TORAH
NEVI'IM
KETUVIM
Chapter 1
Translation and Transliteration of
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1In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, when the word of Hashem spoken by Yirmiyahu was fulfilled, Hashem roused the spirit of King Cyrus of Persia to issue a proclamation throughout his realm by word of mouth and in writing as follows:
u-vi-sh'nat a-KHAT l'-ko-RESH me-LEKH pa-RAS likh-LOT d'-var a-do-NAI mi-PI yir-m'-YA, he-IR a-do-NAI et-ROO-akh ko-RESH me-lekh pa-RAS, va-ya-a-VER-kol b'-KOL mal-khu-TO, v'-GAM b'-mikh-TAV lay-MOR.
אוּבִשְׁנַ֣ת אַחַ֗ת לְכ֙וֹרֶשׁ֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ פָּרַ֔ס לִכְל֥וֹת דְּבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה מִפִּ֣י יִרְמְיָ֑ה הֵעִ֣יר יְהֹוָ֗ה אֶת־ר֙וּחַ֙ כֹּ֣רֶשׁ מֶֽלֶךְ־פָּרַ֔ס וַיַּֽעֲבֶר־קוֹל֙ בְּכׇל־מַלְכוּת֔וֹ וְגַם־בְּמִכְתָּ֖ב לֵאמֹֽר׃
2“Thus said King Cyrus of Persia: God of Heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and has charged me with building Him a house in Yerushalayim, which is in Yehuda.
KO a-MAR KO-resh ME-lekh pa-RAS KOL mam-l'-KHOT ha-A-retz na-TAN LEE a-do-NAI e-lo-HEI ha-sha-MA-yim v'-HU pa-KAD a-LAI liv-NOT-LO va-YEEM bi-ru-sha-LA-im a-SHER bi-Y'-hu-DAH
בכֹּ֣ה אָמַ֗ר כֹּ֚רֶשׁ מֶ֣לֶךְ פָּרַ֔ס כֹּ֚ל מַמְלְכ֣וֹת הָאָ֔רֶץ נָ֣תַן לִ֔י יְהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וְהֽוּא־פָקַ֤ד עָלַי֙ לִבְנֽוֹת־ל֣וֹ בַ֔יִת בִּירוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר בִּֽיהוּדָֽה׃
3Anyone of you of all His people—may his God be with him, and let him go up to Yerushalayim that is in Yehuda and build the House of God of Yisrael, the God that is in Yerushalayim;
mi-va-KHEM mi-KOL a-MO y'-HEE e-lo-HAV i-MO v'-ya-ALE lee-ru-sha-LA-im a-SHER bi-y'-hu-DAH v'-yi-VEN et-BAYT a-do-NAI e-lo-HEI yis-ra-AYL HU ha-e-lo-HIM a-SHER bi-ru-sha-LA-im
גמִֽי־בָכֶ֣ם מִכׇּל־עַמּ֗וֹ יְהִ֤י אֱלֹהָיו֙ עִמּ֔וֹ וְיַ֕עַל לִירוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם אֲשֶׁ֣ר בִּיהוּדָ֑ה וְיִ֗בֶן אֶת־בֵּ֤ית יְהֹוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל ה֥וּא הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר בִּירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃
4and all who stay behind, wherever he may be living, let the people of his place assist him with silver, gold, goods, and livestock, besides the freewill offering to the House of Hashem that is in Yerushalayim.”
v'-kol ha-nish-AHR mi-kol ha-m'-ko-MOT a-SHER hu GAR-sham, ye-na-s'-U-hu an-SHAY m'-ko-MO b'-ke-SEF u-v'-za-HAV u-vir-KHUSH u-viv-hay-MAH, im ha-ne-DA-va l'-veit ha-e-lo-HEEM a-SHER bi-ru-sha-LA-im.
דוְכׇל־הַנִּשְׁאָ֗ר מִֽכׇּל־הַמְּקֹמוֹת֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר ה֣וּא גָֽר־שָׁם֒ יְנַשְּׂא֙וּהוּ֙ אַנְשֵׁ֣י מְקֹמ֔וֹ בְּכֶ֥סֶף וּבְזָהָ֖ב וּבִרְכ֣וּשׁ וּבִבְהֵמָ֑ה עִ֨ם־הַנְּדָבָ֔ה לְבֵ֥ית הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר בִּירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃
5So the chiefs of the clans of Yehuda and Binyamin, and the Kohanim and Leviim, all whose spirit had been roused by Hashem, got ready to go up to build the House of Hashem that is in Yerushalayim.
vai-YA-khu-MU ra-SHEI ha-a-VOHT li-Y'-hu-DA u-vin-YA-mim v'-ha-ko-ha-NEEM v'-hal-vi-YEEM l'-KOL he-IR ha-e-lo-HEEM et-ru-KHO la-a-LOT liv-NOT et-BAYT a-do-NAI a-SHER bi-ru-sha-LA-im
הוַיָּק֜וּמוּ רָאשֵׁ֣י הָאָב֗וֹת לִֽיהוּדָה֙ וּבִנְיָמִ֔ן וְהַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים וְהַלְוִיִּ֑ם לְכֹ֨ל הֵעִ֤יר הָאֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־רוּח֔וֹ לַעֲל֣וֹת לִבְנ֔וֹת אֶת־בֵּ֥ית יְהֹוָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר בִּירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃
6All their neighbors supported them with silver vessels, with gold, with goods, with livestock, and with precious objects, besides what had been given as a freewill offering.
v'-KOL s'-vee-vo-TE-hem khiz-Z'-KU vi-de-Hem b'-k'-LAY k'-SEF ba-za-HAV bor-KHU-sh u-va-b'-HE-ma u-va-mig-da-NOT l'-VAD al kol hit-na-DEB.
ווְכׇל־סְבִיבֹֽתֵיהֶם֙ חִזְּק֣וּ בִֽידֵיהֶ֔ם בִּכְלֵי־כֶ֧סֶף בַּזָּהָ֛ב בָּרְכ֥וּשׁ וּבַבְּהֵמָ֖ה וּבַמִּגְדָּנ֑וֹת לְבַ֖ד עַל־כׇּל־הִתְנַדֵּֽב׃
7King Cyrus of Persia released the vessels of Hashem's house which Nebuchadnezzar had taken away from Yerushalayim and had put in the house of his god.
v'-ha-ME-lekh ko-RESH ho-TZI-et K'-LEI veit a-do-NAI a-SHER ho-TZI NE-vu-khad-ne-TZAR mi-ru-sha-LA-yim va-yi-t'-NEM b'-veit e-lo-HAV
זוְהַמֶּ֣לֶךְ כּ֔וֹרֶשׁ הוֹצִ֖יא אֶת־כְּלֵ֣י בֵית־יְהֹוָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר הוֹצִ֤יא נְבֽוּכַדְנֶצַּר֙ מִיר֣וּשָׁלַ֔͏ִם וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֖ם בְּבֵ֥ית אֱלֹהָֽיו׃
8These King Cyrus of Persia released through the office of Mithredath the treasurer, who gave an inventory of them to Sheshbatzar the prince of Yehuda.
vai-yo-TZI-em ko-RESH me-lekh pa-RAS al yad mit-re-DAT ha-giz-BAR va-yis-pe-REM l'-she-sh'-ba-TZAR ha-na-SEE l'-yi-hu-DAH
חוַיּֽוֹצִיאֵ֗ם כּ֚וֹרֶשׁ מֶ֣לֶךְ פָּרַ֔ס עַל־יַ֖ד מִתְרְדָ֣ת הַגִּזְבָּ֑ר וַֽיִּסְפְּרֵם֙ לְשֵׁשְׁבַּצַּ֔ר הַנָּשִׂ֖יא לִיהוּדָֽה׃
9This is the inventory: 30 gold basins, 1,000 silver basins, 29 knives,
v'-AY-leh mis-PA-ram a-gar-t'-LAY za-HAV sh'-LO-sheem a-gar-t'-LAY-KE-sef a-LEF ma-cha-LA-FEEM tish-AH v'-e-s'-REEM.
טוְאֵ֖לֶּה מִסְפָּרָ֑ם אֲגַרְטְלֵ֨י זָהָ֜ב שְׁלֹשִׁ֗ים אֲגַרְטְלֵי־כֶ֙סֶף֙ אָ֔לֶף מַחֲלָפִ֖ים תִּשְׁעָ֥ה וְעֶשְׂרִֽים׃
1030 gold bowls, 410 silver double bowls, 1,000 other vessels;
k'-fo-REI za-HAV sh'-lo-SHEEM, k'-fo-REI KE-sef mish-NEEM ar-BA me-OT va-a-sa-RAH, ke-LIM a-khe-REEM a-LEF
יכְּפוֹרֵ֤י זָהָב֙ שְׁלֹשִׁ֔ים כְּפ֤וֹרֵי כֶ֙סֶף֙ מִשְׁנִ֔ים אַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת וַעֲשָׂרָ֑ה כֵּלִ֥ים אֲחֵרִ֖ים אָֽלֶף׃
11in all, 5,400 gold and silver vessels. Sheshbatzar brought all these back when the exiles came back from Babylon to Yerushalayim.
kol kay-LEEM la-za-HAV v'-la-KE-sef kha-MAY-shet a-la-FEEM v'-ar-BA may-OT ha-KOL he-e-LAH shaysh-ba-TZAR IM hay-a-LOT ha-go-LAH mi-ba-VEL lee-ru-sha-LA-im
יאכׇּל־כֵּלִים֙ לַזָּהָ֣ב וְלַכֶּ֔סֶף חֲמֵ֥שֶׁת אֲלָפִ֖ים וְאַרְבַּ֣ע מֵא֑וֹת הַכֹּ֞ל הֶעֱלָ֣ה שֵׁשְׁבַּצַּ֗ר עִ֚ם הֵעָל֣וֹת הַגּוֹלָ֔ה מִבָּבֶ֖ל לִירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃
1:11 When the exiles came back from Bavel to Yerushalayim.

Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach (1925-1994)
The beloved Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach would quip, “Did you know that Jerusalem is the highest city in the world?” Many were skeptical, but he was correct – in the spiritual, if not topographical, sense. The Bible states that “Avram went down to Egypt” from Canaan (Genesis 12:10), and when the people returned to the Land of Israel from the Babylonian exile, although translated here as “the exiles came back,” the more exacting translation is “the exiles ascended.” Ever since the magnetic north has dictated the directional illustration of maps, people have said things like, “I’m going down south,” or “I’m heading up north.” However, this verse teaches that no matter where a person is in the world, his “spiritual compass” should always indicate that Yerushalayim is “up.”