2 Chronicles 36:22-23

EasyEnglish Bible

King Cyrus of Persia

²² In the first year that Cyrus, king of Persia, was ruling Babylon, the Lord put a thought in his mind.^[a] King Cyrus decided to send a message to everybody who lived in his kingdom. His message would cause what God had already spoken to his prophet Jeremiah to become true.^[b] The message was written down and people took it all over Cyrus's kingdom. It said:

²³ ‘This is what Cyrus, the king of Persia, says:

The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me power over all the kingdoms of the earth. He has said that I must build a temple for him in Jerusalem, the city that is in Judah. Any of God's people who live among you may now return to Jerusalem. I pray that the Lord their God will be with them.’