Ezra
Summary
Ezra Chapter 1 marks the end of the Babylonian exile. It begins with the historic decree of King Cyrus of Persia, who was stirred by God to allow the Jewish people to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. Cyrus also ordered that the neighbours of those returning provide them with silver, gold, and other valuable goods. Furthermore, he returned the sacred gold and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar had previously looted from the original Temple, handing them over to Sheshbazzar to be carried back to Jerusalem.
In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfil the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his entire realm and also to put it in writing:
"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 appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah.
Anyone of his people among you, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem.
And the people of any place where survivors may now be living are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.'"
Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites, everyone whose heart God had moved, prepared to go up and build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem.
All their neighbours assisted them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuable gifts, in addition to all the freewill offerings.
Moreover, King Cyrus brought out the articles belonging to the temple of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his gods.
Cyrus king of Persia had them brought out by Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah.
This was the inventory: 30 gold dishes, 1,000 silver dishes, 29 silver pans,
30 gold bowls, 410 matching silver bowls and 1,000 other articles.
In all, there were 5,400 articles of gold and of silver. Sheshbazzar brought all these along with the exiles when they came up from Babylon to Jerusalem.