Ezr 1:2-4, 6:7-12, 7:11-28, Neh 2:6-10, Isa 49:7, 52:15, 60:3, 10-11, 16, 62:2 | ESV | STEP | Thus says Cyrus king of Persia : The Lord , the God of heaven , has given me all the kingdoms of the earth , and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem , which is in Judah .

2 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and ^ahe has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Whoever 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 Israel— ^bhe is the God who is in Jerusalem. 4 And 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.”

Ezra 6:7-12

7 Let the work on this house of God alone. Let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its site. 8 Moreover, ^cI make a decree regarding what you shall do for these elders of the Jews for the rebuilding of this house of God. The cost is to be paid to these men in full and without delay from the royal revenue, the tribute of the province from Beyond the River. 9 And whatever is needed—bulls, rams, or sheep for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, or oil, as the priests at Jerusalem require—let that be given to them day by day without fail, 10 that they may offer pleasing sacrifices to the God of heaven ^dand pray for the life of the king and his sons. 11 Also I make a decree that if anyone alters this edict, a beam shall be pulled out of his house, and he shall be impaled on it, and ^ehis house shall be made a dunghill. 12 May the God ^fwho has caused his name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who shall put out a hand to alter this, or to destroy this house of God that is in Jerusalem. I Darius make a decree; let it be done with all diligence.”

Ezra 7:11-28

11 This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, a man learned in matters of the commandments of the Lord and his statutes for Israel: 12 “Artaxerxes, ^gking of kings, to Ezra the priest, the ^hscribe of the Law of the God of heaven. Peace. ^{▼▼Aramaic Perfect (probably a greeting)} ^jAnd now 13 ^kI make a decree that anyone of the people of Israel or their priests or Levites in my kingdom, who freely offers to go to Jerusalem, may go with you. 14 For you are sent by the king ^land his seven counselors to make inquiries about Judah and Jerusalem according to the Law of your God, which is in your hand, 15 and also to carry the silver and gold that the king ^mand his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, ⁿwhose dwelling is in Jerusalem, 16 ^owith all the silver and gold that you shall find in the whole province of Babylonia, and ^pwith the freewill offerings of the people and the priests, vowed willingly for the house of their God that is in Jerusalem. 17 With this money, then, you shall with all diligence buy bulls, rams, and lambs, with their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and ^qyou shall offer them on the altar of the house of your God that is in Jerusalem. 18 Whatever seems good to you and your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do, according to the will of your God. 19 The vessels that have been given you for the service of the house of your God, you shall deliver before the God of Jerusalem. 20 And whatever else is required for the house of your God, which it falls to you to provide, you may provide it out of the king’s treasury.

21 “And I, Artaxerxes the king, make a decree to all the treasurers in the province Beyond the River: Whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, requires of you, let it be done with all diligence, 22 up to 100 talents ^{▼▼A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms} of silver, 100 cors ^{▼▼A cor was about 6 bushels or 220 liters} of wheat, 100 baths ^{▼▼A bath was about 6 gallons or 22 liters} of wine, 100 baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much. 23 Whatever is decreed by the God of heaven, let it be done in full for the house of the God of heaven, lest his wrath be against the realm of the king and his sons. 24 We also notify you that it shall not be lawful to impose ^utribute, custom, or toll on anyone of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the doorkeepers, the temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.

25 “And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that is in your hand, ^vappoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people in the province Beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God. ^wAnd those who do not know them, you shall teach. 26 Whoever will not obey the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be strictly executed on him, whether for death or for banishment or for confiscation of his goods or for imprisonment.”

27 ^xBlessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, ^ywho put such a thing as this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem, 28 ^zand who extended to me his steadfast love before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty officers. I took courage, for the hand of the Lord my God was on me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.

Nehemiah 2:6-10

6 And the king said to me ( ^aathe queen sitting beside him), “How long will you be gone, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me ^abwhen I had given him a time. 7 And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me ^acto the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah, 8 and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of ^adthe fortress of the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy.” And the king granted me what I asked, ^aefor the good hand of my God was upon me.

Nehemiah Inspects Jerusalem’s Walls

9 Then I came to ^afthe governors of the province Beyond the River and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen. 10 But when ^agSanballat the Horonite and ^ahTobiah the Ammonite servant heard this, it displeased them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel.

Isaiah 49:7

7 Thus says the Lord,
^aithe Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,
^ajto one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation,
the servant of rulers:
^ak“Kings shall see and arise;
princes, and they shall prostrate themselves;
because of the Lord, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

Isaiah 52:15

15 so ^alshall he sprinkle ^{▼▼Or startle} many nations;
^ankings shall shut their mouths because of him,
^aofor that which has not been told them they see,
and that which they have not heard they understand.

Isaiah 60:3

3 ^apAnd nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your rising.

Isaiah 60:10-11

10 ^aqForeigners shall build up your walls,
and ^artheir kings shall minister to you;
for in my wrath I struck you,
but in my favor I have had mercy on you.
11 ^asYour gates shall be open continually;
day and night they shall not be shut,
^atthat people may bring to you the wealth of the nations,
with their kings led in procession.

Isaiah 60:16

16 ^auYou shall suck the milk of nations;
you shall nurse at the breast of kings;
and you shall know that ^avI, the Lord, am your Savior
and your Redeemer, ^awthe Mighty One of Jacob.

Isaiah 62:2

2 ^axThe nations shall see your righteousness,
and all the kings your glory,
^ayand you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will give.