Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

In the first year that Cyrus king of Persia ruled, God stirred his spirit to do good for the people of Israel. This is what King Cyrus said: "The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me authority over all kingdoms on earth. He has charged me with building a temple in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

Whoever among you is from the Israelites must go to Jerusalem and help rebuild the house of the Lord. May their God be with them as they do this! If any Israelite stays where he lives, let the people around him give silver, gold, goods, and animals to help build the temple in Jerusalem. They should also give freely what they can to contribute to the temple.

Leaders from Judah and Benjamin, along with priests and Levites, decided to go back to Jerusalem to rebuild the house of the Lord. Those who had been stirred by God's spirit joined them. Everyone around them supported their efforts by giving valuable items: silver vessels, gold items, goods, animals, and precious things. They also gave generously whatever they could spare.

King Cyrus brought out from the temple treasury the items that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem when he conquered it. These were sacred vessels of the Lord's house, which Cyrus now returned to their rightful place. The king entrusted Mithredath, his treasurer, with this task. When everything was accounted for, Sheshbazzar, the leader of Judah, took possession of them.

Among the items returned were thirty golden bowls and a thousand silver bowls. There were also twenty-nine knives, thirty gold basins, and four hundred ten silver basins of lesser quality. In addition to these, there were one thousand other vessels that Sheshbazzar brought with him from Babylon when the people who had been exiled finally returned to Jerusalem.

Sheshbazzar carried back to Jerusalem five thousand four hundred gold and silver vessels, including all those he had brought from Babylon along with the returning exiles.