Ezra 1:1–5
Cyrus Helps the Exiles to Return
1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah,a the Lord moved the heartb of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:
2 “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:
“ ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointedc me to buildd a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. 3 Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them. 4 And in any locality where survivorse may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold,f with goods and livestock, and with freewill offeringsg for the temple of Godh in Jerusalem.’ ”i
5 Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin,j and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had movedk—prepared to go up and build the housel of the Lord in Jerusalem.