Ezra Chapter 1

Conversational Yahveh Covenant

Cyrus Lets the Exiles Return

¹ In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, to fulfill his message through Jeremiah, Yahveh stirred up Cyrus. He sent a written proclamation everywhere in his kingdom:

         ²“Cyrus, king of Persia, says, ‘Yahveh God of heaven has given me the kingdoms of the world and appointed me to build him a temple in Jerusalem, in Judah. ³ Whoever is from his people, your God be with you! Go up and rebuild the Temple of Yahveh God of Israel, the God in Jerusalem. ⁴Wherever there’s a survivor, support him with silver and gold, supplies and livestock, plus freewill offerings.’”                                                                            

Ezra 1:1-4

⁵ God stirred up the leaders of the tribes from Judah and Benjamin along with the priests and Levites to go to Jerusalem to rebuild his Temple. ⁶ Their neighbors encouraged them with silver and gold items, with goods, livestock, and valuables, plus freewill offerings. ⁷ Cyrus brought out the items from Yahveh’s Temple that Nebuchadnezzar had carried to the temple of his gods. ⁸ He had Mithredath the treasurer bring them out and count them out to Sheshbazzar, ruler of Judah: ⁹ 30 gold basins, 1,000 silver basins, 29 censers, ¹⁰ 30 gold bowls, 410 silver bowls, 1,000 other articles— ¹¹ 5,400 gold and silver items in all. Sheshbazzar took them up with the exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem.         

Ezra 1:5-11