Ezra 1
Chapter 1
Cyrus Allows the Exiles to Return
1 In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia,t the LORD fulfilled the prophecy he had given through Jeremiah.t He stirred the heart of Cyrus to put this proclamation in writing and to send it throughout his kingdom:
2 “This is what King Cyrus of Persia says:
“The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.3 Any of you who are his people may go to Jerusalem in Judah to rebuild this Temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, who lives in Jerusalem. And may your God be with you!4 Wherever this Jewish remnant is found, let their neighbors contribute toward their expenses by giving them silver and gold, supplies for the journey, and livestock, as well as a voluntary offering for the Temple of God in Jerusalem.”5 Then God stirred the hearts of the priests and Levites and the leaders of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple of the LORD.
6 And all their neighbors assisted by giving them articles of silver and gold, supplies for the journey, and livestock. They gave them many valuable gifts in addition to all the voluntary offerings.
7 King Cyrus himself brought out the articles that King Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the LORD’s Temple in Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his own gods.8 Cyrus directed Mithredath, the treasurer of Persia, to count these items and present them to Sheshbazzar, the leader of the exiles returning to Judah.t
9 This is a list of the items that were returned:
gold basins30
silver basins1,000
silver incense burnerst2910 gold bowls30
silver bowls410
other items1,000
11 In all, there were 5,400 articles of gold and silver. Sheshbazzar brought all of these along when the exiles 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.
