aNow in the first year
of Cyrus
king
of Persia
, in order to fulfill
the word
of the LORD
by the mouth
of Jeremiah
, the LORD
stirred
up the spirit
of Cyrus
king
of Persia
, so that he bsent
a proclamation
throughout all
his kingdom
, and also
put it in writing
, saying
:
"Thus says
Cyrus
king
of Persia
, `The LORD
, the God
of heaven
, has given
me all
the kingdoms
of the earth
and aHe has appointed
me to build
Him a house
in Jerusalem
, which
is in Judah
.
`Whoever there is among you of all
His people
, may his God
be with him! Let him go
up to Jerusalem
which
is in Judah
and rebuild
the house
of the LORD
, the God
of Israel
; aHe is the God
who
is in Jerusalem
.
`Every survivor
, at whatever
place
he may 1live
, let the men
of 2that place
support
him with silver
and gold
, with goods
and cattle
, together
with a freewill
offering
for the house
of God
which
is in Jerusalem
.' "
Then the heads of fathers'
households of Judah
and Benjamin
and the priests
and the Levites
arose
, aeven everyone
whose spirit
God
had stirred
to go
up and rebuild
the house
of the LORD
which
is in Jerusalem
.
All those about
them 1 aencouraged
them with articles
of silver
, with gold
, with goods
, with cattle
and with valuables
, aside
from all
that was given
as a freewill
offering
.
aAlso King Cyrus
brought
out the articles
of the house
of the LORD
, bwhich
Nebuchadnezzar
had carried
away
from Jerusalem
and put
in the house
of his gods
;
and Cyrus, king
of Persia
, had them brought
out by the hand
of Mithredath
the treasurer
, and he counted
them out to aSheshbazzar
, the prince
of Judah
.
Now this was their number
: 30
agold
dishes
, 1,000
silver
dishes
, 29
1duplicates
;
30 gold
bowls
, 410
silver
bowls
of a second
kind and 1,000
other
articles
.
All the articles
of gold
and silver
numbered 5,400
. Sheshbazzar
brought
them all
up with the exiles
who went
up from Babylon
to Jerusalem
.