Chapter 1

““Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord , the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

Ezra 1:2 ESV

Cyrus decrees that the Temple in Jerusalem be rebuilt, and that all the people of God, where ever they live, can go home, and he orders their neighbors to assist them.  Note that when a Medo-Persian put something in writing, it had to stand, even if he changed his mind.  That is how Daniel ended up in the lions den, though the King tried to find a way to keep him out of it.

2023 - This verse:  5 Then rose up the heads of the fathers' houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of the LORD that is in Jerusalem. [Ezr 1:5 ESV].  That last part says that only those whose spirit was stirred by God to rebuild went home.  So in this sort of "second Exodus", it was NOT everyone, but those whom God willed that came out of Persia.

So those who were "led" to rebuild the temple prepared to go to Jerusalem, and received gold and silver to help with the rebuilding.  Cyrus himself brought out the gold and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar had looted from the temple, so they could also be taken back and used there.  Two names:  Treasurer of Persia is Mithredath, and the prince of Judah, Sheshbazzar.  Perhaps we will learn more of his genealogy...Wikipedia says Sheshbazzar was appointed by Cyrus as governor of Judah and sent to rebuild the temple.