In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the Lord fulfilled the prophecy he had given through Jeremiah. He stirred the heart of Cyrus to put this proclamation in writing and to send it throughout his kingdom:

波斯王居鲁士元年，耶和华为要应验藉耶利米口所说的话，就激动波斯王居鲁士的心，使他下诏通告全国说：

波斯王居鲁士元年，耶和华为要应验藉耶利米的口所说的话，就激发波斯王居鲁士的心，使他下诏书通告全国，说：

波斯王居鲁士元年，耶和华为要应验藉耶利米的口所说的话，就激发波斯王居鲁士的心，使他下诏书通告全国，说：

波斯王塞鲁士元年，耶和华为要应验祂借耶利米所说的话，就感动波斯王塞鲁士，使他下诏通告全国：

波斯王古列元年，耶和华为要应验他藉耶利米的口所说的话，就激动波斯王古列的心灵，使他通令全国，传达文告说：

波斯王塞魯士元年，耶和華為要應驗藉耶利米口所說的話，就激動波斯王塞魯士的心，使他下詔通告全國說：

波斯王居魯士元年，耶和華為要應驗藉耶利米的口所說的話，就激發波斯王居魯士的心，使他下詔書通告全國，說：

波斯王居魯士元年，耶和華為要應驗藉耶利米的口所說的話，就激發波斯王居魯士的心，使他下詔書通告全國，說：

波斯王塞魯士元年，耶和華為要應驗祂藉耶利米所說的話，就感動波斯王塞魯士，使他下詔通告全國：

波斯王古列元年，耶和華為要應驗他藉耶利米的口所說的話，就激動波斯王古列的心靈，使他通令全國，傳達文告說：

波斯王古列元年、永恆主為要成就他自己的話、從耶利米口中說出來的，永恆主就激動了波斯王古列的心，使他將布告傳達全國，並且用書面傳達說：

波斯王古列元年、耶和華使藉耶利米口所言得應、感波斯王古列之心、宣告通國、且書之曰、

耶和華諭耶利米預言必應、故巴西國王古列元年、耶和華感古列王之心、詔告天下云、

巴西王古列元年、主欲應耶利米所傳主之言、感巴西王古列之心、宣告遍國、並降詔曰、

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:

It was the first year of the rule of Cyrus. He was king of Persia. The Lord inspired him to send a message all through his kingdom. It happened so that what the Lord had spoken through Jeremiah would come true. The message was written down. It said,

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, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:

In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah, the LORD roused the spirit of King Cyrus to issue a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom and to put it in writing:

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying:

Now 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, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying,

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, Jehovah stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, the word of the Lord spoken through Jeremiah was fulfilled. The Lord put it into the mind of King Cyrus to issue a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom and to put it in writing:

Now 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,

In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, in order to fulfill the LORD’S message spoken through Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the mind of King Cyrus of Persia. He disseminated a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom, announcing in a written edict the following:

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that Yahweh’s word by Jeremiah’s mouth might be accomplished, Yahweh stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,

In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the Lord fulfilled the prophecy he had given through Jeremiah. He stirred the heart of Cyrus to put this proclamation in writing and to send it throughout his kingdom:“ This is what King Cyrus of Persia says:“ The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Any of you who are his people may go there for this task. And may the Lord your God be with you!”

This is what the Lord says:“ You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again.

He even caused their captors to treat them with kindness.

The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the Lord; he guides it wherever he pleases.

“ Then, after the seventy years of captivity are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and his people for their sins,” says the Lord.“ I will make the country of the Babylonians a wasteland forever.I will bring upon them all the terrors I have promised in this book— all the penalties announced by Jeremiah against the nations.Many nations and great kings will enslave the Babylonians, just as they enslaved my people. I will punish them in proportion to the suffering they cause my people.”

However, King Cyrus of Babylon, during the first year of his reign, issued a decree that the Temple of God should be rebuilt.King Cyrus returned the gold and silver cups that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Temple of God in Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of Babylon. These cups were taken from that temple and presented to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom King Cyrus appointed as governor of Judah.The king instructed him to return the cups to their place in Jerusalem and to rebuild the Temple of God there on its original site.

Then they celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days. There was great joy throughout the land because the Lord had caused the king of Assyria to be favorable to them, so that he helped them to rebuild the Temple of God, the God of Israel.

I will restore the fortunes of Judah and Israel and rebuild their towns.I will cleanse them of their sins against me and forgive all their sins of rebellion.Then this city will bring me joy, glory, and honor before all the nations of the earth! The people of the world will see all the good I do for my people, and they will tremble with awe at the peace and prosperity I provide for them.“ This is what the Lord says: You have said,‘ This is a desolate land where people and animals have all disappeared.’ Yet in the empty streets of Jerusalem and Judah’s other towns, there will be heard once morethe sounds of joy and laughter. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will be heard again, along with the joyous songs of people bringing thanksgiving offerings to the Lord. They will sing,‘ Give thanks to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, for the Lord is good. His faithful love endures forever!’ For I will restore the prosperity of this land to what it was in the past, says the Lord.“ This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: This land— though it is now desolate and has no people and animals— will once more have pastures where shepherds can lead their flocks.Once again shepherds will count their flocks in the towns of the hill country, the foothills of Judah, the Negev, the land of Benjamin, the vicinity of Jerusalem, and all the towns of Judah. I, the Lord, have spoken!

Praise the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who made the king want to beautify the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem!

One night during the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had such disturbing dreams that he couldn’t sleep.

In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was,“ Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”The prophet Isaiah was speaking about John when he said,“ He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,‘ Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!’”

John replied in the words of the prophet Isaiah:“ I am a voice shouting in the wilderness,‘ Clear the way for the Lord’s coming!’”