²⁰ And those who had escaped from the sword he ^(A)took away into exile to Babylon; and ^(B)they were slaves to him and to his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, ^21 (C)to fulfill the word of Yahweh by the mouth of Jeremiah, until ^(D)the land had made up for its sabbaths. ^(E)All the days of its desolation it kept sabbath ^[a](F)until seventy years were fulfilled.

The Proclamation of Cyrus

^22 (G)Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia—in order to complete the word of Yahweh ^(H)by the mouth of Jeremiah—Yahweh ^(I)stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he had a proclamation pass throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying,