Ezra 1:1-6

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:

2Thus 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. 3Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israelehe is the God who is in Jerusalem. 4And let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.”

5Then rose up the heads of the fathers’ houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, feveryone whose spirit gGod had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem. 6And all who were about them haided them with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, with beasts, and with costly wares, besides all that was freely offered.

Psalms 106:40-47

40 Then ithe anger of the Lord was kindled against jhis people,
and he abhorred his kheritage;
41he lgave them into the hand of the nations,
so that those who hated them ruled over them.
42Their enemies moppressed them,
and they were brought into subjection under their power.
43 nMany times he delivered them,
but they were rebellious in their opurposes
and were pbrought low through their iniquity.
44 Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress,
when he qheard their cry.
45For their sake he rremembered his covenant,
and srelented according to tthe abundance of his steadfast love.
46He caused them to be upitied
by all those who held them captive.
47 vSave us, O Lord our God,
and wgather us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praise.

Jeremiah 33:6-13

6 xBehold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security. 7 yI will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, zand rebuild them as they were aaat first. 8 abI will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, acand I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me. 9 adAnd this city
Hebrew  And it
shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the good that I do for them. They shall affear and tremble because of all the good and all the prosperity I provide for it.

10Thus says the Lord: In this place agof which you say, ‘It is a waste without man or beast,’ in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man or inhabitant or beast, there shall be heard again 11 ahthe voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing, as they bring aithank offerings to the house of the Lord:

aj“‘Give thanks to the Lord of hosts,
for the Lord is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!’
akFor I will restore the fortunes of the land as at first, says the Lord.

12Thus says the Lord of hosts: alIn this place that is waste, without man or beast, and in all of its cities, there shall again be amhabitations of shepherds anresting their flocks. 13 aoIn the cities of the hill country, apin the cities of the Shephelah, aqand in the cities of the Negeb, in the land of Benjamin, arthe places about Jerusalem, asand in the cities of Judah, atflocks shall again pass under the hands auof the one who counts them, says the Lord.

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