Ezra 1 - New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

I. The Return from Exile

Chapter 1

The Decree of Cyrus. 1 (A)In the first year of Cyrus,[a] king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to issue a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom, both by word of mouth and in writing: 2 “Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia: ‘All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord, the God of heaven,[b] has given to me, and he has charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Those among you who belong to any part of his people, may their God be with them! Let them go up to Jerusalem in Judah to build the house of the Lord the God of Israel, that is, the God who is in Jerusalem. 4 Let all those who have survived, in whatever place they may have lived, be assisted by the people of that place with silver, gold, goods, and livestock, together with voluntary offerings for the house of God in Jerusalem.’”

5 Then the heads of ancestral houses[c] of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and Levites—everyone, that is, whose spirit had been stirred up by God—prepared to go up to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. 6 (B)All their neighbors gave them help in every way, with silver, gold, goods, livestock, and many precious gifts, besides all their voluntary offerings. 7 (C)King Cyrus, too, had the vessels of the house of the Lord brought forth that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem and placed in the house of his god. 8 Cyrus, king of Persia, had them brought forth by the treasurer Mithredath, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar, prince of Judah.[d] 9 This was the inventory: baskets of goldware, thirty; baskets of silverware, one thousand and twenty-nine; 10 golden bowls, thirty; silver bowls, four hundred and ten; other vessels, one thousand. 11 Total of the gold and silver vessels: five thousand four hundred.[e] All these Sheshbazzar took with him when the exiles were brought up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

Footnotes

  1. 1:1 In the first year of Cyrus: the first regnal year of Cyrus was 539 B.C., but his first year as ruler of Babylon, after the conquest of that city, was 538 B.C., the year in which he issued an edict, replicated on the famous Cyrus cylinder, permitting the repatriation of peoples deported by the Babylonians.
  2. 1:2 The God of heaven: this title, used as in 7:12, 21, 23, corresponds to a title of the Zoroastrian supreme deity Ahura Mazda, though it is not certain that Cyrus was a Zoroastrian.
  3. 1:5 Heads of ancestral houses: the ancestral house was the basic organizational unit of the postexilic community, consisting of an extended kinship group claiming descent from a common ancestor. The patriarchs of these units played an important role in civic government.
  4. 1:8 Sheshbazzar, prince of Judah: often identified with Shenassar, fourth son of Jehoiachin, king of Judah, exiled in 598 B.C. (see 1 Chr 3:17–18), and therefore the uncle of Zerubbabel (Ezr 3:2–4). This identification is uncertain.
  5. 1:11 Five thousand four hundred: either this figure or the figures given for one or more of the items listed have been corrupted in the transmission of the text.

Cross references

  1. 1:1 : Ezr 6:3–5; 2 Chr 36:22–23; Jer 25:11–12; 29:10; Zec 1:12.
  2. 1:6 : Ex 3:21–22; 11:2; 12:35.
  3. 1:7 : 2 Kgs 25:14–15.

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Ezra 1 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

1 And in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, at the completion of the word of Jehovah from the mouth of Jeremiah, hath Jehovah waked up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, and he causeth an intimation to pass over into all his kingdom, and also in writing, saying, 2 `Thus said Cyrus king of Pers...
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Ezra 1 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

1 In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremy should be fulfilled (so that the word of the Lord through Jeremiah would be fulfilled), the Lord raised (up) the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia; and he published a voice in all his realm, yea, by writing,...
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Ezra 1 - World English Bible (WEB)

1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that Yahweh’s[a] word by Jeremiah’s mouth might be accomplished, Yahweh stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, 2 “Cyrus king of Persia says, ‘Yahwe...
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Ezra 1 - The Voice (VOICE)

1 During the first year of King Cyrus of Persia’s reign in 539 b.c., the Eternal One influenced the spirit of the Persian king to send a proclamation and written letter throughout his empire, fulfilling the Eternal’s earlier message through the prophet Jeremiah.[a] King Cyrus actually rules the Pers...
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Ezra 1 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Cyrus Decrees: Rebuild the Temple1 Now in the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, in order to accomplish the word of Adonai from the mouth of Jeremiah, Adonai stirred up the spirit of King Cyrus of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom, announcing in a written edict, saying: 2 ...
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Ezra 1 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

End of the Babylonian Captivity1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: 2 “Thus s...
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Ezra 1 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

End of the Babylonian Captivity1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: 2 “Thus s...
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Ezra 1 - Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB)

1 Now in the first year [539 B.C.E.] of Koresh Melech Paras (Persia), that the Devar Hashem by the mouth of Yirmeyah might be fulfilled, Hashem stirred up the ruach of Koresh Melech Paras (Persia), so that he made a proclamation throughout all his Malchut, and put it also in writing, saying, 2 Thus ...
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Ezra 1 - New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

End of the Babylonian Captivity1 In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, in order that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of King Cyrus of Persia so that he sent a herald throughout all his kingdom, and also in a written edict decla...
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Ezra 1 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

End of the Babylonian Captivity1 In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, in order that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of King Cyrus of Persia so that he sent a herald throughout all his kingdom, and also in a written edict decla...
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Ezra 1 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

End of the Babylonian Captivity1 In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, to fulfill the word of the Lord from the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord stirred up the spirit of King Cyrus of Persia so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also in writing, saying:(A)2 “Thus says King Cy...
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Ezra 1 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Cyrus Allows the Exiles to Return1 In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia,[a] the Lord fulfilled the prophecy he had given through Jeremiah.[b] He stirred the heart of Cyrus to put this proclamation in writing and to send it throughout his kingdom: 2 “This is what King Cyrus of Persia says:“The L...
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Ezra 1 - New Life Version (NLV)

Cyrus Lets the Jews Return1 In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the words of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah came true. The Lord worked in the spirit of King Cyrus of Persia so that he made it known through all his nation, and also put it in writing, saying, 2 “This is what Cyrus king of Persia ...
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Ezra 1 - New King James Version (NKJV)

End of the Babylonian Captivity(A)1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord (B)by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, (C)so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writin...
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Ezra 1 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Cyrus helps the exiles to return1 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 realm and also to put it in writing: 2 ‘This is what Cyrus king of Persia sa...
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Ezra 1 - New International Version (NIV)

Cyrus Helps the Exiles to Return(A)1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah,(B) the Lord moved the heart(C) 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...
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Ezra 1 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Cyrus Helps the Jews to Return to Jerusalem1 It was the first year of the rule of Cyrus. He was king of Persia. The Lord inspired him to send a message all through his kingdom. It happened so that what the Lord had spoken through Jeremiah would come true. The message was written down. It said, 2 “Cy...
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