For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD {spoken} by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, 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,

And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, {that} I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations. {punish: Heb. visit upon}

Blessed {be} the LORD God of our fathers, which hath put {such a thing} as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which {is} in Jerusalem:

And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the LORD had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

The king's heart {is} in the hand of the LORD, {as} the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.

And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first.

But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon {the same} king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God.

He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives.

In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,

And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.

He said, I {am} the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of {his} good pleasure.

Thou shalt arise, {and} have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.

And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the LORD had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

[A Song of degrees.] When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. {turned...: Heb. returned the returning}

In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all {them} whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the LORD which {is} in Jerusalem.

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; {have...: or, strengthened}

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD {spoken} by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, 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,

O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cupbearer.

And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God,

Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.

Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go {even} to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.

Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee.

And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished {it}, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. {commandment: Chaldee, decree}

And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: {them...: Heb. the remainder from the sword}

O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift {it} up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! {O Zion...: or, O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion} {O Jerusalem...: or, O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem}

Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.

Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest unto their fathers.

Moreover the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines, and of the Arabians, that {were} near the Ethiopians:

But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon {the same} king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God.

Then hear thou from the heavens, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest to them and to their fathers.

For we {were} bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem. {to repair: Heb. to set up}

And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem;

And God stirred him up {another} adversary, Rezon the son of Eliadah, which fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah:

I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, {even} them that rejoice in my highness.

The first {shall say} to Zion, Behold, behold them: and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings.

And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, {that} I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations. {punish: Heb. visit upon}

For, lo, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the north country: and they shall set themselves in array against her; from thence she shall be taken: their arrows {shall be} as of a mighty expert man; none shall return in vain. {expert...: or, destroyer}

Make bright the arrows; gather the shields: the LORD hath raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes: for his device {is} against Babylon, to destroy it; because it {is} the vengeance of the LORD, the vengeance of his temple. {bright: Heb. pure}

And if any {man} say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.

And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, It {is} the king of Israel. Therefore they compassed about him to fight: but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him; and God moved them {to depart} from him.

And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel.