Ezr 1:1-2, Isa 13:2-5, 17, Jer 15:14, 50:3, 21, 26, 41-42, 51:1-4, 11, 27-28 | ESV | STEP | In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia , that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled , the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia , so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing :

Ezra 1:1-2

The Proclamation of Cyrus

1 ^aIn the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, ^bthat the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so ^cthat he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:

2 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and ^dhe has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

Isaiah 13:2-5

2 On a bare hill ^eraise a signal;
cry aloud to them;
wave the hand for ^fthem to enter
the gates of the nobles.
3 I myself have commanded my consecrated ones,
and have summoned my mighty men to execute my anger,
my proudly exulting ones. ^{▼▼Or those who exult in my majesty}
4 The sound ^hof a tumult is on the mountains
as of a great multitude!
The sound of an uproar of kingdoms,
of nations gathering together!
ⁱThe Lord of hosts is mustering
a host for battle.
5 ^jThey come from a distant land,
from the end of the heavens,
the Lord and the weapons of his indignation,
to destroy the whole land. ^{▼▼Or earth; also verse 9}

Isaiah 13:17

17 Behold, ^lI am stirring up the Medes against them,
who have no regard for silver
and do not delight in gold.

Jeremiah 15:14

14 I will make you serve your enemies ^min a land that you do not know, ⁿfor in my anger a fire is kindled that shall burn forever.”

Jeremiah 50:3

3 “For ^oout of the north a nation has come up against her, ^pwhich shall make her land a desolation, and none shall dwell in it; ^qboth man and beast shall flee away.

Jeremiah 50:21

21 “Go up against the land of Merathaim, ^{▼▼ Merathaim means double rebellion}
and against the inhabitants of Pekod. ^{▼▼ Pekod means punishment}
Kill, ^tand devote them to destruction, ^{▼▼That is, set apart ( devote) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction)}

declares the Lord,
and do all that I have commanded you.

Jeremiah 50:26

26 Come against her from every quarter;
open her granaries;
^vpile her up like heaps of grain, and devote her to destruction;
let nothing be left of her.

Jeremiah 50:41-42

41 ^w“Behold, a people comes from the north;
a mighty nation and many kings
are stirring from the farthest parts of the earth.
42 They lay hold of bow and spear;
they are cruel and have no mercy.
The sound of them is like the roaring of the sea;
they ride on horses,
arrayed as a man for battle
against you, O daughter of Babylon!

Jeremiah 51:1-4

The Utter Destruction of Babylon

1 Thus says the Lord:
“Behold, I will stir up ^xthe spirit of a destroyer
against Babylon,
against the inhabitants of Leb-kamai, ^{▼▼A code name for Chaldea}
2 and I will send to Babylon winnowers,
and ^zthey shall winnow her,
and they shall empty her land,
when they come against her from every side
^aaon the day of trouble.
3 ^abLet not the archer bend his bow,
and let him not stand up in his armor.
Spare not her young men;
^acdevote to destruction ^{▼▼That is, set apart ( devote) as an offering to the Lord (for destruction)} all her army.
4 They shall fall down slain in the land of the Chaldeans,
^aeand wounded in her streets.

Jeremiah 51:11

11 ^af“Sharpen the arrows!
Take up the shields!
^agThe Lord has stirred up the spirit of the kings of ^ahthe Medes, because ^aihis purpose concerning Babylon is to destroy it, ^ajfor that is the vengeance of the Lord, the vengeance for ^akhis temple.

Jeremiah 51:27-28

27 ^al“Set up a standard on the earth;
^amblow the trumpet among the nations;
^anprepare ^aothe nations for war against her;
summon against her ^apthe kingdoms,
^aqArarat, Minni, and ^arAshkenaz;
appoint a ^asmarshal against her;
^atbring up horses like bristling locusts.
28 ^auPrepare ^avthe nations for war against her,
the kings of ^awthe Medes, ^axwith their governors ^ayand deputies,
and every ^azland under their dominion.