Ezra 1
1 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:
And in year one of Cyrus [the] king of Persia to fulfill [the] word of Yahweh from [the] mouth of Jeremiah he stirred Yahweh [the] spirit of Cyrus [the] king of Persia and he caused to pass a proclamation in all kingdom his and also in writing saying.
2 “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].
Thus he says Cyrus [the] king of Persia all [the] kingdoms of the earth he has given to me Yahweh [the] God of the heavens and he he has appointed me to build for him a house in Jerusalem which [is] in Judah.
3 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].
Who? [is] among you from all people his may he be God his with him and let him go up to Jerusalem which [is] in Judah and let him build [the] house of Yahweh [the] God of Israel he [is] God who [is] in Jerusalem.
4 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.'”
And every [one who] remains from all the places where he [is] sojourning there let them support him [the] people of place his with silver and with gold and with property and with cattle with the freewill offering for [the] house of God which [is] in Jerusalem.
5 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.
And they arose [the] heads of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites to every [one whom] he had stirred up God spirit his to go up to build [the] house of Yahweh which [is] in Jerusalem.
6 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].
And all around them they encouraged hands their with vessels of silver with gold with property and with cattle and with precious things besides all of ering of freewill offerings.
7 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].
And the king Cyrus he brought out [the] vessels of [the] house of Yahweh which he had brought out Nebuchadnezzar from Jerusalem and he had put them in [the] house of gods his.
8 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.
And he brought out them Cyrus [the] king of Persia on [the] hand of Mithredath the treasurer and he counted out them to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah.
9 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)
And these [were] number their basins of gold thirty basins of silver one thousand knives nine and twenty.
10 30 gold bowls 410 silver bowls 1,000 other items.
Bowls of gold thirty bowls of silver second order four hundred and ten vessels other one thousand.
11 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.
All vessels of gold and of silver five thousand and four hundred everything he brought up Sheshbazzar with were led up the exile[s] from Babylon to Jerusalem.
