Cyrus Lets the Jews Return Home
1 Years ago the Lord sent Jeremiah with a message about a promise for the people of Israel. Then in the first year that Cyrus was king of Persia, the Lord kept his promise by telling Cyrus to send this official message to all parts of his kingdom:
2-3 I am King Cyrus of Persia.
The Lord God of heaven, who is also the God of Israel, has made me the ruler of all nations on earth. And he has chosen me to build a temple for him in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. The Lord God will watch over and encourage any of his people who want to go back to Jerusalem and help build the temple.
4 Everyone else must provide what is needed. They must give money, supplies, and animals, as well as gifts for rebuilding God's temple.
5 Many people felt that the Lord God wanted them to help rebuild his temple, and they made plans to go to Jerusalem. Among them were priests, Levites, and leaders of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. 6 The others helped by giving silver articles, gold, personal possessions, cattle, and other valuable gifts, as well as offerings for the temple.
7 King Cyrus gave back the things that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Lord's temple in Jerusalem and had put in the temple of his own gods. 8 Cyrus placed Mithredath, his chief treasurer, in charge of these things. Mithredath counted them and gave a list to Sheshbazzar, the governor of Judah. 9-10 Included among them were: 30 large gold dishes; 1,000 large silver dishes; 29 other dishes; 30 gold bowls; 410 silver bowls; and 1,000 other articles.
11 Altogether, there were 5,400 gold and silver dishes, bowls, and other articles. Sheshbazzar took them with him when he and the others returned to Jerusalem from Babylonia.
1 Nowe in the first yere of Cyrus King of Persia (that the worde of the Lord, spoken by the mouth of Ieremiah, might be accomplished) the Lord stirred vp the spirite of Cyrus King of Persia, and hee made a Proclamation thorowe all his Kingdome, and also by writing, saying, 2 Thus saith Cyrus King of Persia, The Lord God of heauen hath giuen me all the kingdomes of the earth, and he hath commanded me to builde him an house in Ierusalem, which is in Iudah. 3 Who is he among you of all his people with whome his God is? let him goe vp to Ierusalem which is in Iudah, and buylde the house of the Lord God of Israel: he is the God, which is in Ierusalem. 4 And euery one that remayneth in any place (where he soiourneth) let the men of his place relieue him with siluer and with golde, and with substance, and with cattel, and with a willing offring, for the house of God that is in Ierusalem. 5 Then the chiefe fathers of Iudah and Beniamin, and the Priests and Leuites rose vp, with al them whose spirit God had raysed to goe vp, to builde the house of the Lord which is in Ierusalem. 6 And all they that were about them, strengthened their handes with vessels of siluer, with golde, with substance and with cattell, and with precious thinges, besides all that was willingly offred. 7 Also the King Cyrus brought forth the vessels of the house of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of Ierusalem, and had put them in the house of his god. 8 Euen them did Cyrus King of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and counted them vnto Sheshbazzar the Prince of Iudah. 9 And this is the nomber of them, thirtie basins of golde, a thousand basins of siluer, nine and twentie kniues, 10 Thirtie boules of gold, and of siluer boules of the second sort, foure hundreth and tenne, and of other vessels, a thousand. 11 All the vessels of golde and siluer were fiue thousand and foure hundreth. Sheshbazzar brought vp all with them of the captiuitie that came vp from Babel to Ierusalem.