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Ezra 1:1

Now in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, in order that the word of the Lord given by the mouth of Jeremiah might come true, the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, was moved by the Lord, so that he made a public statement through all his kingdom, and put it in writing, saying,

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Church and State;   Emancipation;   Heathen;   Israel, Prophecies Concerning;   Jerusalem;   Obedience;   Proclamation;   Servant;   Thompson Chain Reference - Cyrus;   Persia;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Babylon;   Jerusalem;   Jews, the;   Medo-Persian Kingdom;   Temple, the Second;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Cyrus;   Temple;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Babylon;   Cyrus;   Exile;   Ezra;   Haggai;   Israel;   Jerusalem;   Nehemiah;   Persia;   Zechariah, book of;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Decrees;   Ezra, Theology of;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Cyrus;   Palestine;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Chronicles, the Books of;   Cyrus;   Daniel;   Dispensations;   Ezra, the Book of;   Magi;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Cyrus;   Decree;   Exile;   Ezra, Book of;   Jerusalem;   Persia;   Temple of Jerusalem;   Zerubbabel;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Cyrus;   Ezra, Book of;   Isaiah, Book of;   Nehemiah, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Fulfilment;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Cyrus;   Daniel, Book of;   Jeremiah ;   Nehemiah, Book of;   Persia, Persians;   Seventy Weeks of Daniel;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Cyrus;   Ezra;   Medes;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Apocrypha;   Cyrus;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Cy'rus;   Sa'doc;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Captivities of Judah;   Cyrus;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Babylonish Captivity, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Babylonia;   Captivity;   Chronicles, Books of;   Chronology of the Old Testament;   Esdras, the First Book of;   Fulfil;   Haggai;   Jeremiah (1);   Persia;   Persians;   Seventy Years;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Avesta;   Cyrus;   Esdras, Books of;   Persia;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken through Jeremiah, the Lord roused the spirit of King Cyrus to issue a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom and to put it in writing:
Hebrew Names Version
Now in the first year of Koresh king of Paras, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Yirmeyahu might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Koresh king of Paras, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and [put it] also in writing, saying,
King James Version
Now 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, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
English Standard Version
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:
New Century Version
In the first year Cyrus was king of Persia, the Lord caused Cyrus to send an announcement to his whole kingdom and to put it in writing. This happened so the Lord 's message spoken by Jeremiah would come true. He wrote:
New English Translation
In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, in order to fulfill the Lord 's message spoken through Jeremiah, the Lord stirred the mind of King Cyrus of Persia. He disseminated a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom, announcing in a written edict the following:
Amplified Bible
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia [that is, the first year he ruled Babylon], in order to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah [the prophet], the LORD stirred up (put in motion) the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying:
New American Standard Bible
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying:
World English Bible
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of Yahweh by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, Yahweh stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and [put it] also in writing, saying,
Geneva Bible (1587)
Nowe in the first yere of Cyrus King of Persia (that the worde of the Lord, spoken by the mouth of Ieremiah, might be accomplished) the Lorde stirred vp the spirite of Cyrus King of Persia, and hee made a Proclamation thorowe all his Kingdome, and also by writing, saying,
Legacy Standard Bible
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia—in order to complete the word of Yahweh from the mouth of Jeremiah—Yahweh stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he had a proclamation pass throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying:
Berean Standard Bible
In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to send a proclamation throughout his kingdom and to put it in writing as follows:
Contemporary English Version
Years ago the Lord sent Jeremiah with a message about a promise for the people of Israel. Then in the first year that Cyrus was king of Persia, the Lord kept his promise by having Cyrus send this official message to all parts of his kingdom:
Darby Translation
And in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, Jehovah stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, and he made a proclamation throughout his kingdom, and also in writing, saying,
Easy-to-Read Version
During the first year that Cyrus was king of Persia, the Lord caused him to make an announcement. It was written down, and Cyrus ordered that it be read throughout his kingdom. This was done so that what the Lord had told Jeremiah years before would now happen. This was the announcement:
George Lamsa Translation
NOW in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah the prophet might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, and he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying,
Lexham English Bible
In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to accomplish the word of Yahweh by the mouth of Jeremiah, Yahweh stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia and he sent a message to all of his kingdom and also put the message in writing:
Literal Translation
And in the first year of Cyrus King of Persia, so that the Word of Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, Jehovah stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, and he caused a voice to pass in all his kingdom, and also in writing, saying,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
In the first yeare of Cyrus kynge off Persia (that the worde of the LORDE spoken by the mouth of Ieremy might be fulfilled) the LORDE stered vp the sprete of Cyrus kynge of Persia, yt he caused it be proclamed thorow out all his empyre, yee and by wrytinge also, sayenge:
American Standard Version
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, Jehovah stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
Bishop's Bible (1568)
In the first yere of Cyrus king of Persia (that the worde of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Ieremia might be fulfilled) the Lorde stirred vp the spirite of Cyrus king of Persia, that he caused to be proclaymed throughout all his empyre, and to be written, saying,
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying:
King James Version (1611)
Now in the first yeere of Cyrus King of Persia, (that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Ieremiah, might be fulfilled) ye Lord stirred vp the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdome, and put it also in writing, saying;
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of the Persians, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremias might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of the Persians, and he issued a proclamation through all his kingdom, and that in writing, saying,
English Revised Version
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
In the firste yeer of Cirus, kyng of Persis, that the word of the Lord bi the mouth of Jeremye schulde be fillid, the Lord reiside the spirit of Cyrus, kyng of Persis; and he pupplischide a vois in al his rewme, ye, bi the scripture, and seide, Cirus,
Update Bible Version
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of Yahweh by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, Yahweh stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and [put it] also in writing, saying,
Webster's Bible Translation
Now 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, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and [put it] also in writing, saying,
New King James Version
2 Chronicles 36:22,23">[xr] Now 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, saying,
New Living Translation
In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the Lord fulfilled the prophecy he had given through Jeremiah. He stirred the heart of Cyrus to put this proclamation in writing and to send it throughout his kingdom:
New Life Bible
In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the words of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah came true. The Lord worked in the spirit of King Cyrus of Persia so that he made it known through all his nation, and also put it in writing, saying,
New Revised Standard
In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, in order that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of King Cyrus of Persia so that he sent a herald throughout all his kingdom, and also in a written edict declared:
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, to fulfil the word of Yahweh from the mouth of Jeremiah, Yahweh aroused the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, and he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, moreover also in writing, saying:
Douay-Rheims Bible
In the first year of Cyrus king of the Persians, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremias might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of the Persians: and he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and in writing also, saying:
Revised Standard Version
In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, 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:
Young's Literal Translation
And in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, at the completion of the word of Jehovah from the mouth of Jeremiah, hath Jehovah waked up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, and he causeth an intimation to pass over into all his kingdom, and also in writing, saying,
THE MESSAGE
In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia—this fulfilled the Message of God preached by Jeremiah— God prodded Cyrus king of Persia to make an official announcement throughout his kingdom. He wrote it out as follows: From Cyrus king of Persia, a Proclamation: God , the God of the heavens, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has also assigned me to build him a Temple of worship in Jerusalem, Judah. Who among you belongs to his people? God be with you! Go to Jerusalem which is in Judah and build The Temple of God , the God of Israel, Jerusalem's God. Those who stay behind, wherever they happen to live, will support them with silver, gold, tools, and pack animals, along with Freewill-Offerings for The Temple of God in Jerusalem.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying:

Contextual Overview

1 Now in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, in order that the word of the Lord given by the mouth of Jeremiah might come true, the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, was moved by the Lord, so that he made a public statement through all his kingdom, and put it in writing, saying, 2 These are the words of Cyrus, king of Persia: The Lord God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he has made me responsible for building a house for him in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Whoever there is among you of his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and take in hand the building of the house of the Lord, the God of Israel; he is the God who is in Jerusalem. 4 And whoever there may be of the rest of Israel, living in any place, let the men of that place give him help with offerings of silver and gold and goods and beasts, in addition to the offering freely given for the house of God in Jerusalem.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Now in the: 2 Chronicles 36:22, 2 Chronicles 36:23

Cyrus: Cyrus is said to have been the son of Cambyses, king of Persia, and Mandane, daughter of Astyages, king of Media: he was born about 600 years before Christ, and died at the age of 70, after a reign of 30 years. He was mentioned by name, and his conquests foretold, by the prophet Isaiah, about a century before his birth. Josephus states the partiality he evinced towards the Jews, arose from the circumstance of these prophecies being shown him, probably by Daniel.

by the mouth: Jeremiah 25:12-14, Jeremiah 29:10, Jeremiah 33:7-13

the Lord: Ezra 5:13-15, Ezra 6:22, Ezra 7:27, Psalms 106:46, Proverbs 21:1, Daniel 2:1

made a proclamation: Heb. caused a voice to pass, Matthew 3:1-3, John 1:23

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 30:3 - gather thee 1 Kings 8:34 - forgive the sin 1 Kings 11:23 - God 2 Chronicles 6:25 - forgive the sin 2 Chronicles 18:31 - God moved them 2 Chronicles 21:16 - the Lord 2 Chronicles 36:20 - until the reign Ezra 1:5 - whose spirit Ezra 4:3 - king Cyrus Ezra 6:3 - the first year Ezra 6:14 - Cyrus Ezra 9:9 - in the sight Ezra 10:7 - they made Nehemiah 1:11 - grant Psalms 102:13 - the set Psalms 126:1 - turned again Isaiah 13:3 - them that Isaiah 40:9 - General Isaiah 41:27 - I will give Isaiah 44:28 - saying Isaiah 45:1 - to subdue Jeremiah 27:22 - until Jeremiah 50:9 - I will raise Jeremiah 51:11 - the Lord hath Ezekiel 37:12 - and bring Daniel 6:25 - king Daniel 6:28 - and in Daniel 10:1 - Cyrus Micah 4:10 - there shalt Haggai 1:14 - stirred Matthew 1:22 - that Matthew 21:3 - straightway Acts 7:23 - it came Philippians 2:13 - to will

Cross-References

Genesis 1:4
And God, looking on the light, saw that it was good: and God made a division between the light and the dark,
Genesis 1:5
Naming the light, Day, and the dark, Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
Genesis 1:11
And God said, Let grass come up on the earth, and plants producing seed, and fruit-trees giving fruit, in which is their seed, after their sort: and it was so.
Genesis 1:12
And grass came up on the earth, and every plant producing seed of its sort, and every tree producing fruit, in which is its seed, of its sort: and God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:16
And God made the two great lights: the greater light to be the ruler of the day, and the smaller light to be the ruler of the night: and he made the stars.
Genesis 1:17
And God put them in the arch of heaven, to give light on the earth;
Genesis 1:19
And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.
Genesis 1:20
And God said, Let the waters be full of living things, and let birds be in flight over the earth under the arch of heaven.
Genesis 1:22
And God gave them his blessing, saying, Be fertile and have increase, making all the waters of the seas full, and let the birds be increased in the earth.
Genesis 1:30
And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the air and every living thing moving on the face of the earth I have given every green plant for food: and it was so.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia,.... Not in the first of his reign over Persia, for he had been many years king over that, and now had all the kingdoms of the earth given him, Ezra 1:2, but over Babylon, and the dominions belonging to it, which commenced with Darius upon the taking of Babylon; he reigned in all thirty years, as Cicero g from a Persian writer relates; or twenty nine, according to Herodotus h; but in what year this was is not certain; Africanus i, has proved, from various historians, that it was the first year of the fifty fifth Olympiad, perhaps about the twentieth of Cyrus's Persian government k; Ezra 1:2- :,

that the word of the Lord, by the mouth of Jeremiah, might be fulfilled; which foretold that the Jews should return from their captivity at the end of seventy years, which fell on the first of Cyrus, reckoning from the fourth of Jehoiakim, and the first of Nebuchadnezzar, see Jeremiah 25:1.

The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia; who has the hearts of all men in his hands, and even of the kings of the earth, and can turn them as he pleases; he wrought upon him, put it into his heart, enlightened his mind, showed him what was right, and his duty to do, and pressed him to the performance of it; so that he could not be easy until he had done it, and he was made thoroughly willing, and even eager to do it:

that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing; gave it in writing to his heralds to read and proclaim throughout all his dominions:

saying; as follows.

g De Divinatione, l. 1. h Clio, sive, l. 1. c. 214. i Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 10. c. 10. p. 488. k Nic. Abrami Pharus, p. 303.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

By the first year of Cyrus is to be understood the first year of his sovereignty over the Jews, or 538 B.C.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

THE BOOK OF EZRA

Chronological Notes relative to this Book

-Year from the Creation, according to Archbishop Usher, whose system of chronology is most generally received, 3468.

-Year before the birth of Christ, 532.

-Year before the vulgar era of Christ's nativity, 536.

-Year of the Julian Period, 4178.

-Year since the flood of Noah, according to the English Bible, 1812.

-Year of the Cali Yuga, or Indian era of the Deluge, 2566.

-Year from the vocation of Abram, 1386.

-Year from the destruction of Troy, 649. This we collect from three passages in Dionysius of Halicarnassus, (who flourished in the Augustan ages) which state that an interval of four hundred and thirty-two years elapsed from the destruction of Troy to the building of Rome.

-Year from the foundation of Solomon's temple, 475.

-Year since the division of Solomon's monarchy into the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, 439.

-Year of the era of Iphitus, who re-established the Olympic games, three hundred and thirty-eight years after their institution by Hercules, or about eight hundred and eighty-four years before the commencement of the Christian era, 349.

-Year since the conquest of Coroebus at Elis, usually styled the first Olympiad, (being the twenty-eighth Olympiad after their re-establishment by Iphitus,) 241.

-First year of the sixty-first Olympiad.

-Year of the Varronian or generally received era of the building of Rome, 218. This is upon the supposition that Rome was built in the last year of the sixth Olympiad.

-Year from the building of Rome, according to Cato and the Fasti Consulares, 217. Dionysius of Halicarnassus follows this account; for he says that the metropolis of the Roman work was built in the first year of the sixth Olympiad, which was the first year of Charops, the first decennial archon of the Athenians.

-Year from the building of Rome, according to Polybius, 216.

-Year from the building of Rome, according to Fabius Pictor, who lived about two hundred and twenty-five years before the Christian era, 212.

-Year of the Nabonassarean era, 212.

-Year since the destruction of the kingdom of Israel by Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, 186.

-Year from the destruction of Solomon's temple by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, 53.

-Year of Servius Tullius, the sixth king of the Romans, and father-in-law of Tarquin the Proud, 43.

-Year of Ariston, king of Lacedaemon, and of the family of the Proclidae, or Eurypontidae, 29.

-Year of Anaxandrides, king of Lacedaemon, and of the family of the Eurysthenidae, or Agidae, 28.

N. B. The kings of the Lacedaemonians of the families of the Proclidae and the Eurysthenidae sat on the throne together for several hundred years.

-Year of Amyntas, the ninth king of the Macedonians, 12.

-Year of the reign of Cyrus, computing from the year in which he dethroned his grandfather Astyages, the last king of Media, 24. But this was only his first year, if with the Holy Scriptures, as well as Xenophon in the eighth book of his Institutes, we compute the years of his reign from the time in which he was put in possession of the whole Eastern empire. See Ezra 1:1.

-Year of the Babylonish captivity, 70. The years of this captivity are generally reckoned from 606 B.C., when Jehoiakim king of Judah was put in chains to be carried to Babylon; and are supposed to be terminated by the edict of Cyrus to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem. But others are of opinion that the seventy years' captivity are to be computed from the total destruction of the Jewish monarchy; and that they reach down to the second year of Darius king of Persia, at which time Zerubbabel and Joshua were encouraged by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to proceed with the rebuilding of the temple.

CHAPTER I

The proclamation of Cyrus for the rebuilding of the temple, 1-4.

The people provide for their return, 5, 6.

Cyrus restores to Sheshbazzar the vessels taken by

Nebuchadnezzar out of the temple of Solomon, 7-11.


In the introduction to this book the reader will find the history of Ezra detailed at considerable length. It is only necessary to say here that he is generally allowed among the Jews to have been of the sacerdotal family, and therefore he is called οιερευς, the priest by the Septuagint. Among the rabbins he passes for a most extraordinary critic, Divinely authorized to collect and arrange the different portions of the sacred writings, and digest them into a system. How far all they say on this subject is true, we cannot tell; he was, beyond all controversy, a very eminent man; and in all that he did, acted under the immediate direction and inspiration of the Almighty.

This history contains the transactions of about eighty-two years; from the first year of Cyrus in Babylon, according to Archbishop Usher, A.M. 3468, to the nineteenth year of Ardsheer Diraz Dest, or Artaxerxes Longimanus, who sent Nehemiah to Jerusalem, about A.M. 3550. For all other particulars, see the introduction.

NOTES ON CHAP. I

Verse Ezra 1:1. Now in the first year — This is word for word with the two last verses of the preceding book; which stand here in their proper place and connection, but there are entirely destitute of chronological connection and reference.

Cyrus — This prince, so eminent in antiquity, is said to have been the son of Cambyses king of Persia, and Mandane, daughter of Astyages king of the Medes; and was born about six hundred years before Christ. Josephus accounts for his partiality to the Jews from this circumstance; that he was shown the places in Isaiah the prophet where he is mentioned by name, and his exploits and conquests foretold: see Isaiah 44:28; Isaiah 45:1, c. Finding himself thus distinguished by the God of the Jews, he was anxious to give him proofs of his gratitude in return and so made the decree in favour of the Jews, restored their sacred vessels, gave them liberty to return to their own land, and encouraged them to rebuild the temple of Jehovah, c.

It is very probable that when Cyrus took Babylon he found Daniel there, who had been long famed as one of the wisest ministers of state in all the East and it is most likely that it was this person who pointed out to him the prophecy of Isaiah, and gave him those farther intimations relative to the Divine will which were revealed to himself. Of his death there are contradictory accounts. Herodotus says, that having turned his arms against the Massagetes, and killed the son of Tomyris their queen, the mother, impatient to avenge the death of her son, sent him a defiance; promised to glut him with blood; and, having attacked him, pretended to be worsted and to fly; and thus she drew him and his army into an ambuscade, where he was routed and slain, and a considerable part of his army destroyed. The enraged queen having found his body, cut off his head, and threw it into a vessel full of human blood, with this most bitter sarcasm: -

Ευ μεν, εμευ ζωσης τε και νικωσης ες μαχην,

απωλεσας παιδα τον εμον, ἑλων δολῳ· σε δ' εγω,

καταπερ ηπειλησα, αἱματος κορεσω. - HEROD. Clio, c. 214.

"Although living and victorious, thou hast destroyed me in slaying my son, whom thou hast overcome by deceit; but, as I have threatened, I will now slake thy thirst with blood."

Cyrus, thy thirst was blood, now drink thy fill.

By-Jeremiah — This prophet, Jeremiah 25:12; Jeremiah 29:11, had foretold that the Babylonish captivity should last only seventy years: these were now ended; Cyrus had given the Jews permission and encouragement to return to Judea, and rebuild the temple of the Lord; and thus the prediction of Jeremiah was fulfilled.


 
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