Kyros sender judæerne hjem for at genopbygge templet
1I det første år Kyros1,1 Kyros var konge over Persien 559-530 f.Kr. var konge i Persien, opfyldte Herren det løfte, han havde givet sit folk gennem profeten Jeremias. Han talte til Kyros, som derefter udsendte en skriftlig meddelelse, der skulle læses op i hele hans rige:
2Kyros, konge af Persien, bekendtgør herved, at Himlens Gud, som har givet mig herredømmet over alle jordens riger, nu har pålagt mig at bygge ham et tempel i Jerusalem i Judas land. 3De af jer, der hører til Herrens folk, kan nu frit vende tilbage til Jerusalem og genopbygge Herrens tempel, for han er Israels Gud, og han bør tilbedes i Jerusalem. Må jeres Gud være med jer. 4De, som bor i nærheden af nogle af de tilbageværende fra dette folk, skal hjælpe dem på vej ved at give dem sølv og guld, forsyninger til rejsen og husdyr såvel som offergaver til Herrens tempel i Jerusalem.
5Og Gud vakte en hjemlængsel hos lederne for Judas og Benjamins stammer og hos præsterne og levitterne, så mange gjorde sig parat til at vende tilbage til Jerusalem for at genopbygge templet. 6Deres naboer hjalp dem med sølv, guld, forsyninger og husdyr, og de gav dem gaver med til templet.
7Kong Kyros befalede desuden sin skatmester Mitredat at hente alle de kostbarheder, som kong Nebukadnezar i sin tid havde taget fra templet i Jerusalem og placeret i sit eget gudetempel. 8Mitredat skulle så overgive det hele til Sheshbatzar, der var leder for Judas folk. 9Det drejede sig om 30 guldbakker, 1000 sølvbakker, 29 offerknive, 1030 guldskåle, 410 mindre sølvskåle samt 1000 diverse redskaber. 11I alt fik Sheshbatzar overdraget 5400 ting af guld og sølv, som han skulle tage med sig fra Babylon til Jerusalem.
1Now 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,1.1 made…: Heb. caused a voice to pass 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. 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. 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.1.4 help…: Heb. lift him up
5¶ Then 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. 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.1.6 strengthened…: that is, helped them
7¶ Also 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; 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. 9And this is the number of them: thirty chargers of gold, a thousand chargers of silver, nine and twenty knives, 10Thirty basons of gold, silver basons of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand. 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.1.11 the captivity: Heb. the transportation
