Ἔσδρας Αʹ 1
1 καὶ ἐν τῷ πρώτῳ ἔτει Κύρου τοῦ βασιλέως Περσῶν τοῦ τελεσθῆναι λόγον κυρίου ἀπὸ στόματος Ιερεμιου ἐξήγειρεν κύριος τὸ πνεῦμα Κύρου βασιλέως Περσῶν καὶ παρήγγειλεν φωνὴν ἐν πάσῃ βασιλείᾳ αὐτοῦ καί γε ἐν γραπτῷ λέγων
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 οὕτως εἶπεν Κῦρος βασιλεὺς Περσῶν πάσας τὰς βασιλείας τῆς γῆς ἔδωκέν μοι κύριος ὁ θεὸς τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπεσκέψατο ἐπ’ ἐμὲ τοῦ οἰκοδομῆσαι αὐτῷ οἶκον ἐν Ιερουσαλημ τῇ ἐν τῇ Ιουδαίᾳ
“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 τίς ἐν ὑμῖν ἀπὸ παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔσται ὁ θεὸς αὐτοῦ μετ’ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀναβήσεται εἰς Ιερουσαλημ τὴν ἐν τῇ Ιουδαίᾳ καὶ οἰκοδομησάτω τὸν οἶκον θεοῦ Ισραηλ αὐτὸς ὁ θεὸς ὁ ἐν Ιερουσαλημ
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 καὶ πᾶς ὁ καταλειπόμενος ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν τόπων οὗ αὐτὸς παροικεῖ ἐκεῖ καὶ λήμψονται αὐτὸν ἄνδρες τοῦ τόπου αὐτοῦ ἐν ἀργυρίῳ καὶ χρυσίῳ καὶ ἀποσκευῇ καὶ κτήνεσιν μετὰ τοῦ ἑκουσίου εἰς οἶκον τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἐν Ιερουσαλημ
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 καὶ ἀνέστησαν ἄρχοντες τῶν πατριῶν τῷ Ιουδα καὶ Βενιαμιν καὶ οἱ ἱερεῖς καὶ οἱ Λευῖται πάντων ὧν ἐξήγειρεν ὁ θεὸς τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτῶν τοῦ ἀναβῆναι οἰκοδομῆσαι τὸν οἶκον κυρίου τὸν ἐν Ιερουσαλημ
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 καὶ πάντες οἱ κυκλόθεν ἐνίσχυσαν ἐν χερσὶν αὐτῶν ἐν σκεύεσιν ἀργυρίου ἐν χρυσῷ ἐν ἀποσκευῇ καὶ ἐν κτήνεσιν καὶ ἐν ξενίοις πάρεξ τῶν ἐν ἑκουσίοις
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 καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς Κῦρος ἐξήνεγκεν τὰ σκεύη οἴκου κυρίου ἃ ἔλαβεν Ναβουχοδονοσορ ἀπὸ Ιερουσαλημ καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτὰ ἐν οἴκῳ θεοῦ αὐτοῦ
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 καὶ ἐξήνεγκεν αὐτὰ Κῦρος βασιλεὺς Περσῶν ἐπὶ χεῖρα Μιθραδάτου γασβαρηνου καὶ ἠρίθμησεν αὐτὰ τῷ Σασαβασαρ ἄρχοντι τοῦ Ιουδα
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 καὶ οὗτος ὁ ἀριθμὸς αὐτῶν ψυκτῆρες χρυσοῖ τριάκοντα καὶ ψυκτῆρες ἀργυροῖ χίλιοι παρηλλαγμένα ἐννέα καὶ εἴκοσι
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 κεφφουρη χρυσοῖ τριάκοντα καὶ ἀργυροῖ διακόσιοι καὶ σκεύη ἕτερα χίλια
30 gold bowls 410 silver bowls 1,000 other items.
11 πάντα τὰ σκεύη τῷ χρυσῷ καὶ τῷ ἀργύρῳ πεντακισχίλια καὶ τετρακόσια τὰ πάντα ἀναβαίνοντα μετὰ Σασαβασαρ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀποικίας ἐκ Βαβυλῶνος εἰς Ιερουσαλημ
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.
