Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

(A song for worship.)

A Prayer for the Lord's Help

Cyrus Lets the Jews Return Home

1 ^(A) Years ago the Lord sent Jeremiah with a message about a promise^[a] for the people of Israel. Then in the first year that Cyrus was king of Persia,^[b] the Lord kept his promise by telling Cyrus to send this official message to all parts of his kingdom:

^2-3 (B) I am King Cyrus of Persia.

The Lord God of heaven, who is also the God of Israel, has made me the ruler of all nations on earth. And he has chosen me to build a temple for him in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. The Lord God will watch over and encourage any of his people who want to go back to Jerusalem and help build the temple.

⁴ Everyone else must provide what is needed. They must give money, supplies, and animals, as well as gifts for rebuilding God's temple.

⁵ Many people felt that the Lord God wanted them to help rebuild his temple, and they made plans to go to Jerusalem. Among them were priests, Levites, and leaders of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. ⁶ The others helped by giving silver articles, gold, personal possessions, cattle, and other valuable gifts, as well as offerings for the temple.

⁷ King Cyrus gave back the things that Nebuchadnezzar^[c] had taken from the Lord's temple in Jerusalem and had put in the temple of his own gods. ⁸ Cyrus placed Mithredath, his chief treasurer, in charge of these things. Mithredath counted them and gave a list to Sheshbazzar, the governor of Judah. ^9-10 Included among them were: 30 large gold dishes; 1,000 large silver dishes; 29 other dishes;^[d] 30 gold bowls; 410 silver bowls; and 1,000 other articles.

¹¹ Altogether, there were 5,400 gold and silver dishes, bowls, and other articles. Sheshbazzar took them with him when he and the others returned to Jerusalem from Babylonia.

Paul's Change of Plans

¹² We can be proud of our clear conscience. We have always lived honestly and sincerely, especially when we were with you. And we were guided by God's gift of undeserved grace instead of by the wisdom of this world. ¹³ I am not writing anything you cannot read and understand. I hope you will understand it completely, ¹⁴ just as you already partly understand us. Then when our Lord Jesus returns, you can be as proud of us as we are of you.

¹⁵ I was so sure of your pride in us that I had planned to visit you first of all. In this way you would have the blessing of two visits from me— ^16 (A) once on my way to Macedonia and again on my return from there. Then you could send me on to Judea. ¹⁷ Do you think I couldn't make up my mind about what to do? Or do I seem like someone who says “Yes” or “No” simply to please others? ¹⁸ God can be trusted, and so can I, when I say our answer to you has always been “Yes” and never “No.” ^19 (B) This is because Jesus Christ the Son of God is always “Yes” and never “No.” And he is the one Silas,^[a] Timothy, and I told you about.