On the sealed documents were the following names: ¹  Nehemiah the governor, son of Hacaliah, along with Zedekiah,

So King Darius issued the written interdict.

(10:1) ¹  “Because of all of this we are entering into a binding covenant ²  in written form; ³  our leaders, our Levites, and our priests have affixed their names ⁴  on the sealed document.”

So Darius the king issued orders, and they searched in the archives ¹  of the treasury which were deposited there in Babylon.

A copy of this edict was to be presented as law throughout every province; it was to be made known to all the inhabitants, ¹  so that they would be prepared for this day.

Now let the king issue a written interdict ¹  so that it cannot be altered, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be changed. ² 

‘The Lord God of Israel who rules over all ¹  says, “Take these documents, both the sealed copy of the deed of purchase and the unsealed copy. Put them in a clay jar so that they may be preserved for a long time to come.”’ ² 

When Daniel realized ¹  that a written decree had been issued, he entered his home, where the windows ²  in his upper room opened toward Jerusalem. ³  Three ⁴  times daily he was ⁵  kneeling ⁶  and offering prayers and thanks to his God just as he had been accustomed to do previously.

The letter you sent to us has been translated and read in my presence.

Then I will summon ¹  as my reliable witnesses Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah.”

“After I had given the copies of the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord,

The punishment ¹  of Ephraim has been decreed; ²  his punishment is being stored up for the future.

For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner without clearly indicating ¹  the charges against him.”

Prepare yourselves by your families according to your divisions, as instructed ¹  by King David of Israel and his son Solomon.

Then, as soon as the copy of the letter from King Artaxerxes was read in the presence of Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their colleagues, they proceeded promptly to the Jews in Jerusalem ¹  and stopped them with threat of armed force. ² 

A copy of the edict was to be presented as law throughout each and every province and made known to all peoples, so that the Jews might be prepared on that ¹  day to avenge themselves from their enemies.

“It was said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a legal document.’ ¹ 

To you this entire prophetic revelation ¹  is like words in a sealed scroll. When they hand it to one who can read ²  and say, “Read this,” he responds, “I can’t, because it is sealed.”

as both the high priest and the whole council of elders ¹  can testify about me. From them ²  I also received ³  letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way ⁴  to make arrests there and bring ⁵  the prisoners ⁶  to Jerusalem ⁷  to be punished.

Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his descendant. ¹  Scripture ²  does not say, “and to the descendants,” ³  referring to many, but “and to your descendant,” ⁴  referring to one, who is Christ.