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and whose relationship to the great King of Persia
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was really an almost technical sense, that of slaves.
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They needed to do, they had to do,
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they were expected to do,
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whatever the Persian king told them to do.
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Now, he was not fanatical and he did not make requests
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that typically were impossible for people to do.
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In fact, the Persian rule over their conquered peoples was, in many ways,
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easier and more generous and less intrusive than other peoples.
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For instance, in the realm of religion, the Persians did not bother;
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they didn't interfere with people's exercise of religion.
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Those of you who have read a book called, The Old Testament,