1 In the first year that Koresh (Cyrus) was king of Paras (Persia), Yahweh stirred up his spirit in order to fulfil what he’d spoken through the prophet Yirmiyah (Jeremiah).[ref] So the king distributed an official written notice throughout his kingdom, saying, 2 “Koresh, king of Paras, declares this: Yahweh, the god of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms in the world, and he’s appointed me to build a residence for him in Yerushalem (Jerusalem) in Yehudah (Judah).[ref] 3 Anyone among you who’s one of his followers is free to go to Yerushalem (in Yehudah) to help build a temple there for Yisrael’s (Israel’s) god Yahweh—the god of Yerushalem. May God go with you. 4 Those who live near these people but who are not going themselves, should donate gold and silver, and goods and livestock, plus cash as a voluntary offering for God’s temple in Yerushalem.

5 Then some of the leaders of Benyamin and Yehudah, and some priests and Levites—all of whom had had their spirits stirred up by God—left to go and build Yahweh’s residence in Yerushalem. 6 Their neighbours had helped them by donating gold and silver utensils, goods and livestock, and expensive gifts, as well as the voluntary offerings of cash.

7 Then King Koresh brought out the equipment from Yahweh’s temple that Nevukadnetsar (Nebuchadnezzar) had brought all the way from Yerushalem and had put in the house of his gods. 8 He put the treasurer Mitredat in charge of bringing them out and Sheshebatsar, the ruler of Yehudah, in charge of accepting them and listing them. 9 There were: thirty gold basins, one thousand silver basins, twenty-nine knives, 10 thirty gold bowls, 410 silver bowls, and a thousand other utensils, 11 coming to a total of 5,400 gold and silver utensils. Sheshebatsar took all of that with the group of exiles going from Bavel (Babylon) to Yerushalem.