Ezra 1:3 Whoever among you belongs to His people, may his God be with him, and may he go to Jerusalem in Judah and build the house of the LORD, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem.

◄ Ezra 1:3 ►

New International Version
Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them.

New Living Translation
Any of you who are his people may go to Jerusalem in Judah to rebuild this Temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, who lives in Jerusalem. And may your God be with you!

English Standard Version
Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem.

Berean Standard Bible
Whoever among you belongs to His people, may his God be with him, and may he go to Jerusalem in Judah and build the house of the LORD, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
Who is among you of all His people? May 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 God), which is in Jerusalem.

New American Standard Bible
Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! Go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem.

NASB 1995
‘Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem.

NASB 1977
‘Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem.

Legacy Standard Bible
Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and rebuild the house of Yahweh, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem.

Amplified Bible
Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel; He is God who is in Jerusalem.

Christian Standard Bible
Any of his people among you, may his God be with him, and may he go to Jerusalem in Judah and build the house of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Whoever is among His people, may his God be with him, and may he go to Jerusalem in Judah and build the house of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem.

American Standard Version
Whosoever there is 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 Jehovah, the God of Israel (he is God), which is in Jerusalem.

English Revised Version
Whosoever there is 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, the God of Israel, (he is God,) which is in Jerusalem.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
May God be with all of you who are his people. You may go to Jerusalem (which is in Judah) and build a temple for the LORD God of Israel. He is the God who is in Jerusalem.

Good News Translation
May God be with all of you who are his people. You are to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is worshiped in Jerusalem.

International Standard Version
Therefore, who among the LORD's people trusts in his God? Whoever among this group wishes to do so may travel to Jerusalem of Judah to rebuild the Temple of the LORD God of Israel, the God of Jerusalem.

Majority Standard Bible
Whoever among you belongs to His people, may his God be with him, and may he go to Jerusalem in Judah and build the house of the LORD, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem.

NET Bible
Anyone from his people among you (may his God be with him!) may go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and may build the temple of the LORD God of Israel--he is the God who is in Jerusalem.

New Heart English Bible
Whoever there is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD, the God of Israel (he is God), which is in Jerusalem.

Webster's Bible Translation
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,) who is in Jerusalem.

World English Bible
Whoever there is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of Yahweh, the God of Israel (he is God), which is in Jerusalem.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
who [is] among you of all His people? His God is with him, and he goes up to Jerusalem, that [is] in Judah, and builds the house of YHWH, God of Israel (He [alone is] God), that [is] in Jerusalem.

Young's Literal Translation
who is among you of all His people? His God is with him, and he doth go up to Jerusalem, that is in Judah, and build the house of Jehovah, God of Israel -- He is God -- that is in Jerusalem.

Smith's Literal Translation
Who among you from all his people? His God shall be with him, and he shall go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and he shall build the house of Jehovah God of Israel, (he is the God) Which is in Jerusalem.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
Who is there among you of all his people? His God be with him. Let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Jndert, and build the house of the Lord the God of Israel: he is the God that is in Jerusalem.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Who among you is from his entire people? May his God be with him. Let him ascend to Jerusalem, which is in Judea, and let him build the house of the Lord, the God of Israel. He is the God who is in Jerusalem.

New American Bible
Those among you who belong to any part of his people, may their God be with them! Let them go up to Jerusalem in Judah to build the house of the LORD the God of Israel, that is, the God who is in Jerusalem.

New Revised Standard Version
Any of those among you who are of his people—may their God be with them!—are now permitted to go up to Jerusalem in Judah, and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem;

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
Who is there among you of all his people? His God be with him, let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house to the LORD the God of Israel, he is the God who is in Jerusalem.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Who is there among you of all the people, and his God is with him? He shall go up to Jerusalem which is in Yehuda, and he shall build the house of LORD JEHOVAH God of Israel. He is the God who is in Jerusalem.

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
Whosoever there is among you of all His people--his God be with him--let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD, the God of Israel, He is the God who is in Jerusalem.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Who is there among you of all his people? for his God shall be with him, and he shall go up to Jerusalem that is in Judea, and let him build the house of the God of Israel: he is the God that is in Jerusalem.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Proclamation of Cyrus
…2“This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, who has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, has appointed me to build a house for Him at Jerusalem in Judah. 3Whoever among you belongs to His people, may his God be with him, and may he go to Jerusalem in Judah and build the house of the LORD, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem. 4And let every survivor, wherever he lives, be assisted by the men of that region with silver, gold, goods, and livestock, along with a freewill offering for the house of God in Jerusalem.’ ”…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

2 Chronicles 36:23
“This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, who has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, has appointed me to build a house for Him at Jerusalem in Judah. Whoever among you belongs to His people, may the LORD his God be with him, and may he go up.’”

Isaiah 44:28
who says of Cyrus, ‘My shepherd will fulfill all that I desire,’ who says of Jerusalem, ‘She will be rebuilt,’ and of the temple, ‘Let its foundation be laid.’”

Isaiah 45:13
I will raise up Cyrus in righteousness, and I will make all his ways straight. He will rebuild My city and set My exiles free, but not for payment or reward, says the LORD of Hosts.”

Jeremiah 29:10
For this is what the LORD says: “When Babylon’s seventy years are complete, I will attend to you and confirm My promise to restore you to this place.

Jeremiah 25:12
But when seventy years are complete, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their guilt, declares the LORD, and I will make it an everlasting desolation.

Daniel 9:2
in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the sacred books, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years.

Haggai 1:1-2
In the second year of the reign of Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came through Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, stating / that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.’”

Zechariah 1:16
Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and there My house will be rebuilt, declares the LORD of Hosts, and a measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem.’

Nehemiah 2:5
and answered the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city where my fathers are buried, so that I may rebuild it.”

1 Kings 8:48-50
and when they return to You with all their heart and soul in the land of the enemies who took them captive, and when they pray to You in the direction of the land that You gave to their fathers, the city You have chosen, and the house I have built for Your Name, / then may You hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, their prayer and petition, and may You uphold their cause. / May You forgive Your people who have sinned against You and all the transgressions they have committed against You, and may You grant them compassion in the eyes of their captors to show them mercy.

Psalm 126:1-3
A song of ascents. When the LORD restored the captives of Zion, we were like dreamers. / Then our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with shouts of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” / The LORD has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

Acts 7:47-49
But it was Solomon who built the house for Him. / However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says: / ‘Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. What kind of house will you build for Me, says the Lord, or where will My place of repose be?

Matthew 1:11-12
and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon. / After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,

Luke 2:4-5
So Joseph also went up from Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, since he was from the house and line of David. / He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to him in marriage and was expecting a child.

John 2:19-21
Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.” / “This temple took forty-six years to build,” the Jews replied, “and You are going to raise it up in three days?” / But Jesus was speaking about the temple of His body.

Treasury of Scripture

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.

his God

Joshua 1:9
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

1 Chronicles 28:20
And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.

Matthew 28:20
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

he is the God

Deuteronomy 32:31
For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.

Psalm 83:18
That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.

Isaiah 45:5
I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:

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Ezra 1

1. The proclamation of Cyrus for the building of the temple
5. The people provide for their return
7. Cyrus restores the vessels of the temple to Sheshbazzar

Berean Study Bible

Whoever among you belongs to His people
This phrase signifies an open invitation to the Israelites, emphasizing the inclusivity of God's call. The Hebrew word for "people" is "עַם" (am), which often refers to a covenant community. This highlights the continuity of God's promises to His chosen people, Israel. Historically, this call comes after the Babylonian exile, a period of significant trial and purification for the Israelites. It is a reminder of their identity and God's enduring faithfulness.

may his God be with him
This blessing underscores the personal relationship between God and His people. The Hebrew word for "God" here is "אֱלֹהָיו" (Elohav), indicating a personal, possessive form of Elohim, suggesting intimacy and divine favor. The phrase reassures the Israelites of God's presence and guidance as they undertake the daunting task of returning to a desolate homeland. It echoes the covenantal promise that God will never forsake His people.

and may he go to Jerusalem in Judah
The directive to "go" is a call to action, a step of faith. "Jerusalem" (יְרוּשָׁלַם, Yerushalayim) is not just a geographical location but a symbol of spiritual significance, representing the heart of Jewish worship and identity. "Judah" (יְהוּדָה, Yehudah) is the tribal territory, reminding the exiles of their heritage and the promises tied to the land. This journey is both physical and spiritual, a return to the roots of their faith.

and build the house of the LORD
The "house of the LORD" refers to the temple, the central place of worship and sacrifice. The Hebrew word for "build" is "בָּנָה" (banah), which implies not just construction but restoration and renewal. This task is a divine mandate, a call to restore the worship of Yahweh in its rightful place. It signifies a new beginning, a chance to reestablish the covenant relationship with God.

the God of Israel
This title reaffirms God's unique relationship with Israel. "Israel" (יִשְׂרָאֵל, Yisrael) is both a name and a destiny, meaning "God prevails." It serves as a reminder of the patriarch Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel after wrestling with God. This phrase emphasizes God's sovereignty and His unchanging commitment to His people.

He is the God who is in Jerusalem
This statement highlights God's presence in a specific location, Jerusalem, the city chosen by God for His dwelling. It underscores the theological truth that while God is omnipresent, He has chosen to manifest His presence uniquely in Jerusalem. This is a call to recognize the sacredness of the city and the temple as the focal point of divine-human interaction. Historically, it reassures the returning exiles that God has not abandoned His chosen city and that His promises remain steadfast.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 3. - Who (is there) among you of all his people? Cyrus does not limit his address to the Jews, or even to Judah and Benjamin, but extends it to the whole people of Jehovah, i.e. to all the tribes equally. Gozan and Media, to which the ten tribes had been transported by the Assyrian monarchs, were within his dominions no less than Babylonia. That many non-Jewish Israelites did return appears from 1 Chronicles 9:3. His God be with him. A pious wish, almost a blessing, indicative of the deep religious feeling and great goodness of heart which characterized Cyrus alone of Persian monarchs. Among the Greeks, AEschylus, who first speaks of him, calls him kindly" or "gracious" (εὔφραιν); Herodotus says he ruled his subjects like a father; Xenophon makes him a model prince; Plutarch observes that "in wisdom and virtue and greatness of soul he excelled all other kings;" Diodorus ascribes to him a remarkable power of self-command, together with good feeling and gentleness. The Latin writers, Cicero and others, add their meed of praise; and altogether it may be said that, so far as the evidence reaches, no nobler character appears in ancient history. The Scriptural notices, whether in this book or in Isaiah, are in remarkable accord. Let him go up. Jerusalem was on a much higher level than Babylon, and the travellers would consequently have to ascend considerably. And build the house. The "charge" to Cyrus did not require him to take a personal share in the building. He was simply to "say to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid" (Isaiah 44:28). He is therefore content to assign the actual work to others. He is the God. The Septuagint and the Vulgate attach the last clause of the verse to these words, and render "He is the God who is in Jerusalem," which greatly weakens the force of the expression. According to this punctuation, Cyrus makes Jehovah a mere local Deity; according to the far preferable arrangement of the A. V., he declares emphatically that Jehovah is the one true God, beside whom there is no other. Compare the very similar confession of Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 6:26).

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

Whoever
מִֽי־ (mî-)
Interrogative
Strong's 4310: Who?, whoever, in oblique construction with prefix, suffix

among you
בָכֶ֣ם (ḇā·ḵem)
Preposition | second person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew

belongs to
מִכָּל־ (mik·kāl)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

His people,
עַמּ֗וֹ (‘am·mōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

may his God
אֱלֹהָיו֙ (’ĕ·lō·hāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

be
יְהִ֤י (yə·hî)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

with him,
עִמּ֔וֹ (‘im·mōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

and may he go
וְיַ֕עַל (wə·ya·‘al)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

to Jerusalem
לִירוּשָׁלִַ֖ם (lî·rū·šā·lim)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3389: Jerusalem -- probably 'foundation of peace', capital city of all Israel

in Judah
בִּיהוּדָ֑ה (bî·hū·ḏāh)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3063: Judah -- 'praised', a son of Jacob, also the southern kingdom, also four Israelites

and build
וְיִ֗בֶן (wə·yi·ḇen)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1129: To build

the house
בֵּ֤ית (bêṯ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

of the LORD,
יְהוָה֙ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

the God
אֱלֹהֵ֣י (’ĕ·lō·hê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

of Israel;
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

He [is]
ה֥וּא (hū)
Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

the God
הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים (hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

who
אֲשֶׁ֣ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

is in Jerusalem.
בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ (bî·rū·šā·lim)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3389: Jerusalem -- probably 'foundation of peace', capital city of all Israel

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OT History: Ezra 1:3 Whoever there is among you of all (Ezr. Ez)