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:
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of the Persians, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremias might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of the Persians, and he issued a proclamation through all his kingdom, and that 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 said Cyrus king of the Persians, The Lord God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has given me a charge to build him a house in Jerusalem that is in Judea.
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] there among you of all his people? for his God shall be with him, and he shall go up to Jerusalem that is in Judea, and let him build the house of the God of Israel: he [is] the God that 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 [let] every [Jew] that is left [go] from every place where he sojourns, and the men of his place shall help him with silver, and gold, and goods, and cattle, together with the voluntary offering for the house of God that 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.
Then the chiefs of the families of Juda and Benjamin arose, and the priests, and the Levites, all whose spirit the Lord stirred up to go up to build the house of the Lord that [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 that were round about strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with cattle, and with presents, besides the voluntary 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 king Cyrus brought out the vessels of the house of the Lord, which Nabuchodonosor had brought from Jerusalem, and put in the house of his god.
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 Cyrus king of the Persians brought them out by the hand of Mithradates the treasurer, and he numbered them to Sasabasar, the chief man of Juda.
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 this [is] their number: thirty gold basins, and a thousand silver basins, nine and twenty changes, thirty golden goblets,
10 30 gold bowls 410 silver bowls 1,000 other items.
and four hundred [and] ten double silver [vessels], and a thousand other vessels.
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 the gold and silver vessels were five thousand four hundred, [even] all that went up with Sasabasar from the [place of] transportation, from Babylon to Jerusalem.
