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:

⁵ Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin,^(K) and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved^(L)—prepared to go up and build the house^(M) of the Lord in Jerusalem. ⁶ All their neighbors assisted them with articles of silver and gold,^(N) with goods and livestock, and with valuable gifts, in addition to all the freewill offerings.

⁷ Moreover, King Cyrus brought out the articles belonging to the temple of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his god.^{[a](O) 8} Cyrus king of Persia had them brought by Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar^(P) the prince of Judah.

⁹ This was the inventory:

¹¹ In all, there were 5,400 articles of gold and of silver. Sheshbazzar brought all these along with the exiles when they came up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

The List of the Exiles Who Returned^(Q)

2 Now these are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles,^(R) whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon^(S) had taken captive to Babylon (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to their own town,^{(T) 2} in company with Zerubbabel,^(U) Joshua,^(V) Nehemiah, Seraiah,^(W) Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum and Baanah):

⁶⁸ When they arrived at the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the families^(AU) gave freewill offerings toward the rebuilding of the house of God on its site. ⁶⁹ According to their ability they gave to the treasury for this work 61,000 darics^[d] of gold, 5,000 minas^[e] of silver and 100 priestly garments.

⁷⁰ The priests, the Levites, the musicians, the gatekeepers and the temple servants settled in their own towns, along with some of the other people, and the rest of the Israelites settled in their towns.^(AV)

Rebuilding the Altar

3 When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns,^(AW) the people assembled^(AX) together as one in Jerusalem. ² Then Joshua^(AY) son of Jozadak^(AZ) and his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel^(BA) and his associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses^(BB) the man of God. ³ Despite their fear^(BC) of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices.^{(BD) 4} Then in accordance with what is written, they celebrated the Festival of Tabernacles^(BE) with the required number of burnt offerings prescribed for each day. ⁵ After that, they presented the regular burnt offerings, the New Moon^(BF) sacrifices and the sacrifices for all the appointed sacred festivals of the Lord,^(BG) as well as those brought as freewill offerings to the Lord. ⁶ On the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, though the foundation of the Lord’s temple had not yet been laid.

Rebuilding the Temple

⁷ Then they gave money to the masons and carpenters,^(BH) and gave food and drink and olive oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre, so that they would bring cedar logs^(BI) by sea from Lebanon^(BJ) to Joppa, as authorized by Cyrus^(BK) king of Persia.

⁸ In the second month^(BL) of the second year after their arrival at the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel^(BM) son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak and the rest of the people (the priests and the Levites and all who had returned from the captivity to Jerusalem) began the work. They appointed Levites twenty^(BN) years old and older to supervise the building of the house of the Lord. ⁹ Joshua^(BO) and his sons and brothers and Kadmiel and his sons (descendants of Hodaviah^[f]) and the sons of Henadad and their sons and brothers—all Levites—joined together in supervising those working on the house of God.

¹⁰ When the builders laid^(BP) the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments and with trumpets,^(BQ) and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise^(BR) the Lord, as prescribed by David^(BS) king of Israel.^{(BT) 11} With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord:

And all the people gave a great shout^(BV) of praise to the Lord, because the foundation^(BW) of the house of the Lord was laid. ¹² But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple,^(BX) wept^(BY) aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. ¹³ No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy^(BZ) from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away.

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God’s Marvelous Plan for the Gentiles

3 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner^(A) of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—

² Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me^(B) for you, ³ that is, the mystery^(C) made known to me by revelation,^(D) as I have already written briefly. ⁴ In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight^(E) into the mystery of Christ, ⁵ which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.^{(F) 6} This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs^(G) together with Israel, members together of one body,^(H) and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.^(I)

⁷ I became a servant of this gospel^(J) by the gift of God’s grace given me^(K) through the working of his power.^{(L) 8} Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people,^(M) this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles^(N) the boundless riches of Christ,^{(O) 9} and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery,^(P) which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. ¹⁰ His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God^(Q) should be made known^(R) to the rulers and authorities^(S) in the heavenly realms,^{(T) 11} according to his eternal purpose^(U) that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. ¹² In him and through faith in him we may approach God^(V) with freedom and confidence.^{(W) 13} I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

A Prayer for the Ephesians

¹⁴ For this reason I kneel^(X) before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family^[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches^(Y) he may strengthen you with power^(Z) through his Spirit in your inner being,^{(AA) 17} so that Christ may dwell in your hearts^(AB) through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted^(AC) and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people,^(AD) to grasp how wide and long and high and deep^(AE) is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge^(AF)—that you may be filled^(AG) to the measure of all the fullness of God.^(AH)

²⁰ Now to him who is able^(AI) to do immeasurably more than all we ask^(AJ) or imagine, according to his power^(AK) that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.^(AL)