The Decree of Cyrus

1 In^(A) the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken through Jeremiah,^(B) the Lord roused the spirit^(C) of King Cyrus to issue a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom and to put it in writing:

² This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: “The Lord, the God of the heavens, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and has appointed me to build him a house at Jerusalem in Judah.^{(D) 3} Any of his people among you, may his God be with him, and may he go to Jerusalem in Judah and build the house of the Lord, the God of Israel,^(E) the God who is in Jerusalem. ⁴ Let every survivor,^(F) wherever he resides, be assisted by the men of that region with silver, gold, goods, and livestock, along with a freewill offering for the house of God in Jerusalem.”

Return from Exile

⁵ So the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and Levites—everyone whose spirit God had roused^(G)—prepared to go up and rebuild the Lord’s house in Jerusalem. ⁶ All their neighbors supported them^[a](H) with silver articles, gold, goods, livestock, and valuables, in addition to all that was given as a freewill offering. ⁷ King Cyrus also brought out the articles of the Lord’s house that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem and had placed in the house of his gods.^{(I) 8} King Cyrus of Persia had them brought out under the supervision of Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah.^{(J) 9} This was the inventory:

¹¹ The gold and silver articles totaled 5,400. Sheshbazzar brought all of them when the exiles went up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

⁴ This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles I deported from Jerusalem to Babylon: ⁵ “Build houses and live in them.^(A) Plant gardens and eat their produce. ⁶ Find wives for yourselves, and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons and give your daughters to men in marriage so that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease.^{(B) 7} Pursue the well-being^[a] of the city I have deported you to. Pray to the Lord on its behalf,^(C) for when it thrives, you will thrive.”

⁸ For this is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Don’t let your prophets who are among you^(D) and your diviners deceive you,^(E) and don’t listen to the dreams you elicit from them, ⁹ for they are prophesying falsely to you in my name. I have not sent them.”^(F) This is the Lord’s declaration.

¹⁰ For this is what the Lord says: “When seventy years for Babylon are complete,^(G) I will attend to you and will confirm my promise concerning you to restore you to this place. ¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you”^(H)—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. ¹² You will call to me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.^{(I) 13} You will seek me^(J) and find me when you search for me with all your heart. ¹⁴ I will be found by you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“and I will restore your fortunes^[b](K) and gather you from all the nations and places where I banished you”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “I will restore you to the place from which I deported you.”^(L)

Psalm 122

A Prayer for Jerusalem

A song of ascents. Of David.