2 Chronicles 36:22-23
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. 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. The message was written down and people took it all over Cyrus's kingdom. It said:
36:22In 539 BC, the army of King Cyrus of Persia fought against Babylon's army and won. So Cyrus became king of Babylon. See Ezra 1:1-3. 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.’
