EzraChapter 1
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1It was the first year of Cyrus king of Persia. The LORD wanted to make his word through Jeremiah come true. So the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia. Cyrus sent a message through his whole kingdom. He also put it in writing. It said: 2"This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has chosen me to build a house for him at Jerusalem in Judah. 3Any of you who are his people may go to Jerusalem in Judah. May your God be with you. Go and build the house of the LORD, the God of Israel. He is the God who is in Jerusalem. 4Wherever any survivor lives, let the people of that place help him. Let them give silver, gold, goods, and animals. Let them also give a freewill offering for the house of God in Jerusalem.'" 5So the family leaders of Judah and Benjamin got ready to go. The priests and Levites did too. Everyone whose heart God had moved got ready. They planned to go up and build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem again. 6All their neighbors helped them. They gave them things made of silver and gold. They gave them goods, animals, and valuable gifts. This was on top of all the freewill offerings. 7King Cyrus also brought out the things that belonged to the house of the LORD. Nebuchadnezzar had carried them away from Jerusalem. He had put them in the temple of his gods. 8Cyrus king of Persia had Mithredath the treasurer bring them out. Mithredath counted them out to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah. 9Here is the list: 30 gold dishes, 1,000 silver dishes, 29 silver tools, 1030 gold bowls, 410 matching silver bowls, and 1,000 other things. 11In all, there were 5,400 things made of gold and silver. Sheshbazzar brought all of them along. He brought them when the exiles went up from Babylon to Jerusalem.