the royal signet ring.Letters were sent by couriers to each of the royal provinces telling the officials to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jewish people— young and old, women and children— and plunder their possessions on a single day, the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month.A copy of the text, issued as law throughout every province, was distributed to all the peoples so that they might get ready for that day.The couriers left, spurred on by royal command, and the law was issued in the fortress of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink, while the city of Susa was in confusion.
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2 Kings 10 1-2 Kings 10 7
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.
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2 Chronicles 32 17
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.
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Deuteronomy 21:1-9
“ If a murder victim is found lying in a field in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess, and it is not known who killed him,your elders and judges must come out and measure the distance from the victim to the nearby cities.The elders of the city nearest to the victim are to get a young cow that has not been yoked or used for work.The elders of that city will bring the cow down to a continually flowing stream, to a place not tilled or sown, and they will break its neck there by the stream.Then the priests, the sons of Levi, will come forward, for Yahweh your God has chosen them to serve Him and pronounce blessings in His name, and they are to give a ruling in every dispute and case of assault.All the elders of the city nearest to the victim will wash their hands by the stream over the young cow whose neck has been broken.They will declare,‘ Our hands did not shed this blood; our eyes did not see it.Lord, forgive Your people Israel You redeemed, and do not hold the shedding of innocent blood against them.’ Then they will be absolved of responsibility for bloodshed.You must purge from yourselves the guilt of shedding innocent blood, for you will be doing what is right in the Lord’s sight.
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Deuteronomy 16:18-19
“ Appoint judges and officials for your tribes in all your towns the Lord your God is giving you. They are to judge the people with righteous judgment.Do not deny justice or show partiality to anyone. Do not accept a bribe, for it blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.