3 Maccabees 7:1-9
“King Ptolemy Philopator to the commanders throughout Egypt, and to all who are set over affairs, joy and strength. We, too, and our children are well. God has directed our affairs as we wish. Certain of our friends out of malice vehemently urged us to punish the Jews of our realm in a body, with the infliction of a monstrous punishment. They pretended that our affairs would never be in a good state till this took place. Such, they said, was the hatred borne by the Jews to all other people. They brought them fettered in grievous chains as slaves, no, as traitors. Without enquiry or examination they endeavored to annihilate them. They buckled themselves with a savage cruelty, worse than Scythian custom. For this cause we severely threatened them; yet, with the clemency which we usually extend to all men, we at length permitted them to live. Finding that the God of heaven cast a shield of protection over the Jews so as to preserve them, and that he fought for them as a father always fights for his sons, and taking into consideration their constancy and fidelity toward us and toward our ancestors, we have, as we ought, acquitted them of every sort of charge. We have dismissed them to their several homes, telling all men everywhere to do them no wrong, or unrighteously revile them about the past. For know this, that should we conceive any evil design, or in any way aggrieve them, we shall ever have as our adversary, not man, but the highest God, the ruler of all might. From Him there will be no escape, as the avenger of such deeds. Farewell.”