A Letter to the Jews in Egypt

1 The Jews in Jerusalem and those in the land of Judea,

To their Jewish kindred in Egypt,

Greetings and true peace.

² May God do good to you, and may he remember his covenant with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, his faithful servants.^{(A) 3} May he give you all a heart to worship him and to do his will with a strong heart and a willing spirit. ⁴ May he open your heart to his law and his commandments, and may he bring peace.^{(B) 5} May he hear your prayers and be reconciled to you, and may he not forsake you in time of evil.^{(C) 6} We are now praying for you here.

²⁴ The prayer was to this effect:

“O Lord, Lord God, Creator of all things, you are awe-inspiring and strong and just and merciful; you alone are king and are kind;^{(A) 25} you alone are bountiful; you alone are just and almighty and eternal. You rescue Israel from every evil; you chose the ancestors and consecrated them.^{(B) 26} Accept this sacrifice on behalf of all your people Israel and preserve your portion and make it holy.^{(C) 27} Gather together our scattered people; set free those who are slaves among the nations; look on those who are rejected and despised; and let the nations know that you are our God.^{(D) 28} Punish those who oppress and are insolent with pride. ²⁹ Plant your people in your holy place, as Moses promised.”^(E)