Ezra 1

Cyrus Gets the Call from God

1 In the first year King Cyrus ran Persia, the LORD stirred something deep in his heart. God made him speak out and put it in writing, just like He said would happen through Jeremiah the prophet. Cyrus was about to play his role in God’s plan.

2 This what King Cyrus of Persia said: “The LORD, the God up in heaven, He the one that gave me all these kingdoms. And He told me straight up to build Him a house in Jerusalem, in Judah.”

3 “So if you one of His people, and you hear this message, get up and go to Jerusalem in Judah. Go build the house of the LORD, the God of Israel. That is the same God who is chilling in Jerusalem. May He roll with you.”

4 “And if you staying behind in any place, your neighbors must help out. Give them silver, gold, stuff, livestock, whatever they need. Plus, throw in some freewill offerings for God’s house in Jerusalem.”

The People Get Up and Move

5 So the heads of the families from Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and Levites, everybody who felt God light a fire in their heart, got ready to roll back to Jerusalem and rebuild the LORD’s house.

6 Their neighbors did not leave them hanging. They came through with silver things, gold, supplies, animals, and valuables. On top of that, folks gave freewill offerings too, no pressure, just love.

Cyrus Returns God’s Things

7 King Cyrus even went into the stash spot and pulled out all the sacred things that King Nebuchadnezzar had stolen from God’s temple. That stuff been sitting in the temples of Babylon’s fake gods.

8 Cyrus told his treasurer, Mithredath, to bring it all out and hand it over to a man named Sheshbazzar, the governor of Judah. He was in charge now.

9 Here is the breakdown: 30 gold dishes, 1,000 silver dishes, 29 knives,

10 30 gold bowls, 410 silver bowls (different kind), 1,000 other items.

11 All together, 5,400 pieces of gold and silver. Sheshbazzar took all that with him when the exiles packed up and left Babylon, headed for Jerusalem.