The Proclamation of Cyrus
The LORD stirs Cyrus to issue a written proclamation across his kingdom, permitting the people of Israel to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the house of the LORD, while calling others to support them with gifts.
I1n the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to send a proclamation throughout his kingdom and to put it in writing as follows: 2“This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: 3Whoever among you belongs to His people, may his God be with him, and may he go to Jerusalem in Judah and build the house of the LORD, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem. 4And let every survivor, wherever he lives, be assisted by the men of that region with silver, gold, goods, and livestock, along with a freewill offering for the house of God in Jerusalem.’”
The heads of families, priests, and Levites whose spirits God stirs prepare to go up, and their neighbors strengthen them with silver, gold, goods, livestock, and freewill offerings.
5So the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and Levites— everyone whose spirit God had stirred— prepared to go up and rebuild the house of the LORD in Jerusalem. 6And all their neighbors supported them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuables, in addition to all their freewill offerings.