⁵ Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin,^(A) and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved^(B)—prepared to go up and build the house^(C) of the Lord in Jerusalem.

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:

¹³ for it is God who works in you^(A) to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.^(B)

¹⁶ Don’t be deceived,^(A) my dear brothers and sisters.^{(B) 17} Every good and perfect gift is from above,^(C) coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights,^(D) who does not change^(E) like shifting shadows.

Titus Sent to Receive the Collection

¹⁶ Thanks be to God,^(A) who put into the heart^(B) of Titus^(C) the same concern I have for you.

¹² I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.

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:

¹¹ Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good.^(A) Anyone who does what is good is from God.^(B) Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.^(C)