¹ It hath been good before Darius, and he hath established over the kingdom satraps -- a hundred and twenty -- that they may be throughout the whole kingdom,

³¹ and Darius the Mede hath received the kingdom, when a son of sixty and two years.

¹ And it cometh to pass, in the days of Ahasuerus -- he `is' Ahasuerus who is reigning from Hodu even unto Cush, seven and twenty and a hundred provinces --

²¹ `And thou -- thou dost provide out of all the people men of ability, fearing God, men of truth, hating dishonest gain, and hast placed `these' over them, heads of thousands, heads of hundreds, heads of fifties, and heads of tens,

²² and they have judged the people at all times; and it hath come to pass, every great matter they bring in unto thee, and every small matter they judge themselves; and lighten it from off thyself, and they have borne with thee.

¹⁴ whether to governors, as to those sent through him, for punishment, indeed, of evil-doers, and a praise of those doing good;