March 10th, 2004, 4th Sunday of Lent, year B.

A reading from the second book of Chronicles.

In those days, all the princes of Judah, the priests, and the people, added infidelity to

infidelity, practicing all the abominations of the nations and polluting the Lord's

temple which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.

Early and often did the Lord, the God of their fathers, send his messengers to them,

for he had compassion on his people and his dwelling place.

But they mocked the messengers of God, despised his warnings, and scoffed at his prophets, until the anger of the Lord

against his people was so inflamed that there was no remedy.

Their enemies burnt the house of God, tore down the walls of Jerusalem, set all its palaces

of fire, and destroyed all its precious objects. Those who escaped the sword were carried

captive to Babylon, where they became servants of the king of the Chaldeans and his sons.

All this was to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah. Until the land has retrieved

its lost Sabbathbaths,

during all the time it lies waste, it shall rest while 70 years are fulfilled.

In the first year of Cyrus, King of Persia,

in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah,

the Lord inspired King Cyrus of Persia to issue this proclamation throughout his kingdom, both by word of mouth and in writing.

Thus says Cyrus, King of Persia, all the kingdoms of the earth the Lord the God of heaven has given to me,

and he has also charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

Whoever, therefore, among you, belongs to any part of his people, let him go up,

and may his God be with him.

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