Cyrus Commands the Jews to Return
1 In the first year that Cyrus of Persia was emperor, the Lord made what he had said through the prophet Jeremiah come true. He prompted Cyrus to issue the following command and send it out in writing to be read aloud everywhere in his empire:
2 “This is the command of Cyrus, Emperor of Persia. The Lord, the God of Heaven, has made me ruler over the whole world and has given me the responsibility of building a temple for him in Jerusalem in Judah. 3 May God be with all of you who are his people. You are to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is worshiped in Jerusalem. 4 If any of his people in exile need help to return, their neighbors are to give them this help. They are to provide them with silver and gold, supplies and pack animals, as well as offerings to present in the Temple of God in Jerusalem.”
5 Then the heads of the clans of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, the priests and Levites, and everyone else whose heart God had moved got ready to go and rebuild the Lord's Temple in Jerusalem. 6 All their neighbors helped them by giving them many things: silver utensils, gold, supplies, pack animals, other valuables, and offerings for the Temple.
7 Emperor Cyrus gave them back the bowls and cups that King Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem and had put in the temple of his gods. 8 He handed them over to Mithredath, chief of the royal treasury, who made an inventory of them for Sheshbazzar, the governor of Judah, 9-10 as follows:
gold bowls for offerings 30silver bowls for offerings 1,000other bowls 29small gold bowls 30small silver bowls 410other utensils 1,000
11 In all there were 5,400 gold and silver bowls and other articles which Sheshbazzar took with him when he and the other exiles went from Babylon to Jerusalem.
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.