3 Maccabees 3:21-23

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

²¹ Among other things, we made known to all our amnesty toward their compatriots here, both because of their alliance with us and the myriad affairs liberally entrusted to them from the beginning, and we ventured to make a change, by deciding both to deem them worthy of Alexandrian citizenship and to make them participants in our regular religious rites.^{[a](A) 22} But in their innate malice they took this in a contrary spirit and disdained what is good. Since they incline constantly to evil, ²³ they not only spurn the priceless citizenship, but also both by speech and by silence they abhor those few among them who are sincerely disposed toward us; in every situation, in accordance with their infamous way of life, they secretly suspect that we may soon alter our policy.^(B)