Ezra

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,

1Cyrus was the king of Persia. In his first year as king, God moved his heart. This made true what God had said long ago through Jeremiah, a man who told people God's words. Cyrus sent a message all through his kingdom. He also wrote it down. This is what it said:

2Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

2"King Cyrus of Persia says this. The LORD, the God of heaven, gave me every kingdom on earth. He has told me to build him a house in Jerusalem, a city in Judah.

3Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.

3Are any of God's people here? May God be with each one. Let him go to Jerusalem in Judah. Let him build the house of the LORD, the God of Israel. He is the God whose house is in Jerusalem.

4And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.

4Some of God's people may stay where they live now. Their neighbors should help them. Give them silver, gold, goods, and farm animals. Give gifts for God's house in Jerusalem too."

5Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem.

5So the family leaders of Judah and Benjamin got ready to go. The priests and the Levites got ready too. Everyone whose heart God had stirred got ready. They would go build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem.

NoteThe Levites were men from one family group. Their job was to help take care of God's house.

6And all they that were about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, beside all that was willingly offered.

6All their neighbors helped them. They gave silver and gold things. They gave goods, farm animals, and other valuable things. They gave many gifts on top of that.

7Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his gods;

7King Cyrus also brought out the bowls and dishes from the LORD's house. King Nebuchadnezzar had taken them from Jerusalem long before. He had put them in the temple of his own gods.

8Even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.

8Cyrus had his treasurer, Mithredath, bring them out. A treasurer is the man who takes care of the king's money. Mithredath counted them out for Sheshbazzar, the leader of Judah.

9And this is the number of them: thirty chargers of gold, a thousand chargers of silver, nine and twenty knives,

9Here is the list. There were 30 gold dishes and 1,000 silver dishes. There were also 29 silver knives.

10Thirty basons of gold, silver basons of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand.

10There were 30 gold bowls. There were 410 matching silver bowls. There were 1,000 other things too.

11All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up with them of the captivity that were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem.

11All the gold and silver things added up to 5,400. Sheshbazzar brought all of them along. He went with the people who traveled home from Babylon to Jerusalem.