1 It was the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia. In order that the word of Jehovah (YHWH) given by the mouth of Jeremiah might come true, Jehovah moved the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia. He made a public statement through all his kingdom, and put it in writing, saying:
2 These are the words of Cyrus, king of Persia: 'Jehovah the God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has made me responsible for building a house for him in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
3 May your God be with you and let you go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah. There you are to build the house of Jehovah the God of Israel. He is the God who is in Jerusalem.
4 If any of his people in exile need help to return, their neighbors should give them help. They are to provide them with silver and gold, supplies and pack animals, as well as offerings to present in the Temple of God in Jerusalem.'
5 The heads of the clans of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, the priests and Levites, and everyone else whose heart God had moved got ready to go and rebuild Jehovah's Temple in Jerusalem.
6 Their neighbors helped by giving many things: silver utensils, gold, supplies, pack animals, other valuables, and offerings for the Temple.
7 King Cyrus gave back the bowls and cups that King Nebuchadnezzar took from the Temple in Jerusalem and put in the temple of his god.
8 And King Cyrus turned them over to Mithredath, chief of the royal treasury, who made an inventory of them for Sheshbazzar, the governor of Judah,
9 Now this was their inventory: 30 gold dishes, 1,000 silver dishes and 29 duplicates.
10 There were also 30 gold bowls, 410 matching silver bowls and 1,000 other articles.
11 All the articles of gold and silver numbered 5,400. Sheshbazzar brought all of them along with the exiles who traveled from Babylon to Jerusalem.