El exilio
Cyrus's Decree and the First Return
King Cyrus of Persia issues a decree allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Lord's house, and he returns the sacred temple articles that Nebuchadnezzar had taken away. This marks the end of the exile and the beginning of the restoration under the leadership of Sheshbazzar.
Esdras 1,1-11
1In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, so that the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, and he sent a proclamation throughout his whole kingdom, and also put it in writing:
וּבִשְׁנַ֣ת אַחַ֗ת לְכ֙וֹרֶשׁ֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ פָּרַ֔ס לִכְל֥וֹת דְּבַר־יְהוָ֖ה מִפִּ֣י יִרְמְיָ֑ה הֵעִ֣יר יְהוָ֗ה אֶת־ר֙וּחַ֙ כֹּ֣רֶשׁ מֶֽלֶךְ־פָּרַ֔ס וַיַּֽעֲבֶר־קוֹל֙ בְּכָל־מַלְכוּת֔וֹ וְגַם־בְּמִכְתָּ֖ב לֵאמֹֽר׃
2"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 charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
כֹּ֣ה אָמַ֗ר כֹּ֚רֶשׁ מֶ֣לֶךְ פָּרַ֔ס כֹּ֚ל מַמְלְכ֣וֹת הָאָ֔רֶץ נָ֣תַן לִ֔י יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וְהֽוּא־פָקַ֤ד עָלַי֙ לִבְנֽוֹת־ל֣וֹ בַ֔יִת בִּירוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר בִּֽיהוּדָֽה׃
3Whoever among you belongs to his people—may his God be with him—let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the house of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem.
מִֽי־בָכֶ֣ם מִכָּל־עַמּ֗וֹ יְהִ֤י אֱלֹהָיו֙ עִמּ֔וֹ וְיַ֕עַל לִירוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם אֲשֶׁ֣ר בִּיהוּדָ֑ה וְיִ֗בֶן אֶת־בֵּ֤ית יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל ה֥וּא הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר בִּירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃
4And everyone who remains, wherever he lives, let the people of that place support him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, along with a freewill offering for the house of God in Jerusalem."
וְכָל־הַנִּשְׁאָ֗ר מִֽכָּל־הַמְּקֹמוֹת֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר ה֣וּא גָֽר־שָׁם֒ יְנַשְּׂא֙וּהוּ֙ אַנְשֵׁ֣י מְקֹמ֔וֹ בְּכֶ֥סֶף וּבְזָהָ֖ב וּבִרְכ֣וּשׁ וּבִבְהֵמָ֑ה עִם־הַ֨נְּדָבָ֔ה לְבֵ֥ית הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר בִּירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃
5Then the heads of the families of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and the Levites—everyone whose spirit God had stirred—set out to go up and build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem.
וַיָּק֜וּמוּ רָאשֵׁ֣י הָאָב֗וֹת לִֽיהוּדָה֙ וּבִנְיָמִ֔ן וְהַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים וְהַלְוִיִּ֑ם לְכֹ֨ל הֵעִ֤יר הָאֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־רוּח֔וֹ לַעֲל֣וֹת לִבְנ֔וֹת אֶת־בֵּ֥ית יְהוָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר בִּירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃
6And all their neighbors strengthened their hands with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock and valuable gifts, besides all the freewill offerings.
וְכָל־סְבִיבֹֽתֵיהֶם֙ חִזְּק֣וּ בִֽידֵיהֶ֔ם בִּכְלֵי־כֶ֧סֶף בַּזָּהָ֛ב בָּרְכ֥וּשׁ וּבַבְּהֵמָ֖ה וּבַמִּגְדָּנ֑וֹת לְבַ֖ד עַל־כָּל־הִתְנַדֵּֽב׃ ס
7King Cyrus also brought out the articles of the house of the LORD that Nebuchadnezzar had carried off from Jerusalem and placed in the temple of his own god.
וְהַמֶּ֣לֶךְ כּ֔וֹרֶשׁ הוֹצִ֖יא אֶת־כְּלֵ֣י בֵית־יְהוָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר הוֹצִ֤יא נְבֽוּכַדְנֶצַּר֙ מִיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֖ם בְּבֵ֥ית אֱלֹהָֽיו׃
8Cyrus king of Persia had them brought out by Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.
וַיּֽוֹצִיאֵ֗ם כּ֚וֹרֶשׁ מֶ֣לֶךְ פָּרַ֔ס עַל־יַ֖ד מִתְרְדָ֣ת הַגִּזְבָּ֑ר וַֽיִּסְפְּרֵם֙ לְשֵׁשְׁבַּצַּ֔ר הַנָּשִׂ֖יא לִיהוּדָֽה׃
9This was the inventory: thirty gold basins, a thousand silver basins, twenty-nine knives,*
וְאֵ֖לֶּה מִסְפָּרָ֑ם אֲגַרְטְלֵ֨י זָהָ֜ב שְׁלֹשִׁ֗ים אֲגַרְטְלֵי־כֶ֙סֶף֙ אָ֔לֶף מַחֲלָפִ֖ים תִּשְׁעָ֥ה וְעֶשְׂרִֽים׃ ס
10thirty gold bowls, four hundred and ten silver bowls of a second kind, and a thousand other articles.
כְּפוֹרֵ֤י זָהָב֙ שְׁלֹשִׁ֔ים כְּפ֤וֹרֵי כֶ֙סֶף֙ מִשְׁנִ֔ים אַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת וַעֲשָׂרָ֑ה כֵּלִ֥ים אֲחֵרִ֖ים אָֽלֶף׃ ס
11In all there were five thousand four hundred articles of gold and silver. Sheshbazzar brought all of these up with the exiles when they came from Babylon to Jerusalem.
כָּל־כֵּלִים֙ לַזָּהָ֣ב וְלַכֶּ֔סֶף חֲמֵ֥שֶׁת אֲלָפִ֖ים וְאַרְבַּ֣ע מֵא֑וֹת הַכֹּ֞ל הֶעֱלָ֣ה שֵׁשְׁבַּצַּ֗ר עִ֚ם הֵעָל֣וֹת הַגּוֹלָ֔ה מִבָּבֶ֖ל לִירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ פ