en_tn/tNotes/Ezra/Ezra_01.md

Ezra 1

Ezra 1:1

first year

This refers to the beginning of the reign of King Cyrus. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/translate-ordinal)

Yahweh fulfilled his word that came from the mouth of Jeremiah

Here "mouth" represents speaking. Alternate translation: "Yahweh did what Jeremiah prophesied that Yahweh would do" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)

Yahweh

This is the name of God that he revealed to his people in the Old Testament. See the translationWord page about Yahweh concerning how to translate this.

Yahweh ... stirred Cyrus's spirit

Here Cyrus is represented by his spirit. This speaks of Yahweh causing Cyrus to want to act as if he "stirred" his spirit. Alternate translation: "Yahweh ... made Cyrus want to act" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-synecdoche and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)

Cyrus's voice went out over his entire kingdom

The voice is a metonym for the message the voice speaks, and the kingdom is a metonym for the people whom a king rules. Alternate translation: "Cyrus sent a message to everyone over whom he ruled" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)

what was written and spoken

This can be translated in active form. It might be best to translate so the reader understands that other people might have helped Cyrus get the message to the people over whom he ruled. Alternate translation: "what Cyrus wrote and what his messengers read so people could hear them" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-activepassive and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit)

Ezra 1:2

all the kingdoms of the earth

Here "all" is an exaggeration, as there were kingdoms over which Cyrus did not rule. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-hyperbole)

for him a house in ... Judea

You may need to make explicit that the house was for people to worship Yahweh. Alternate translation: "a house in ... Judea where people can worship him" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-explicit)

Ezra 1:3

his people

the people who belong to Yahweh.

Ezra 1:4

survivors of that land ... should provide them

Those Israelites who choose to stay where they are should help those who choose to go to Jerusalem physically and financially.

Ezra 1:5

everyone whose spirit God stirred to go

Stirring the spirit is a metonym for making someone want to act. See how you translated these words in Ezra 1:1. Alternate translation: "everyone whom God had made want to go" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)

Ezra 1:6

their work

This refers to the work of the people roused by God in the previous verse.

Ezra 1:7

General Information:

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Ezra 1:8

Mithredath ... Sheshbazzar

These are men's names. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/translate-names)

put them into the hand of Mithredath the treasurer

Putting an object into someone's hand is a metaphor for allowing that person to do what he wants with that object. Here the reader should understand that Cyrus expected Mithredath to do what Cyrus wanted him to do. Alternate translation: "put Mithredath the treasurer in charge of them" or "made Mithredath the treasurer responsible for them" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)

treasurer

official in charge of money

Ezra 1:9

General Information:

This is a list of numbered items.

thirty ... one thousand ... twenty-nine

"30 ... 1,000 ... 29" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/translate-numbers)

basins

objects used to hold water for washing

Ezra 1:10

410

"30 ... 1,000 ... 29 ... four hundred and ten" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/translate-numbers)

bowls

objects used to hold water for washing

Ezra 1:11

5,400 ... in all

"five thousand four hundred ... in all." This is the total number of items returned to Jerusalem from Babylon, which are listed above individually. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/translate-numbers)