Cyrus Helps the Exiles to Return^(A)

1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah,^(B) the Lord moved the heart^(C) of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:

²² In the first year of Cyrus^(A) king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:

²³ “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:

¹² “But when the seventy years^(A) are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon^(B) and his nation, the land of the Babylonians,^[a] for their guilt,” declares the Lord, “and will make it desolate^(C) forever. ¹³ I will bring on that land all the things I have spoken against it, all that are written^(D) in this book and prophesied by Jeremiah against all the nations. ¹⁴ They themselves will be enslaved^(E) by many nations^(F) and great kings; I will repay^(G) them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.”

²⁷ Praise be to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who has put it into the king’s heart^(A) to bring honor^(B) to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem in this way

²² For seven days they celebrated with joy the Festival of Unleavened Bread,^(A) because the Lord had filled them with joy by changing the attitude^(B) of the king of Assyria so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel.

⁷ I will bring Judah^(A) and Israel back from captivity^[a](B) and will rebuild^(C) them as they were before.^{(D) 8} I will cleanse^(E) them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive^(F) all their sins of rebellion against me. ⁹ Then this city will bring me renown,^(G) joy, praise^(H) and honor^(I) before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble^(J) at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.’

¹⁰ “This is what the Lord says: ‘You say about this place, “It is a desolate waste, without people or animals.”^(K) Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted,^(L) inhabited by neither people nor animals, there will be heard once more ¹¹ the sounds of joy and gladness,^(M) the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings^(N) to the house of the Lord, saying,

For I will restore the fortunes^(Q) of the land as they were before,^(R)’ says the Lord.

¹² “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In this place, desolate^(S) and without people or animals^(T)—in all its towns there will again be pastures for shepherds to rest their flocks.^{(U) 13} In the towns of the hill^(V) country, of the western foothills and of the Negev,^(W) in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah, flocks will again pass under the hand^(X) of the one who counts them,’ says the Lord.