Ezra 1:2

1:2 “Thus says King Cyrus of Persia:

“‘The Lord God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has instructed me to build a temple ¹  for him in Jerusalem, ²  which is in Judah.

Ezra 3:7

Preparations for Rebuilding the Temple

3:7 So they provided money ³  for the masons and carpenters, and food, beverages, and olive oil for the people of Sidon ⁴  and Tyre, ⁵  so that they would bring cedar timber from Lebanon to the seaport ⁶  at Joppa, in accord with the edict of King Cyrus of Persia.

Ezra 9:7

9:7 From the days of our fathers until this very day our guilt has been great. Because of our iniquities we, along with our kings and ⁷  priests, have been delivered over by the local kings ⁸  to sword, captivity, plunder, and embarrassment – right up to the present time.

Ezra 9:12

9:12 Therefore do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons, and do not take their daughters in marriage for your sons. Do not ever seek their peace or welfare, so that you may be strong and may eat the good of the land and may leave it as an inheritance for your children ⁹  forever.’

¹ tn Heb “house.” The Hebrew noun בַּיִת (bayit, “house”) is often used in reference to the temple of Yahweh (BDB 108 s.v. 1.a). This is also frequent elsewhere in Ezra and Nehemiah (e.g., Ezra 1:3, 4, 5, 7; 2:68; 3:8, 9, 11, 12; 4:3; 6:22; 7:27; 8:17, 25, 29, 30, 33, 36; 9:9; 10:1, 6, 9).

² map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

³ tn Heb “silver.”

⁴ map For location see Map1-A1; JP3-F3; JP4-F3.

⁵ map For location see Map1-A2; Map2-G2; Map4-A1; JP3-F3; JP4-F3.

⁶ tn Heb “to the sea”

⁵ tc The MT lacks “and” here, but see the LXX and Vulgate.

⁶ tn Heb “the kings of the lands.”

⁷ tn Heb “sons”; cf. KJV, NAB, NIV, NLT “children”; NCV, TEV “descendants.”