Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.
Who among you belongs to God's people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah to build the temple of the LORD, the God of Israel—he is the God who dwells in Jerusalem.
King Cyrus is inviting God's people to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple, acknowledging that the LORD is the true God who belongs there.
📚 Historical Context
This is part of King Cyrus of Persia's decree around 538 BC, allowing the Jewish exiles to return from Babylon to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple. The Babylonians had destroyed the temple and taken many Jews captive about 70 years earlier. Cyrus's proclamation fulfilled God's promise through the prophet Jeremiah that the exile would last 70 years.
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