The Homecoming Nobody Expected.

וּבִשְׁנַ֣ת אַחַ֗ת לְכ֙וֹרֶשׁ֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ פָּרַ֔ס לִכְל֥וֹת דְּבַר־יְהוָ֖ה מִפִּ֣י יִרְמְיָ֑ה הֵעִ֣יר יְהוָ֗ה אֶת־ר֙וּחַ֙ כֹּ֣רֶשׁ מֶֽלֶךְ־פָּרַ֔ס וַיַּֽעֲבֶר־קוֹל֙ בְּכָל־מַלְכוּת֔וֹ וְגַם־בְּמִכְתָּ֖ב לֵאמֹֽר׃

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:

כֹּ֣ה אָמַ֗ר כֹּ֚רֶשׁ מֶ֣לֶךְ פָּרַ֔ס כֹּ֚ל מַמְלְכ֣וֹת הָאָ֔רֶץ נָ֣תַן לִ֔י יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וְהֽוּא־פָקַ֤ד עָלַי֙ לִבְנֽוֹת־ל֣וֹ בַ֔יִת בִּירוּשָׁלִַ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר בִּֽיהוּדָֽה׃

[2] “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.

מִֽי־בָכֶ֣ם מִכָּל־עַמּ֗וֹ יְהִ֤י אֱלֹהָיו֙ עִמּ֔וֹ וְיַ֕עַל לִירוּשָׁלִַ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר בִּיהוּדָ֑ה וְיִ֗בֶן אֶת־בֵּ֤ית יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל ה֥וּא הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃

[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—he is the God who is in Jerusalem.

וְכָל־הַנִּשְׁאָ֗ר מִֽכָּל־הַמְּקֹמוֹת֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר ה֣וּא גָֽר־שָׁם֒ יְנַשְּׂא֙וּהוּ֙ אַנְשֵׁ֣י מְקֹמ֔וֹ בְּכֶ֥סֶף וּבְזָהָ֖ב וּבִרְכ֣וּשׁ וּבִבְהֵמָ֑ה עִם־הַ֨נְּדָבָ֔ה לְבֵ֥ית הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃