In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, God stirs his heart to issue a decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. Cyrus returns the temple articles Nebuchadnezzar had taken, and many give gifts.
1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia , that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled , the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia , that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom , and put it also in writing , saying ,
2 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia , The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth ; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem , which is in Judah .
3 Who is there among you of all his people ? His God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem , which is in Judah , and build the house of the LORD God of Israel ,(he is the God ,) which is in Jerusalem .
4 And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth , let the men of his place help him with silver , and with gold , and with goods , and with beasts , beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem .
5 Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin , and the priests , and the Levites , with all them whose spirit God had raised , to go up to build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem .
6 And all they that were about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver , with gold , with goods , and with beasts , and with precious things , beside all that was willingly offered .
7 Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the LORD , which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem , and had put them in the house of his gods ;
8 Even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer , and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar , the prince of Judah .
9 And this is the number of them: thirty chargers of gold , a thousand chargers of silver , nine and twenty knives ,
10 Thirty basons of gold , silver basons of a second sort four hundred and ten , and other vessels a thousand .
11 All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred . All these did Sheshbazzar bring up with them of the captivity that were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem .