Ezra 1

Cyrus Helps the Captives Return

1 In the first year Cyrus was king of Persia, the Lord caused Cyrus to send an announcement to his whole kingdom and to put it in writing. This happened so the Lord’s message spoken by Jeremiah would come true. He wrote:

2 This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:
The Lord, the God of heaven, has given all the kingdoms of the earth to me, and he has appointed me to build a Temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah.3 May God be with all of you who are his people. You are free to go to Jerusalem in Judah and build the Temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, who is in Jerusalem.

4 Those who stay behind, wherever they live, should support those who want to go. Give them silver and gold, supplies and cattle, and special gifts for the Temple of God in Jerusalem.
5 Then the family leaders of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and Levites got ready to go to Jerusalem—everyone God had caused to want to go to Jerusalem to build the Temple of the Lord.6 All their neighbors helped them, giving them things made of silver and gold, along with supplies, cattle, valuable gifts, and special gifts for the Temple.7 Also, King Cyrus brought out the bowls and pans that belonged in the Temple of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem and put in the temple of his own god.

8 Cyrus king of Persia had Mithredath the treasurer bring them and count them out for Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.
9 He listed thirty gold dishes, one thousand silver dishes, twenty-nine pans,

10 thirty gold bowls, four hundred ten matching silver bowls, and one thousand other pieces.
11 There was a total of fifty-four hundred pieces of gold and silver. Sheshbazzar brought all these things along when the captives went from Babylon to Jerusalem.

Ezra 1

The Decree of Cyrus

1 s In the firsts year of King Cyrus of Persia, in order to fulfill the Lord's messaget spoken throughst Jeremiah,s the Lord stirred the mindt of King Cyrus of Persia. He disseminatedt a proclamationt throughout his entire kingdom, announcing in a written edicts the following:t

2 “Thus says King Cyrus of Persia:
“‘The Lord God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has instructed me to build a templet for him in Jerusalem,s which is in Judah.3 Anyone fromt his people among you (may his God be with him!) may go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and may build the temple of the Lord God of Israel – he is the God who is in Jerusalem.

4 Anyone who survives in any of those places where he is a resident foreigner must be helped by his neighborst with silver, gold, equipment, and animals, along with voluntary offerings for the temple of God which is in Jerusalem.’”

The Exiles Prepare to Return to Jerusalem

5 Then the leaderst of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and the Levites – all those whose mind God had stirred – got readyt to go up in order to build the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem.s

6 All their neighbors assistedt them with silver utensils,s gold, equipment, animals, and expensive gifts, not to mentiont all the voluntary offerings.
7 Then King Cyrus brought out the vessels of the Lord’s temple which Nebuchadnezzar had brought from Jerusalem and had displayedt in the temple of his gods.

8 King Cyrus of Persia entrustedt them tot Mithredaths the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzars the leader of the Judahite exiles.t

9 The inventoryt of these items was as follows:
30 gold basins,t
1,000 silver basins,
29 silver utensils,t

10 30 gold bowls,
410 othert silver bowls,
and 1,000 other vessels.

11 All these gold and silver vessels totaled 5,400.s Sheshbazzar brought them all along when the captives were brought up from Babylon to Jerusalem.