Ezra 1
1 And in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, at the completion of the word of YHWH from the mouth of Jeremiah, has YHWH awoken the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, and he causes an intimation to pass over into all his kingdom, and also in writing, saying,
During the first year that Cyrus ruled [the] Persian [Empire], he did something that fulfilled what Jeremiah had prophesied. Yahweh motivated Cyrus to write this message, and then Cyrus sent this message throughout his empire:
2 “Thus said Cyrus king of Persia: YHWH, God of the heavens, has given all kingdoms of the earth to me, and He has laid a charge on me to build a house for Him in Jerusalem, that [is] in Judah;
“I, King Cyrus, who rule [the] Persian [Empire], declare this: 'Yahweh, the God [who is in/rules] from heaven, has caused me to become the ruler of all the kingdoms [that I know about] on the earth. And he has appointed me [to enable his people] to build a temple for him in Jerusalem, in Judah [land].
3 who [is] among you of all His people? His God is with him, and he goes up to Jerusalem, that [is] in Judah, and builds the house of YHWH, God of Israel (He [alone is] God), that [is] in Jerusalem.
All you people who belong to God may go up to Jerusalem to rebuild this temple for Yahweh, the God who lives in Jerusalem, the God [who is worshiped by you] Israeli people. I desire/hope that your God will be with you [and help those who go there].
4 And everyone who is left, of any of the places where he [is] a sojourner, the men of his place assist him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, along with a free-will offering for the house of God, that [is] in Jerusalem.”
Those people who are in places where Israelis are living, whose ancestors were exiled here, should contribute silver and gold to those who go. They should also give them supplies [that they will need for the journey to Jerusalem]. They should also give them some livestock, and gifts of money to help build the temple of God in Jerusalem.'”
5 And heads of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin rise, and the priests and the Levites, even everyone whose spirit God has awoken, to go up to build the house of YHWH, that [is] in Jerusalem;
Then God motivated some of the priests and (Levites/men who did work in the temple) and some of the leaders of the tribes that were descended from Judah and Benjamin to return to Jerusalem. Those whom God motivated got ready to return to Jerusalem and build the temple for Yahweh there.
6 and all those around them have strengthened [them] with their hands, with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, apart from all that has been offered willingly.
All of their neighbors helped them by giving them things made of silver and things made of gold, and supplies for the journey, and livestock. They also gave them other valuable gifts, and also gave them money [to buy things for building the temple].
7 And King Cyrus has brought out the vessels of the house of YHWH that Nebuchadnezzar has brought out of Jerusalem, and puts them in the house of his gods;
King Cyrus brought out the valuable things that King Nebuchadnezzar’s [soldiers] had taken from the temple of Yahweh in Jerusalem and put in the temple of Nebuchadnezzar’s gods [in Babylon].
8 indeed, Cyrus king of Persia brings them out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbers them to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah.
Cyrus commanded Mithredath, the treasurer of [the] Persian [Empire], to count all these items and then give them to Sheshbazzar, the leader of [the group that was going to return to] Judah.
9 And this [is] their number: dishes of gold thirty, dishes of silver one thousand, knives twenty-nine,
This is a list of the items that Cyrus donated: 30 large gold dishes 1,000 large silver dishes 29 silver (censers/incense burning pans)
10 basins of gold thirty, basins of silver (seconds) four hundred and ten, other vessels one thousand.
30 gold bowls 410 silver bowls 1,000 other items.
11 All the vessels of gold and of silver [are] five thousand and four hundred; the whole has Sheshbazzar brought up with the going up of the expulsion from Babylon to Jerusalem.
All together, there were 5,400 items made of silver or gold, that [were given to] Sheshbazzar [to] take with him when he and the others returned to Jerusalem.
