¹ In the first ²  year of King Cyrus of Persia, in order to fulfill the Lord’s message ³  spoken through ⁴  Jeremiah, ⁵  the Lord stirred the mind ⁶  of King Cyrus of Persia. He disseminated ⁷  a proclamation ⁸  throughout his entire kingdom, announcing in a written edict ⁹  the following:

The spirit of the sovereign Lord is upon me, because the Lord has chosen ¹  me. ²  He has commissioned ³  me to encourage ⁴  the poor, to help ⁵  the brokenhearted, to decree the release of captives, and the freeing of prisoners,

“Announce ¹  the news among the nations! Proclaim it! Signal for people to pay attention! ²  Declare the news! Do not hide it! Say: ‘Babylon will be captured. Bel ³  will be put to shame. Marduk will be dismayed. Babylon’s idols will be put to shame. Her disgusting images ⁴  will be dismayed. ⁵ 

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed ¹  me to proclaim good news ²  to the poor. ³  He has sent me ⁴  to proclaim release ⁵  to the captives and the regaining of sight ⁶  to the blind, to set free ⁷  those who are oppressed, ⁸ 

Joseph said to the people, “Since I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you. Cultivate ¹  the land.

You are to speak ¹  everything I command you, ²  and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh that he must release ³  the Israelites from his land.

Tell the whole community of Israel, ‘In the tenth day of this month they each ¹  must take a lamb ²  for themselves according to their families ³  – a lamb for each household. ⁴ 

The Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in the ¹  book, and rehearse ²  it in Joshua’s hearing; ³  for I will surely wipe out ⁴  the remembrance ⁵  of Amalek from under heaven.

And you must tell the Israelites, ‘If a man dies ¹  and has no son, then you must transfer his inheritance to his daughter;

And he revealed to you the covenant ¹  he has commanded you to keep, the ten commandments, ²  writing them on two stone tablets.

You will go to the Levitical priests and the judge in office in those days and seek a solution; they will render a verdict.

You must then do as they have determined at that place the Lord chooses. Be careful to do just as you are taught.

I declare to you this very day that you will certainly ¹  perish! You will not extend your time in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess. ² 

Manoah said, “Now, when your announcement comes true, ¹  how should the child be raised and what should he do?” ² 

Manoah said to the Lord’s messenger, “Tell us your name, so we can honor you when your announcement comes true.” ¹ 

Then Boaz said to the leaders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have acquired from Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech, Kilion, and Mahlon.

They cut off Saul’s ¹  head and stripped him of his armor. They sent messengers to announce the news in the temple of their idols and among their people throughout the surrounding land of the Philistines.

The king was told, “Nathan the prophet is here.” Nathan entered and bowed before the king with his face to the floor. ¹ 

Nathan said, “My master, O king, did you announce, ‘Adonijah will be king after me; he will sit on my throne’?

for the prophecy he announced with the Lord’s authority ¹  against the altar in Bethel ²  and against all the temples on the high places in the cities of the north ³  will certainly be fulfilled.”