Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Babylon » Predictions respecting » Restoration of the jews from
For Jehovah will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel and set them in their own land; and the stranger shall be joined with them, and they shall cling to the house of Jacob. And the peoples shall take them and bring them to their place; and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of Jehovah for slaves and slave girls. And they shall be captives of their captors; and they shall rule over their oppressors. And it shall be in the day that Jehovah shall give you rest from your sorrow, and from your fear, and from the hard bondage which was pressed on you, read more.
you shall take up this song against the king of Babylon and say, How the exacter, the gold gatherer has ceased!
you shall take up this song against the king of Babylon and say, How the exacter, the gold gatherer has ceased!
who says of Cyrus, He is My shepherd, and shall do all My pleasure; even saying to Jerusalem, You shall be built; and to the temple, Your foundation shall be laid.
Go out of Babylon; flee from the Chaldeans. Tell it with a voice of singing, let this be heard, let it go out to the end of the earth; say, Jehovah has redeemed His servant Jacob.
For so says Jehovah, When according to My Word seventy years have been fulfilled for Babylon, I will visit you and confirm My good Word to you, to bring you back to this place.
In those days, and at that time, says Jehovah, the sons of Israel shall come, they and the sons of Judah together, going and weeping. They shall go and seek Jehovah their God.
Flee from the midst of Babylon, and go out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as the he-goats before the flocks.
And I will again bring Israel to his home, and he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied on Mount Ephraim and Gilead.
Cyrus » Prophecies concerning
who says of Cyrus, He is My shepherd, and shall do all My pleasure; even saying to Jerusalem, You shall be built; and to the temple, Your foundation shall be laid.
calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my purpose from a far country. Yes, I have spoken, I will also cause it to come; I have formed; yes, I will do it.
So says Jehovah to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have made strong in order to humble nations before him. And I will loosen the loins of kings, to open before him the two-leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut. I will go before you, and make hills level. I will break in pieces the bronze gates, and cut the iron bars in two. And I will give you the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I am Jehovah, who calls you by your name, the God of Israel. read more.
For Jacob My servant's sake, and Israel My elect, I have even entitled you. I have named you, though you have not known me.
For Jacob My servant's sake, and Israel My elect, I have even entitled you. I have named you, though you have not known me.
Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who shall not value silver; and they shall not delight in gold. And bows shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not pity sons. And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the majestic beauty of the Chaldees, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. read more.
It shall never be inhabited forever, nor shall it be lived in from generation to generation; nor shall the Arabian pitch his tent there; nor shall the shepherds make their flocks lie down there. But the wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of howling creatures; and ostriches shall dwell there, and he-goats shall dance there. And hyenas shall cry along with his widows, and jackals in palaces of delight. Yea, her time is coming near, and her days shall not be prolonged.
It shall never be inhabited forever, nor shall it be lived in from generation to generation; nor shall the Arabian pitch his tent there; nor shall the shepherds make their flocks lie down there. But the wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of howling creatures; and ostriches shall dwell there, and he-goats shall dance there. And hyenas shall cry along with his widows, and jackals in palaces of delight. Yea, her time is coming near, and her days shall not be prolonged.
A harsh vision is revealed to me; the deceiver deceives, and the plunderer plunders. Go up, O Elam; besiege, O Media! I have caused all her sighing to cease.
Who raised up the righteous one from the east, called him to His foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings? He gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow.
I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways; he shall build My city, and he shall let My captives go, not for price nor reward, says Jehovah of Hosts.
Let all of you gather and hear; who among them has declared these things? Jehovah has loved him; He will do His pleasure on Babylon, and His arm shall be on the Chaldeans. I, I, have spoken; yea, I have called him; I brought him and he makes his way succeed.
Jerusalem » Prophecies of the rebuilding of
who says of Cyrus, He is My shepherd, and shall do all My pleasure; even saying to Jerusalem, You shall be built; and to the temple, Your foundation shall be laid.
Know therefore and understand, that from the going out of the command to restore and to build Jerusalem, to Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks. The street shall be built again, and the wall, even in times of affliction.
Behold, the days come, says Jehovah, that the city shall be built to Jehovah from the Tower of Hananeel to the Corner Gate. And the measuring line shall yet go before it to the hill Gareb, and shall go around to Goath. And the whole valley of the dead bodies, and of the ashes, and all the fields to the torrent of Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be holy to Jehovah. It shall not be plucked up nor thrown down any more forever.
And the five thousand that are left in the width in front of the twenty-five thousand shall be common for the city, for dwelling and for open land. And the city shall be in her midst. And these shall be its measures: the north side, four thousand and five hundred; and the south side, four thousand and five hundred; and on the east side, four thousand and five hundred; and the west side, four thousand and five hundred. And the open land of the city shall be northward two hundred and fifty, and southward two hundred and fifty; and eastward, two hundred and fifty; and westward, two hundred and fifty. read more.
And the rest in length alongside the heave offering of the holy parts shall be ten thousand eastward and ten thousand westward. And it shall be alongside the heave offering of the holy part. And its produce shall be for bread to those who serve the city. And he who serves the city shall serve it out of all the tribes of Israel. All the heave offering shall be twenty-five thousand by twenty-five thousand, four-square. You shall offer the holy heave offering to the possession of the city. And the rest shall be for the ruler, on this side, and on that side of the holy heave offering, and of the possession of the city, in the front of the twenty-five thousand of the heave offering to the east border, and westward in the front of the twenty-five thousand to the west border, alongside the lots for the ruler. And it shall be the holy heave offering. And the sanctuary of the house shall be in her midst. And to the ruler shall be from the possessions of the Levites, and from the possession of the city, amidst that for the ruler; between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin, shall be for the ruler.
And the rest in length alongside the heave offering of the holy parts shall be ten thousand eastward and ten thousand westward. And it shall be alongside the heave offering of the holy part. And its produce shall be for bread to those who serve the city. And he who serves the city shall serve it out of all the tribes of Israel. All the heave offering shall be twenty-five thousand by twenty-five thousand, four-square. You shall offer the holy heave offering to the possession of the city. And the rest shall be for the ruler, on this side, and on that side of the holy heave offering, and of the possession of the city, in the front of the twenty-five thousand of the heave offering to the east border, and westward in the front of the twenty-five thousand to the west border, alongside the lots for the ruler. And it shall be the holy heave offering. And the sanctuary of the house shall be in her midst. And to the ruler shall be from the possessions of the Levites, and from the possession of the city, amidst that for the ruler; between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin, shall be for the ruler.
And it shall be in that day, living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them shall go toward the eastern sea, and half of them toward the western sea. In summer and in winter it shall be. And Jehovah shall be King over all the earth; in that day there shall be one Jehovah, and His name shall be one. All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. And it shall rise and dwell in its place, from Benjamin's Gate to the place of the First Gate; to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananeel to the king's winepresses. read more.
And they shall dwell in it, and there shall never again be a shutting in, but Jerusalem shall dwell safely.
And they shall dwell in it, and there shall never again be a shutting in, but Jerusalem shall dwell safely.
Jerusalem » Prophecies respecting » To be rebuilt by cyrus
who makes the word of His servant sure, and makes good the counsel of His messengers; who says to Jerusalem, She shall have people; and to the cities of Judah, You shall be built, and I will raise up the waste places of it; who says to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up your rivers; who says of Cyrus, He is My shepherd, and shall do all My pleasure; even saying to Jerusalem, You shall be built; and to the temple, Your foundation shall be laid.
Medo-persian kingdom » Predictions respecting » Deliverance of the jews
who says of Cyrus, He is My shepherd, and shall do all My pleasure; even saying to Jerusalem, You shall be built; and to the temple, Your foundation shall be laid.
So says Jehovah to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have made strong in order to humble nations before him. And I will loosen the loins of kings, to open before him the two-leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut. I will go before you, and make hills level. I will break in pieces the bronze gates, and cut the iron bars in two. And I will give you the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I am Jehovah, who calls you by your name, the God of Israel. read more.
For Jacob My servant's sake, and Israel My elect, I have even entitled you. I have named you, though you have not known me.
For Jacob My servant's sake, and Israel My elect, I have even entitled you. I have named you, though you have not known me.
Persia » Cyrus
They gave silver also to the masons and to the carpenters. And they gave meat and drink and oil to the people of Sidon and to the people of Tyre, to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa, according to the grant which they had from Cyrus king of Persia.
who says of Cyrus, He is My shepherd, and shall do all My pleasure; even saying to Jerusalem, You shall be built; and to the temple, Your foundation shall be laid.
calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my purpose from a far country. Yes, I have spoken, I will also cause it to come; I have formed; yes, I will do it.
So says Jehovah to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have made strong in order to humble nations before him. And I will loosen the loins of kings, to open before him the two-leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut. I will go before you, and make hills level. I will break in pieces the bronze gates, and cut the iron bars in two. And I will give you the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I am Jehovah, who calls you by your name, the God of Israel. read more.
For Jacob My servant's sake, and Israel My elect, I have even entitled you. I have named you, though you have not known me.
For Jacob My servant's sake, and Israel My elect, I have even entitled you. I have named you, though you have not known me.
And in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, so that the Word of Jehovah in the mouth of Jeremiah might be done, Jehovah stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also in writing, saying, So says Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth have been given to me by Jehovah God. And He has commanded me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May Jehovah his God be with him, and let him go up.
In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem. Let the house be built, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations of it be strongly laid. The height of it shall be sixty cubits, and the breadth of it shall be sixty cubits,
I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways; he shall build My city, and he shall let My captives go, not for price nor reward, says Jehovah of Hosts.
Let all of you gather and hear; who among them has declared these things? Jehovah has loved him; He will do His pleasure on Babylon, and His arm shall be on the Chaldeans. I, I, have spoken; yea, I have called him; I brought him and he makes his way succeed.
But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said to them, You have nothing to do with us to build a house to our God. But we ourselves together will build to Jehovah, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.
But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon, King Cyrus gave an order to build this house of God. And also the vessels of gold and silver from the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple in Jerusalem, and brought them into the temple of Babylon, those Cyrus the king took out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor.
And therefore, if it seems good to the king, let there be search made in the king's treasure house there at Babylon, whether it is so that a decree was given from Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem. And let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.
Who raised up the righteous one from the east, called him to His foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings? He gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow. He pursued them; he passed on in peace. He does not go by the way of his feet.
Shepherd » Figurative » A name given to cyrus
who says of Cyrus, He is My shepherd, and shall do all My pleasure; even saying to Jerusalem, You shall be built; and to the temple, Your foundation shall be laid.
Shepherds » Illustrative » Of kings as the leaders of the people
who says of Cyrus, He is My shepherd, and shall do all My pleasure; even saying to Jerusalem, You shall be built; and to the temple, Your foundation shall be laid.
Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan against the home of the strong. But I will suddenly make him run away from her. And who is a chosen one I may appoint over it? For who is like Me? And who will summon Me? And who is that shepherd who will stand before Me?
The shepherds with their flocks shall come to her; they shall pitch tents on her all around; they shall feed each one in his hand.
Temple » The second » Prophecies of its restoration
who says of Cyrus, He is My shepherd, and shall do all My pleasure; even saying to Jerusalem, You shall be built; and to the temple, Your foundation shall be laid.
Behold, I will send My messenger, and He will clear the way before Me. And Jehovah, whom you seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Angel of the Covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He comes, says Jehovah of Hosts.
Then I heard a certain holy one speaking, and another holy one said to that one who spoke, Until when shall the vision last, concerning the daily sacrifice and the transgression that astounds, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled? And he said to me, For two thousand, three hundred evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be vindicated.
Therefore so says Jehovah: I have returned to Jerusalem with mercies. My house shall be built in it, says Jehovah of Hosts. And a line shall be stretched over Jerusalem.
And the Word of Jehovah came to me, saying, The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house. His hands shall also finish it; and you shall know that Jehovah of Hosts has sent me to you. For who has despised the day of small things? For they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel. These seven are the eyes of Jehovah which run to and fro through the whole earth.
And speak to him, saying, So speaks Jehovah of Hosts, saying, Behold the Man whose name is The BRANCH! And He shall spring up out of His place, and He shall build the temple of Jehovah. Even He shall build the temple of Jehovah; and He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule on His throne. And He shall be a priest on His throne; and the counsel of peace shall be between them both. And the crowns shall be for a memorial in the temple of Jehovah to Helem and to Tobijah and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah. read more.
And the distant ones shall come and build in the temple of Jehovah, and you shall know that Jehovah of Hosts has sent me to you. And this shall be, if you will carefully obey the voice of Jehovah your God.
And the distant ones shall come and build in the temple of Jehovah, and you shall know that Jehovah of Hosts has sent me to you. And this shall be, if you will carefully obey the voice of Jehovah your God.
So says Jehovah of Hosts: Let your hands be strong, you who hear in these days these Words by the mouth of the prophets, that in the day the house of Jehovah of Hosts is founded, the temple is to be built. For before these days there was no payment for man, nor was there payment for animal; and there was no peace to him from the adversary who went out or came in. For I sent every man, a man against his neighbor. But now I will not be to the remnant of this people as in the former days, says Jehovah of Hosts. read more.
For the seed shall be blessed; the vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give its increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. And it will be, as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you shall be a blessing. Do not fear, but let your hands be strong. For so says Jehovah of Hosts: As I thought to punish you when your fathers provoked Me to wrath, says Jehovah of Hosts, and I did not repent; so again I have thought in these days to do well to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Fear not.
For the seed shall be blessed; the vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give its increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. And it will be, as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you shall be a blessing. Do not fear, but let your hands be strong. For so says Jehovah of Hosts: As I thought to punish you when your fathers provoked Me to wrath, says Jehovah of Hosts, and I did not repent; so again I have thought in these days to do well to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Fear not.
Temple » The second » Restored by zerubbabel
who says of Cyrus, He is My shepherd, and shall do all My pleasure; even saying to Jerusalem, You shall be built; and to the temple, Your foundation shall be laid.
And some of the chiefs of the fathers gave to the work. The governor gave to the treasury a thousand darics of gold, fifty basins, and five hundred and thirty priest's garments. And some of the chiefs of the fathers gave to the treasury of the work twenty thousand darics of gold, and two thousand two hundred minas of silver. And what the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand darics of gold and two thousand minas of silver, and sixty-seven priests' garments.
And some of the chief of the fathers, when they came to the house of Jehovah at Jerusalem, offered freely for the house of God to set it up in its place. They gave according to their ability to the treasure of the work, sixty one thousand drachmas of gold, and five thousand minas of silver, and one hundred priest's garments.
And Jeshua the son of Jozadak stood up, and his brothers the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brothers. And they built the altar of the God of Israel in order to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. And they set the altar on its bases, for fear was on them because of the people of those countries. And they offered burnt offerings on it to Jehovah, burnt offerings both morning and evening. And they kept the feast of tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the custom, as the duty of every day required. read more.
And afterward they offered the continual burnt offering, both of the new moons and of all the set feasts of Jehovah that were set apart, and of everyone who willingly offered a freewill offering to Jehovah. From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to Jehovah. But the foundation of the temple of Jehovah was not laid. They gave silver also to the masons and to the carpenters. And they gave meat and drink and oil to the people of Sidon and to the people of Tyre, to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa, according to the grant which they had from Cyrus king of Persia. And in the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brothers the priests and the Levites, and all they who had come out of the captivity to Jerusalem, began. And they chose the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to set forward the work of the house of Jehovah. And Jeshua stood up together with his sons and his brothers, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, to set forward the workmen in the house of God the sons of Henadad, with their sons and their brothers the Levites. And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of Jehovah, they set the priests in their robes with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise Jehovah, according to David king of Israel. And they sang, praising and giving thanks to Jehovah, because He is good, for His mercy endures forever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised Jehovah, because the foundation of the house of Jehovah was laid. But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, ancient men who had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice. And many shouted aloud for joy so that the people could not tell the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people. For the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.
And afterward they offered the continual burnt offering, both of the new moons and of all the set feasts of Jehovah that were set apart, and of everyone who willingly offered a freewill offering to Jehovah. From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to Jehovah. But the foundation of the temple of Jehovah was not laid. They gave silver also to the masons and to the carpenters. And they gave meat and drink and oil to the people of Sidon and to the people of Tyre, to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa, according to the grant which they had from Cyrus king of Persia. And in the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brothers the priests and the Levites, and all they who had come out of the captivity to Jerusalem, began. And they chose the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to set forward the work of the house of Jehovah. And Jeshua stood up together with his sons and his brothers, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, to set forward the workmen in the house of God the sons of Henadad, with their sons and their brothers the Levites. And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of Jehovah, they set the priests in their robes with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise Jehovah, according to David king of Israel. And they sang, praising and giving thanks to Jehovah, because He is good, for His mercy endures forever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised Jehovah, because the foundation of the house of Jehovah was laid. But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, ancient men who had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice. And many shouted aloud for joy so that the people could not tell the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people. For the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.
Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak rose up and began to build the house of God at Jerusalem. And with them were the prophets of God helping them. At the same time Tatnai, governor of the province Beyond the River, and Shethar-boznai, and their companions, came to them and said this to them Who has commanded you to build this house and to make this wall? So then we said to them: What are the names of the men who are building this building? read more.
But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, so that they could not cause them to stop until the matter came to Darius, and answer by letter concerning this had been returned. The copy of the letter which Tatnai, governor of the province Beyond the River, and Shethar-boznai, and his companions, the officials Beyond the River, sent to Darius the king: They sent a letter to him, in which this was written, To Darius the king, all peace: Let it be known to the king that we went into the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is being built with great stones, and timber is being laid in the walls, and this work goes on fast and is blessed in their hands. Then we asked those elders and said this to them, Who commanded you to build this house and to make these walls? We also asked their names in order to notify you so that we might write the names of the men who are the chief of them. And they returned this answer to us, saying, We are the servants of the God of Heaven and earth. And we build the house that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and set up. But after our fathers had provoked the God of Heaven to wrath, He gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house and carried the people away to Babylon. But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon, King Cyrus gave an order to build this house of God. And also the vessels of gold and silver from the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple in Jerusalem, and brought them into the temple of Babylon, those Cyrus the king took out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor. And he said to him, Take these vessels and go. Carry them into the temple in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be built in His place. Then the same Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundation of the house of God which is in Jerusalem. And since that time even until now it has been building, but is not finished. And therefore, if it seems good to the king, let there be search made in the king's treasure house there at Babylon, whether it is so that a decree was given from Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem. And let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.
But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, so that they could not cause them to stop until the matter came to Darius, and answer by letter concerning this had been returned. The copy of the letter which Tatnai, governor of the province Beyond the River, and Shethar-boznai, and his companions, the officials Beyond the River, sent to Darius the king: They sent a letter to him, in which this was written, To Darius the king, all peace: Let it be known to the king that we went into the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is being built with great stones, and timber is being laid in the walls, and this work goes on fast and is blessed in their hands. Then we asked those elders and said this to them, Who commanded you to build this house and to make these walls? We also asked their names in order to notify you so that we might write the names of the men who are the chief of them. And they returned this answer to us, saying, We are the servants of the God of Heaven and earth. And we build the house that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and set up. But after our fathers had provoked the God of Heaven to wrath, He gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house and carried the people away to Babylon. But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon, King Cyrus gave an order to build this house of God. And also the vessels of gold and silver from the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple in Jerusalem, and brought them into the temple of Babylon, those Cyrus the king took out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor. And he said to him, Take these vessels and go. Carry them into the temple in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be built in His place. Then the same Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundation of the house of God which is in Jerusalem. And since that time even until now it has been building, but is not finished. And therefore, if it seems good to the king, let there be search made in the king's treasure house there at Babylon, whether it is so that a decree was given from Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem. And let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.
In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem. Let the house be built, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations of it be strongly laid. The height of it shall be sixty cubits, and the breadth of it shall be sixty cubits, with three rows of great stones and a row of new timber. And let the expenses be given out of the king's house. And also let the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple at Jerusalem, and brought to Babylon, be given back and brought again to the temple which is at Jerusalem, to their place, and place them in the house of God.
Who is left among you who saw this house in her first glory? And how do you see it now? When compared to it, is it not as nothing in your eyes?
The Second Temple » Cyrus » His decree for building, predicted
who says of Cyrus, He is My shepherd, and shall do all My pleasure; even saying to Jerusalem, You shall be built; and to the temple, Your foundation shall be laid.