Cyrus let the Jews return to Jerusalem

1 During the first year that Cyrus ruled the Persian Empire, he did something that fulfilled what Jeremiah had prophesied. Yahweh motivated Cyrus to write this message, and then Cyrus sent this message throughout his empire:

2 “I, King Cyrus, who rule the Persian Empire, declare this: 'Yahweh, the God who is in/rules from heaven, has caused me to become the ruler of all the kingdoms that I know about on the earth. And he has appointed me to enable his people to build a temple for him in Jerusalem, in Judah land. 3 All you people who belong to God may go up to Jerusalem to rebuild this temple for Yahweh, the God who lives in Jerusalem, the God who is worshiped by you Israeli people. I desire/hope that your God will be with you and help those who go there. 4 Those people who are in places where Israelis are living, whose ancestors were exiled here, should contribute silver and gold to those who go. They should also give them supplies that they will need for the journey to Jerusalem. They should also give them some livestock, and gifts of money to help build the temple of God in Jerusalem.' ”

5 Then God motivated some of the priests and ◄Levites/men who did work in the temple► and some of the leaders of the tribes that were descended from Judah and Benjamin to return to Jerusalem. Those whom God motivated got ready to return to Jerusalem and build the temple for Yahweh there. 6 All of their neighbors helped them by giving them things made of silver and things made of gold, and supplies for the journey, and livestock. They also gave them other valuable gifts, and also gave them money to buy things for building the temple. 7 King Cyrus brought out the valuable things that King Nebuchadnezzar’s soldiers had taken from the temple of Yahweh in Jerusalem and put in the temple of Nebuchadnezzar’s gods in Babylon. 8 Cyrus commanded Mithredath, the treasurer of the Persian Empire, to count all these items and then give them to Sheshbazzar, the leader of the group that was going to return to Judah.

9 This is a list of the items that Cyrus donated:

30 large gold dishes

1,000 large silver dishes

29 silver ◄censers/incense burning pans►

10 30 gold bowls

410 silver bowls

1,000 other items.

11 All together, there were 5,400 items made of silver or gold, that were given to Sheshbazzar to take with him when he and the others returned to Jerusalem.