Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible



Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: Jehovah, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all his people, may Jehovah his God be with him, and let him go up!

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: 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. 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. read more.
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.' 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. Their neighbors helped by giving many things: silver utensils, gold, supplies, pack animals, other valuables, and offerings for the Temple. 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. 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, Now this was their inventory: 30 gold dishes, 1,000 silver dishes and 29 duplicates. There were also 30 gold bowls, 410 matching silver bowls and 1,000 other articles. 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. These are the people of the divisions of the kingdom. Included were those who had been made prisoners by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and taken away to Babylon, who went back to Jerusalem and Judah, everyone to his town. Who went with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah, The number of the men of the people of Israel: The children of Parosh, two thousand, one hundred and seventy-two. The children of Shephatiah, three hundred and seventy-two. The children of Arah, seven hundred and seventy-five. The children of Pahathmoab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand, eight hundred and twelve. The children of Elam, a thousand, two hundred and fifty-four. The children of Zattu, nine hundred and forty-five. The children of Zaccai, seven hundred and sixty. The children of Bani, six hundred and forty-two. The children of Bebai, six hundred and twenty-three. The children of Azgad, a thousand, two hundred and twenty-two. The children of Adonikam, six hundred and sixty-six. The children of Bigvai, two thousand and fifty-six. The children of Adin, four hundred and fifty-four. The children of Ater, of Hezekiah, ninety-eight. The children of Bezai, three hundred and twenty-three. The children of Jorah, a hundred and twelve. The children of Hashum, two hundred and twenty-three. The children of Gibbar, ninety-five. The children of Bethlehem, a hundred and twenty-three. The men of Netophah, fifty-six. The men of Anathoth, a hundred and twenty-eight. The children of Azmaveth, forty-two. The children of Kiriatharim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty-three. The children of Ramah and Geba, six hundred and twenty-one. The men of Michmas, a hundred and twenty-two. The men of Bethel and Ai, two hundred and twenty-three. The children of Nebo, fifty-two. The children of Magbish, a hundred and fifty-six. The children of the other Elam, a thousand, two hundred and fifty-four. The children of Harim, three hundred and twenty. The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred and twenty-five. The children of Jericho, three hundred and forty-five. The children of Senaah, three thousand, six hundred and thirty. The priests: the children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred and seventy-three. The children of Immer, a thousand and fifty-two. The children of Pashhur, a thousand, two hundred and forty-seven. The children of Harim, a thousand and seventeen. The Levites: the children of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the children of Hodaviah, seventy-four. The music-makers: the children of Asaph, a hundred and twenty-eight. The children of the door-keepers: the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai, a hundred and thirty-nine. The Nethinim: the children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, the children of Tabbaoth, The children of Keros, the children of Siaha, the children of Padon, The children of Lebanah, the children of Hagabah, the children of Akkub, The children of Hagab, the children of Shamlai, the children of Hanan, The children of Giddel, the children of Gahar, the children of Reaiah, The children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda, the children of Gazzam, The children of Uzza, the children of Paseah, the children of Besai, The children of Asnah, the children of Meunim, the children of Nephisim, The children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur, The children of Bazluth, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha, The children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Temah, The children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha. The children of Solomon's servants: the children of Sotai, the children of Hassophereth, the children of Peruda, The children of Jaalah, the children of Darkon, the children of Giddel, The children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth-hazzebaim, the children of Ami. All the Nethinim, and the children of Solomon's servants, were three hundred and ninety-two. And these were the people who went up from Telmelah, Telharsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer. But having no knowledge of their fathers' families or offspring, it was not certain that they were Israelites. The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred and fifty-two. Of the children of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children of Hakkoz, the children of Barzillai, who was married to one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and took their name. They made search for their record among the lists of families. Their names were nowhere to be found. So they were looked on as unclean and no longer priests. The Tirshatha (Governor) said they were not to have the most holy things for their food, till a priest came to give decision by Urim and Thummim. The number of all the people together was forty-two thousand, three hundred and sixty, As well as their men-servants and their women-servants, of whom there were seven thousand, three hundred and thirty-seven: and they had two hundred men and women to make music. They had seven hundred and thirty-six horses, two hundred and forty-five transport beasts. There were four hundred and thirty-five camels, six thousand, seven hundred and twenty Asses.


Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: Jehovah, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all his people, may Jehovah his God be with him, and let him go up!

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. 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.' 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. read more.
Their neighbors helped by giving many things: silver utensils, gold, supplies, pack animals, other valuables, and offerings for the Temple. 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. 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, Now this was their inventory: 30 gold dishes, 1,000 silver dishes and 29 duplicates. There were also 30 gold bowls, 410 matching silver bowls and 1,000 other articles. 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.


They gave money to the stoneworkers and woodworkers. Meat and drink and oil were given to the people of Zidon and of Tyre, for the transport of cedar-trees from Lebanon to the sea, to Joppa, as Cyrus, king of Persia, had given them authority to do.

In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king made an order: In connection with the house of God at Jerusalem, let the house be constructed as the place where they make offerings. Let them brake ground for the foundation. Let it be 90 feet high and 90 feet wide,

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. 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. 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.'

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. 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, Now this was their inventory: 30 gold dishes, 1,000 silver dishes and 29 duplicates. read more.
There were also 30 gold bowls, 410 matching silver bowls and 1,000 other articles. 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.

In the first year of Cyrus, king of Babylon, Cyrus the king gave an order for the building of this house of God. The gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the Temple in Jerusalem, were put into the house of his god in Babylon. Cyrus the king took these from the house of his god in Babylon, and gave them to Sheshbazzar, whom he had made ruler.' He said to him: Go, take these vessels, and put them in the Temple in Jerusalem. Let the house of God be constructed again in its place.


Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king. He ruled for eleven years in Jerusalem. He did what Jehovah his God considered evil. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked Jehoiakim and put him in bronze shackles to take him to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar also brought some of the utensils of Jehovah's Temple to Babylon. He put them in his palace (temple) in Babylon. read more.
Everything about Jehoiakim, the disgusting things he did and all the charges against him are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. His son Jehoiakin succeeded him as king. Jehoiakin was eight years old when he began to rule as king. He was king for three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did what Jehovah considered evil. In the spring King Nebuchadnezzar sent for Jehoiakin and brought him to Babylon with the valuable utensils from Jehovah's Temple. Nebuchadnezzar made Jehoiakin's uncle Zedekiah king of Judah and Jerusalem. Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to rule. He ruled for eleven years in Jerusalem. He did what Jehovah his God considered evil. He did not humble himself in front of the prophet Jeremiah, who spoke Jehovah's word. Zedekiah also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar made Zedekiah swear an oath of allegiance to him in God's name. But Zedekiah became so stubborn and so impossible to deal with that he refused to turn back to Jehovah the God of Israel. All the officials, the priests, and the people became increasingly unfaithful and followed all the disgusting practices of the nations. Although Jehovah made the Temple in Jerusalem holy, they made the Temple unclean. Jehovah the God of their ancestors repeatedly sent messages through his prophets because he wanted to spare his people and his dwelling place. They mocked God's messengers. They despised his words, and made fun of his prophets until Jehovah became angry with his people. He could no longer heal them. So he had the Babylonian king attack them and execute their best young men in their holy temple. He did not spare the best men or the unmarried women, the old people or the sick people. God handed all of them over to him. He brought to Babylon each of the utensils from God's temple, the treasures from Jehovah's Temple, and the treasures of the king and his officials. He burned down the Temple and the city, with all its palaces and its wealth, and broke down the city wall. The survivors were taken to Babylonia as prisoners. They served as slaves of the king and his sons, until Persia became a powerful nation. This fulfilled the word of Jehovah that was spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. All the days of its desolation it kept Sabbath until seventy years were complete.

Jehozadak was deported when Jehovah sent Judah and Jerusalem into exile by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.

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.


The Babylonians carried off to Babylon all the treasures in the Temple and the palace. As Jehovah foretold, Nebuchadnezzar broke up all the gold utensils King Solomon had made for use in the Temple.

Our holy and beautiful Temple where our ancestors praised you has been burned to the ground. All that we valued has been ruined.

([Psalm of Asaph]) O God, the nations have invaded the land that belongs to you. They have dishonored (defiled) your holy temple. They have left Jerusalem in ruins.

How dark the gold has become! How changed is the best gold! The stones of the holy place are dropping out at the top of every street.

Nebuchadnezzar also brought some of the utensils of Jehovah's Temple to Babylon. He put them in his palace (temple) in Babylon.

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.

He burned down the Temple and the city, with all its palaces and its wealth, and broke down the city wall.

Jehovah rejected his altar and disowned his holy place. He gave up into the hands of the attacker the walls of her great houses. Their voices have been loud in the house of Jehovah as in the day of a holy meeting.

He had the Temple of Jehovah, the king's house and all the houses of Jerusalem, even every great house, burned with fire. The army of the Chaldaeans under the command of the captain of the army broke down the walls around Jerusalem. The rest of the people still in the town, and all those who had given themselves up to the king of Babylon, and all the rest of the workmen were taken away as prisoners by Nebuzaradan, the captain of the army. read more.
He let the poorest of the land go on living there, to take care of the vines and the fields. The copper pillars in the Temple of Jehovah, and the wheeled bases, and the great copper water-vessel in the Temple of Jehovah were broken up by the Chaldaeans. They took the copper to Babylon. The pots and the spades and the scissors for the lights and the spoons, and all the copper vessels used in Jehovah's Temple were taken away. The captain of the guard took all of the incense burners and bowls that were made of gold or silver. The bronze from the two pillars, the pool, and the stands that Solomon made for Jehovah's Temple could not be weighed. One pillar was twenty-seven feet high and had a copper crown on it that was four and one half feet high. The filigree and the pomegranates around the crown were all made of copper. The second pillar and its filigree were the same.

I also spoke this message to the priests and all the people. This is what Jehovah said to me: Do not listen to the prophets who tell you that the utensils of Jehovah's Temple will be brought back from Babylon soon. They prophesy lies to you.

Jehovah of Host reports concerning the pillars, concerning the sea, concerning the stands and concerning the rest of the vessels that are left in this city, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take when he carried into exile Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem. Thus says Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that are left in the House of Jehovah and in the house of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem, read more.
They will be carried to Babylon and they will be there until the day I visit them, declares Jehovah. Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place.'

Within two years I will bring back to this place all the temple treasures that King Nebuchadnezzar took to Babylon.'

He burned down Jehovah's Temple, the royal palace, and all the houses in Jerusalem. Every important building was burned down.

The Babylonians broke apart the copper pillars of Jehovah's Temple, the stands, and the copper pool in Jehovah's Temple. They shipped all the copper to Babylon. they took the pots, shovels, snuffers, bowls, dishes, and all the copper utensils used in the Temple service. The captain of the guard also took pans, incense burners, bowls, pots, lamp stands, dishes, and the bowls used for wine offerings. The captain of the guard took all of the trays and bowls that were made of gold or silver. read more.
The copper from the two pillars, the pool, and the twelve copper bulls under the stands that King Solomon had made for Jehovah's Temple could not be weighed. One pillar was twenty-seven feet high and eighteen feet in circumference. It was three inches thick and hollow. The crown that was on it was seven and one half feet high with filigree and pomegranates around it. They were all made of copper. The second pillar was the same. It also had pomegranates. There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides. The total number of pomegranates on the surrounding filigree was one hundred.


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. 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, Now this was their inventory: 30 gold dishes, 1,000 silver dishes and 29 duplicates. read more.
There were also 30 gold bowls, 410 matching silver bowls and 1,000 other articles. 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.


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. 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, Now this was their inventory: 30 gold dishes, 1,000 silver dishes and 29 duplicates. read more.
There were also 30 gold bowls, 410 matching silver bowls and 1,000 other articles. 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.

And let the gold and silver vessels from the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the Temple at Jerusalem to Babylon, be given back and taken again to the Temple at Jerusalem, every one in its place, and put them in the house of God.


These were all the commanders in charge of King David's property: for the royal treasuries, Azmaveth, son of Adiel for the goods in the fields, cities, villages, and watchtowers- Jonathan, son of Uzziah

Hezekiah welcomed the messengers and showed them his wealth. He showed his silver and gold. He also let them look at his spices and perfumes. He even showed all his military equipment. There was nothing in his storerooms or anywhere in his kingdom that he did not show them.

If it is the king's pleasure, let a statement ordering their destruction be put in writing. I will give to those responsible for the king's business, ten thousand talents of silver for the king's storehouse.

Hezekiah became richer and was highly honored. He prepared storehouses for himself to hold silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and all kinds of valuables. He built storehouses for the produce of grain and wine and oil; and buildings for all sorts of beasts and flocks.

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. 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,