Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: “’The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. New Living Translation “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. English Standard Version “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Berean Standard Bible “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, who has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, has appointed me to build a house for Him at Jerusalem in Judah. King James Bible Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. New King James Version Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. New American Standard Bible “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to rebuild for Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. NASB 1995 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. NASB 1977 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Legacy Standard Bible “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘Yahweh, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Amplified Bible “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build Him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Christian Standard Bible This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: “The LORD, the God of the heavens, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and has appointed me to build him a house at Jerusalem in Judah. Holman Christian Standard Bible This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: “The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and has appointed me to build Him a house at Jerusalem in Judah. American Standard Version Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath Jehovah, the God of heaven, given me; and he hath charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. English Revised Version Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD, the God of heaven, given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. GOD'S WORD® Translation This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: The LORD God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the world. And he has ordered me to build a temple for him in Jerusalem (which is in Judah). Good News Translation "This is the command of Cyrus, Emperor of Persia. The LORD, the God of Heaven, has made me ruler over the whole world and has given me the responsibility of building a temple for him in Jerusalem in Judah. International Standard Version AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM CYRUS, KING OF PERSIA All of the kingdoms of the earth have been given to me by the LORD God of Heaven, and he specifically charged me to build a temple for him in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Majority Standard Bible ?This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: ?The LORD, the God of heaven, who has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, has appointed me to build a house for Him at Jerusalem in Judah. NET Bible "Thus says King Cyrus of Persia: "'The LORD God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has instructed me to build a temple for him in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. New Heart English Bible "Thus says Kurush king of Persia, 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he has commanded me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Webster's Bible Translation Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. World English Bible “Cyrus king of Persia says, ‘Yahweh, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he has commanded me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Literal Translations Literal Standard Version“Thus said Cyrus king of Persia: YHWH, God of the heavens, has given all kingdoms of the earth to me, and He has laid a charge on me to build a house for Him in Jerusalem, that [is] in Judah; Young's Literal Translation Thus said Cyrus king of Persia, All kingdoms of the earth hath Jehovah, God of the heavens, given to me, and He hath laid a charge on me to build to Him a house in Jerusalem, that is in Judah; Smith's Literal Translation Thus said Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth Jehovah gave to me, the God of the heavens; and he charged upon me to build for him a house in Jerusalem which is in Judah. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleThus saith Cyrus king of the Persians: The Lord the God of heaven hath given to me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he hath charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judea. Catholic Public Domain Version “Thus says Cyrus, the king of the Persians: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given all the kingdoms of the earth to me, and he himself has instructed me that I should build a house for him in Jerusalem, which is in Judea. New American Bible “Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia: ‘All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD, the God of heaven, has given to me, and he has charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. New Revised Standard Version “Thus says King Cyrus of Persia: The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem in Judah. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleThus says Cyrus king of Persia: The LORD God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has commanded me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which city is in Judah. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated “Thus says Kurash the King of Persia: LORD JEHOVAH God of Heaven gave me the kingdoms of the Earth and commanded me to build him a house in Jerusalem, the city which is in Yehuda. OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD, the God of heaven, given me; and He hath charged me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Brenton Septuagint Translation Thus said Cyrus king of the Persians, The Lord God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has given me a charge to build him a house in Jerusalem that is in Judea. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context The Proclamation of Cyrus…1In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to send a proclamation throughout his kingdom and to put it in writing as follows: 2“This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, who has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, has appointed me to build a house for Him at Jerusalem in Judah. 3Whoever among you belongs to His people, may his God be with him, and may he go to Jerusalem in Judah and build the house of the LORD, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem.… Cross References 2 Chronicles 36:22-23 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to send a proclamation throughout his kingdom and to put it in writing as follows: / “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, who has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, has appointed me to build a house for Him at Jerusalem in Judah. Whoever among you belongs to His people, may the LORD his God be with him, and may he go up.’” Isaiah 44:28 who says of Cyrus, ‘My shepherd will fulfill all that I desire,’ who says of Jerusalem, ‘She will be rebuilt,’ and of the temple, ‘Let its foundation be laid.’” Isaiah 45:1 This is what the LORD says to Cyrus His anointed, whose right hand I have grasped to subdue nations before him, to disarm kings, to open the doors before him, so that the gates will not be shut: Jeremiah 25:12 But when seventy years are complete, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their guilt, declares the LORD, and I will make it an everlasting desolation. Jeremiah 29:10 For this is what the LORD says: “When Babylon’s seventy years are complete, I will attend to you and confirm My promise to restore you to this place. Jeremiah 33:7 I will restore Judah and Israel from captivity and will rebuild them as in former times. Daniel 9:2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the sacred books, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. Haggai 1:1 In the second year of the reign of Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came through Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, stating Zechariah 1:1 In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, saying: 1 Kings 8:50 May You forgive Your people who have sinned against You and all the transgressions they have committed against You, and may You grant them compassion in the eyes of their captors to show them mercy. 2 Kings 24:14 He carried into exile all Jerusalem—all the commanders and mighty men of valor, all the craftsmen and metalsmiths—ten thousand captives in all. Only the poorest people of the land remained. 2 Kings 25:11 Then Nebuzaradan captain of the guard carried into exile the people who remained in the city, along with the deserters who had defected to the king of Babylon and the rest of the population. Nehemiah 1:3 And they told me, “The remnant who survived the exile are there in the province, in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” Nehemiah 2:8 And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel to the temple, for the city wall, and for the house I will occupy.” And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests. Matthew 1:17 In all, then, there were fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ. Treasury of Scripture Thus said Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he has charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Lord God 1 Kings 8:27 But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded? 2 Chronicles 2:12 Huram said moreover, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, that made heaven and earth, who hath given to David the king a wise son, endued with prudence and understanding, that might build an house for the LORD, and an house for his kingdom. Isaiah 66:1 Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? hath given Jeremiah 27:6,7 And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him… Daniel 2:37,38 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory… Daniel 4:25,32 That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will… he hath charged Isaiah 44:26-28 That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof: … Isaiah 45:1,12,13 Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; … Jump to Previous Appointed Build Charge Charged Commanded Cyrus Earth Heaven Heavens House Jerusalem Judah Kingdoms Laid Persia Responsible TempleJump to Next Appointed Build Charge Charged Commanded Cyrus Earth Heaven Heavens House Jerusalem Judah Kingdoms Laid Persia Responsible TempleEzra 1 1. The proclamation of Cyrus for the building of the temple5. The people provide for their return 7. Cyrus restores the vessels of the temple to Sheshbazzar This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: Cyrus the Great was the founder of the Achaemenid Empire, which became the largest empire the world had seen at that time. His decree marks a significant moment in biblical history, as it allowed the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem. This aligns with historical records, such as the Cyrus Cylinder, which corroborates his policy of repatriation and religious tolerance. Cyrus is seen as a pivotal figure used by God to fulfill His purposes, despite being a pagan king. ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, who has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, has appointed me to build a house for Him at Jerusalem in Judah. Persons / Places / Events 1. Cyrus King of PersiaThe ruler of the Persian Empire who conquered Babylon and issued a decree allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. His actions were seen as divinely inspired, fulfilling prophecy. 2. The LORD, the God of heaven The sovereign God recognized by Cyrus as the one true God who has authority over all kingdoms. This acknowledgment by a pagan king highlights God's universal dominion. 3. Jerusalem The city chosen by God as the place for His temple, representing His presence among His people. It is the focal point of Jewish worship and identity. 4. Judah The region where Jerusalem is located, representing the remnant of Israel that returns from exile to restore their homeland and religious practices. 5. The Decree to Rebuild the Temple An event marking the beginning of the Jewish return from Babylonian exile, fulfilling God's promise to restore His people and their worship. Teaching Points God's Sovereignty Over NationsGod can use anyone, even pagan rulers, to accomplish His divine purposes. This reminds us that God is in control of world events and leaders. Fulfillment of Prophecy The decree by Cyrus fulfills specific prophecies, demonstrating that God's word is reliable and trustworthy. We can have confidence in God's promises for our lives. Restoration and Hope The return to Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the temple symbolize restoration and hope. In our lives, God offers restoration and new beginnings, no matter our past. Divine Appointment Just as Cyrus was appointed by God for a specific task, each of us has a divine purpose. We should seek to understand and fulfill God's calling in our lives. Recognition of God's Authority Cyrus's acknowledgment of God challenges us to recognize and submit to God's authority in every area of our lives, trusting His plan and timing.Verse 2. - Thus saith Cyrus. Persian inscriptions do not ordinarily commence in this way; but the formula "says Darius the king," "says Xerxes the king" is frequent in them. King of Persia. So the Behistun inscription: "I am Darius, the great king, the king of kings, the king of Persia." The Lord God of heaven, Yehovah Elohey hashshamayim. "God of heaven" seems to have been a usual title of the Supreme Being among the Persians (see below, Ezra 6:9, 10; Ezra 7:12, 23), and perhaps designated Ormuzd in contradistinction to Ahriman, who was lord of the infernal regions. The use of the term "Jehovah," instead of Ormuzd, is remarkable, and was probably limited to the Hebrew transcript of the proclamation. Hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth. An acknowledgment that they have received and hold their royal power from Ormuzd is universal on the part of all the Persian kings who have left inscriptions of any length; but they do not often indulge in such a hyperbole as this of Cyrus. Artaxerxes Ochus, however, calls himself "king of this world" (Rawlinson, 'Cuneiform Inser.,' vol. 1. p. 341). The mention of the "kingdoms of the earth" is appropriate, since Cyrus had not inherited his empire, but built it up by the conquest of a vast number of independent states ('Herod.' 1. passim). His earn feeling that God had in all cases given him the victory harmonizes with the statement of Isaiah in Isaiah 45:1. He hath charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem. The he is emphatic, and is expressed by αὐτὸς in the Septuagint and ipse in the Vulgate. He himself, Jehovah-Elohim, has given it me in charge to build him a house. Most critics rightly explain by referring to Isaiah 44:28, and accepting the statement of Josephus ('Ant. Jud.,' 11:1) that the passage was shown to Cyrus shortly after his capture of Babylon. He understood the prophecy as a command, and proceeded to obey it. Which is in Judah. The addition of this clause marks strongly the oblivion into which the ruined city had fallen. Apparently, it was necessary, to recall its situation to men's minds by an express mention of the province whereof it had been the capital. Note the repetition of the clause in the next verse. Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew “This is whatכֹּ֣ה (kōh) Adverb Strong's 3541: Like this, thus, here, now Cyrus כֹּ֚רֶשׁ (kō·reš) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3566: Cyrus -- a person king king מֶ֣לֶךְ (me·leḵ) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 4428: A king of Persia פָּרַ֔ס (pā·ras) Noun - proper - feminine singular Strong's 6539: Persia -- a country in west Asia which conquered Babylon says: אָמַ֗ר (’ā·mar) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 559: To utter, say ‘The LORD, יְהוָ֖ה (Yah·weh) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel the God אֱלֹהֵ֣י (’ĕ·lō·hê) Noun - masculine plural construct Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative of heaven, הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם (haš·šā·mā·yim) Article | Noun - masculine plural Strong's 8064: Heaven, sky who וְהֽוּא־ (wə·hū-) Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - third person masculine singular Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are has given נָ֣תַן (nā·ṯan) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 5414: To give, put, set me לִ֔י (lî) Preposition | first person common singular Strong's Hebrew all כֹּ֚ל (kōl) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every the kingdoms מַמְלְכ֣וֹת (mam·lə·ḵō·wṯ) Noun - feminine plural construct Strong's 4467: Kingdom, sovereignty, dominion, reign of the earth, הָאָ֔רֶץ (hā·’ā·reṣ) Article | Noun - feminine singular Strong's 776: Earth, land has appointed פָקַ֤ד (p̄ā·qaḏ) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 6485: To visit, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit me עָלַי֙ (‘ā·lay) Preposition | first person common singular Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against to build לִבְנֽוֹת־ (liḇ·nō·wṯ-) Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Strong's 1129: To build a house בַ֔יִת (ḇa·yiṯ) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 1004: A house for Him ל֣וֹ (lōw) Preposition | third person masculine singular Strong's Hebrew at Jerusalem בִּירוּשָׁלִַ֖ם (bî·rū·šā·lim) Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular Strong's 3389: Jerusalem -- probably 'foundation of peace', capital city of all Israel in Judah. בִּֽיהוּדָֽה׃ (bî·hū·ḏāh) Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular Strong's 3063: Judah -- 'praised', a son of Jacob, also the southern kingdom, also four Israelites Links Ezra 1:2 NIVEzra 1:2 NLT Ezra 1:2 ESV Ezra 1:2 NASB Ezra 1:2 KJV Ezra 1:2 BibleApps.com Ezra 1:2 Biblia Paralela Ezra 1:2 Chinese Bible Ezra 1:2 French Bible Ezra 1:2 Catholic Bible OT History: Ezra 1:2 Thus says Cyrus king of Persia All (Ezr. 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