1 And in the first year of Cyrus the king of Persia, at the time the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah was accomplished, the Lord awakened the spirit of Cyrus the king of Persia; and he caused a proclamation to be made throughout all his kingdom, and also by means of writing, saying,

2 Thus hath said Cyrus the king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord the God of heaven given unto me; and he hath directed me to build for him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

3 Whoever among you that is of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord the God of Israel, he is the God who is in Jerusalem.