Cyrus Orders the Temple Rebuilt
Study note
About seventy years earlier, the Babylonians had destroyed Jerusalem and its temple and taken the people captive. The prophet Jeremiah had promised that God would bring them back after seventy years. Now Persia had conquered Babylon, and King Cyrus made a surprising announcement. God moved the heart of this foreign king to let the Jewish people go home and rebuild the Lord's house.
1 In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the Lord kept the promise he had made through the prophet Jeremiah. God stirred something in Cyrus's heart. The king sent an official order across his whole kingdom and put it in writing. 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 King Cyrus of Persia declared: "The Lord, the God of heaven, has handed all the kingdoms of the world over to me. And he has chosen me to build a temple for him in Jerusalem in the land of Judah." 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 "Any of his people living in my kingdom may travel to Jerusalem in Judah. They can rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel -- the God who lives in Jerusalem. May God go with all who make the trip." 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 "Wherever his people still live, the people nearby should give them silver, gold, supplies, and animals. They should also send along gifts for God's temple in Jerusalem." 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.
The People Prepare to Return
Study note
Not every Jewish person chose to return. Many had built new lives in Babylon over seventy years. But God stirred the hearts of certain leaders and families from the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and the priestly tribe of Levi. Their neighbors gave them generous gifts to help them on the long journey back to Jerusalem.
5 God stirred the hearts of the family leaders from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and Levites. They all got ready to travel to Jerusalem and rebuild the Lord's temple. 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 Their neighbors helped out. They gave silver pots, gold, supplies, and pack animals. They gave costly gifts too. The people also gave free-will offerings. 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.
Cyrus Returns the Temple Treasures
Study note
When Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem decades earlier, he had stolen the sacred gold and silver vessels from the temple and placed them in a pagan temple in Babylon. Now King Cyrus ordered all of those items to be counted and returned to the Jewish leader Sheshbazzar. The total came to 5,400 items, showing that God had preserved these holy objects even during the exile.
7 King Cyrus also gave back the items from the Lord's temple. Nebuchadnezzar had stolen them from Jerusalem and put them in his own gods' temple. 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 Cyrus had his treasurer Mithredath bring them out. Mithredath counted every piece and turned them over to Sheshbazzar, the Jewish leader. 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 Here is what was counted: thirty gold platters, one thousand silver platters, and twenty-nine knives. And this is the number of them: thirty chargers of gold, a thousand chargers of silver, nine and twenty knives,
10 There were also thirty gold bowls, four hundred and ten matching silver bowls, and one thousand other items. Thirty basins of gold, silver basins of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand.
11 The total came to five thousand four hundred gold and silver items. Sheshbazzar brought every one of them along when the exiles made the journey from Babylon back to Jerusalem. 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.