In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, the Lord stirred up his spirit to fulfill the word spoken by Jeremiah, prompting Cyrus to issue a proclamation throughout his kingdom and in writing. He declared that the Lord God of heaven had given him all the kingdoms of the earth and commanded him to build a house for Him at Jerusalem in Judah. Cyrus invited any of God's people to return to Jerusalem to build the house of the Lord God of Israel, affirming that He is God. He also urged those remaining in their places to assist the returnees with silver, gold, goods, livestock, and freewill offerings for the house of God in Jerusalem. Consequently, the heads of the fathers' houses of Judah and Benjamin, along with priests and Levites whose spirits God had moved, arose to go up and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. This marked a significant reversal of the long-standing Mesopotamian policy of enforced resettlement, as the Persian Empire under Cyrus allowed displaced peoples, including the Jews, to return to their homelands.

In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, in fulfillment of the Lord's message spoken through Jeremiah, the Lord motivated King Cyrus to issue a proclamation throughout his kingdom and to put it in writing. This decree declared that the Lord God of heaven had given him all the kingdoms of the earth and appointed him to build a temple for Him in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. It permitted any of His people among them to return there, with the blessing that the Lord their God be with them. This proclamation marked an appointed time for the people of Judah to return to their land after seventy years of captivity, as God is faithful to His Word. The fulfillment of these events, including the return of the exiles with Zerubbabel and the rebuilding of the temple, is described in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Ezra records this decree of Cyrus, which initiated the first division of the seventy weeks prophecy, spanning seven weeks or 49 years, from 539 BC to 490 BC, as preparation for later events concerning the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh.

In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, the LORD stirred up his spirit to fulfill the word spoken by Jeremiah. Cyrus made a proclamation throughout his kingdom, declaring that the LORD God of heaven had given him all the kingdoms of the earth and charged him to build a house for Him in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. This decree, issued around 538 BC, allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem from Babylonian captivity. A small retinue, led by Zerubbabel the governor and Joshua the high priest, left Babylon for Jerusalem before that year was out, marking the beginning of their restoration. Of the millions who had gone into captivity, only 42,360 returned, while the rest chose to remain in Babylon, having put down roots there. This proclamation by Cyrus set in motion the rebuilding of the Temple and the reestablishment of the Jewish remnant in their homeland, despite the challenges and resistance they faced from the surrounding people.