In the first year that Cyrus, king of Persia, was ruling Babylon, the Lord put a thought in his mind. King Cyrus decided to send a message to everybody who lived in his kingdom. Cyrus’ message would cause what God had already spoken to his prophet Jeremiah to become true. The message was written down and people took it all over Cyrus’ kingdom. It said: ‘This is what Cyrus, the king of Persia says: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me power over all the kingdoms of the earth. He has said that I must build a temple for him in Jerusalem, the city that is in Judah. Any of God’s people who live among you may now return to Jerusalem. I pray that their God will be with them. They must build a temple there for the Lord, Israel’s God. He is the God whose home is in Jerusalem. Ezra 1:1-3
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： 「波斯王塞魯士如此說：『耶和華天上的上帝已將天下萬國賜給我，又囑咐我在猶大的耶路撒冷為他建造殿宇。 在你們中間凡作他子民的，可以上猶大的耶路撒冷，在耶路撒冷重建耶和華－以色列上帝的殿（只有他是上帝）。願上帝與這人同在。 以斯拉記 1:1-3