The Book of Ezra

⭑ Unlocked Literal Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

⮜ Back | Contents | Next ⮞

- Chapter 1 -

(2 Chronicles 36:22–23; Isaiah 45:1–25)

In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, Yahweh fulfilled his word that came from the mouth of Jeremiah, and stirred Cyrus’ spirit. Cyrus’ voice went out over his entire kingdom. This is what was written and spoken:

“Cyrus, king of Persia, says: Yahweh, God of Heaven, gave me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he appointed me to build for him a house in Jerusalem in Judea.

Whoever is from his people, may his God be with him, may go up to Jerusalem and build a house for Yahweh, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem.

People of any part of the kingdom where survivors of that land are living should provide them with silver and gold, possessions and animals, as well as a freewill offering for God’s house in Jerusalem.”

Then the heads of the ancestors’ clans of Judah and Benjamin, the priests and Levites, and everyone whose spirit God stirred to go and build his house arose.

Those around them supported their work with silver and gold objects, possessions, animals, valuables, and freewill offerings.

Cyrus Restores the Holy Vessels

King Cyrus also released the objects belonging to Yahweh’s house that Nebuchadnezzar had brought from Jerusalem and put in his own gods’ houses.

Cyrus put them into the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out for Sheshbazzar, Judea’s leader.

This was their number: thirty gold basins, one thousand silver basins, twenty-nine other basins,

thirty gold bowls, 410 small silver bowls, and one thousand additional objects.

There were 5,400 gold and silver items in all. Sheshbazzar brought all of them when the exiles went from Babylon to Jerusalem.

(2 Chronicles 36:22–23; Isaiah 45:1–25)

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the LORD’s(a) word by Jeremiah’s mouth might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,

“Cyrus king of Persia says, ‘The LORD, the God

(b)

of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he has commanded me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

Whoever there is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD, the God of Israel (he is God), which is in Jerusalem.

Whoever is left, in any place where he lives, let the men of his place help him with silver, with gold, with goods, and with animals, in addition to the free will offering for God’s house which is in Jerusalem.’”

Then the heads of fathers’ households of Judah and Benjamin, the priests and the Levites, all whose spirit God had stirred to go up, rose up to build the LORD’s house which is in Jerusalem.

All those who were around them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, with animals, and with precious things, in addition to all that was willingly offered.

Cyrus Restores the Holy Vessels

Also Cyrus the king brought out the vessels of the LORD’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought out of Jerusalem, and had put in the house of his gods;

even those, Cyrus king of Persia brought out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah.

This is the number of them: thirty platters of gold, one thousand platters of silver, twenty-nine knives,

thirty bowls of gold, four hundred ten silver bowls of a second kind, and one thousand other vessels.

All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand four hundred. Sheshbazzar brought all these up when the captives were brought up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

Footnotes

(a)1:1 When rendered in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, “LORD” or “GOD” is the translation of God’s Proper Name.

(b)1:2 The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).