Free Return to Me by Lynn Austin

name, saying, ‘He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, “Let it be rebuilt,” and of the temple, “Let its foundations be laid.”And now it has happened. This is the mighty hand of God!”
    Iddo could no longer see the platform through his tears. All around him men were hugging each other, laughing, weeping like children, unable to stop their tears. “Take this joyous news home to your families,” Sheshbazzar said above the noise, “and celebrate the goodness of God. This is truly a day of rejoicing.”
    Iddo longed to run all the way home, shouting the good news to anyone who would listen. But he was so moved, so shaken by what he’d heard that he stumbled along in a daze, instead. “I’mglad you came with me, Mattaniah, because my family won’t believe me when I tell them. They’ll think I’m making it up.”
    “I’m not sure I believe it myself.”
    “Just think! Our brethren will gather from all of the places where we’ve been exiled, creating an exodus as great as the first one. There must be a million of us by now with our children and grandchildren, scattered throughout the empire. We’ll need carts and wagons—”
    “Do you really believe everyone will return?”
    “Of course! Why wouldn’t they?”
    Mattaniah hesitated, frowning as he looked at Iddo. “Well . . . because it will mean giving up everything we’ve worked for here. It’s not as if we’ve been slaving to make bricks without straw for pharaoh all these years. Many of our fellow Jews have prospered and become rich. They would have to start all over again in a land that’s been desolate all these years.”
    “But who wouldn’t be willing to sacrifice everything they have now for their children’s future?”
    “For some of us, the future is here,” Mattaniah replied. “Like the Jew whose storehouse I’m building. He has a very comfortable life here and so do his sons.”
    “But didn’t you hear what the proclamation said? We’re not only going home, we’re rebuilding the temple. God will dwell with us again. Think of it!” Iddo thought he might burst from joy as he envisioned serving as a priest with his sons. “When we celebrate Passover in a few weeks, Mattaniah, won’t it be glorious to remember that first exodus now that the Almighty One has provided us with the miracle of a second one? Who would have ever believed it?”
    “Yes . . . Who would have ever believed it?”
    The evening meal was waiting for Iddo when he arrived home. His sons and their wives milled around the courtyard in the fading evening light, waiting to hear the reason for the gatheringof elders. He saw their worried faces and could no longer hold back his tears, too overcome with joy to speak.
    Dinah hurried over to him. “What is it, Iddo? What happened? What’s wrong?”
    “These are tears of joy, Dinah. The Persian king has set us free.”
    His sons quickly gathered around him, too. “What, Abba? What did the king say?”
    Iddo wiped his eyes. “The Persian king announced that he is allowing our people to return home to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple.”
    “I don’t believe it.”
    “It’s true. We’re going home after seventy years, just as the prophets said we would.”
    Iddo’s son gripped his arm. “Are you certain you aren’t mistaken?”
    “Ask Mattaniah and Joel. They heard it, too. Didn’t I tell you we would return home to our land?”
    “This is unbelievable,” Berekiah said.
    “Our leaders won’t waste any time. As soon as they can make the arrangements, we’re leaving Babylon for good.” His family didn’t seem to share his joy. They looked stunned, incredulous. Maybe they needed time for the news to sink in.
    “Come, Dinah. Open a skin of wine,” Iddo said. “This is a night to rejoice and celebrate and praise the Almighty One for this incredible miracle.”
    A spontaneous celebration broke out that evening as everyone in the community gathered in the