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 the first year of Cyrus the king of Persia, at the time the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah was accomplished, the Lord awakened the spirit of Cyrus the king of Persia; and he caused a proclamation to be made throughout all his kingdom, and also by means of 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 hath said Cyrus the king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord the God of heaven given unto me; and he hath directed me to build for him a house at 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].
Whoever among you that is of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord the God of Israel, he is the 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 whosoever remaineth out of any place where he hath sojourned, him shall the men of his place assist with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside 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.
Then rose up the chiefs of the divisions of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all those whose spirit God had awakened, to go up to build the house of the Lord 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 those that were round about them supplied them with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, beside all that was willingly offered.
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].
Also king Cyrus brought forth the vessels of the house of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought away out of Jerusalem, and had placed 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.
Even these did Cyrus the king of Persia bring forth through the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and counted them out unto Sheshbazzar the prince for 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 this is their number: Thirty chargers of gold, a thousand chargers of silver, nine and twenty knives,
10 30 gold bowls 410 silver bowls 1,000 other items.
Thirty cups of gold, silver cups of a second degree four hundred and ten, other vessels a 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 the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up with the exiles that were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem.
