Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the walls {thereof}, and joined the foundations. {set up: or, finished} {joined: Chaldee, sewed together}

Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king's decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask {a petition} of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing {is} true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.

And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws {are} diverse from all people; neither keep they the king's laws: therefore it {is} not for the king's profit to suffer them. {for the...: Heb. meet or, equal, etc}

And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;

The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king's matter: therefore {there is} no king, lord, nor ruler, {that} asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.

And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,

And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that {were} throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, {even} the people of Mordecai.

For the time past of {our} life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:

But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against.

Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king's decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask {a petition} of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing {is} true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.

Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty. {Accuse...: Heb. Hurt not with thy tongue}

Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai's matters would stand: for he had told them that he {was} a Jew.

Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he {was} faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.

Children in whom {was} no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as {had} ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.