²¹ This fulfilled the word of the Lord through Jeremiah,^(A) and the land enjoyed its Sabbath rest all the days of the desolation^(B) until seventy years were fulfilled.

The Decree of Cyrus

1 In^(A) the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, in order to fulfil the word of the Lord spoken through Jeremiah,^(B) the Lord roused the spirit^(C) of King Cyrus to issue a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom and to put it in writing:

¹¹ This whole land will become a desolate ruin, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years.^{(A) 12} When the seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation” – this is the Lord’s declaration – “the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, and I will make it a ruin for ever.^(B)

¹⁰ For this is what the Lord says: ‘When seventy years for Babylon are complete,^(A) I will attend to you and will confirm my promise concerning you to restore you to this place.

⁵ ‘Ask all the people of the land and the priests: When you fasted and lamented in the fifth and in the seventh months for these seventy years, did you really fast for me?^(A)