2 Chronicles 30

1 Then Hezekiah sent word to all Israel and Judah, and sent letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, requesting them to come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel.

Then sent Hezekiah to all Israel and Judah, and he also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, to prepare the passover-sacrifice unto the Lord the God of Israel.

2 For the king, after discussion with his chiefs and all the body of the people in Jerusalem, had made a decision to keep the Passover in the second month.

And the king held a consultation, as also his princes, and all the assembly in Jerusalem, to prepare the passover-sacrifice in the second month.

3 It was not possible to keep it at that time, because not enough priests had made themselves holy, and the people had not come together in Jerusalem.

For they were not able to prepare it at that time; because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently, nor had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.

4 And the thing was right in the eyes of the king and all the people.

And the thing seemed right in the eyes of the king and in the eyes of all the assembly.

5 So it was ordered that word was to be sent out through all Israel, from Beer-sheba to Dan, that they were to come to keep the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem: because they had not kept it in great numbers in agreement with the law.

So they established a decree to cause a proclamation to be made throughout all Israel, from Beer-sheba' even as far as Dan, that they should come to prepare the passover-sacrifice unto thy Lord the God of Israel at Jerusalem; because for a long time past they had not prepared it as it was written,

6 So runners went with letters from the king and his chiefs through all Israel and Judah, by the order of the king, saying, O children of Israel, come back again to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that he may come again to that small band of you which has been kept safe out of the hands of the kings of Assyria.

So the runners went with the letters from the hand of the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the command of the king, saying, O children of Israel, return unto the Lord the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, and he will return to the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the power of the kings of Assyria.

7 Do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who were sinners against the Lord, the God of their fathers, so that he made them a cause of fear, as you see.

And be net like your fathers, and like your brethren, who acted faithlessly against the Lord the God of their fathers, wherefore he gave them up to become an [object of] astonishment, as ye see.

8 Now do not be hard-hearted, as your fathers were; but give yourselves to the Lord, and come into his holy place, which he has made his for ever, and be the servants of the Lord your God, so that the heat of his wrath may be turned away from you.

Now do ye not harden your necks, like your fathers: hold out your hand unto the Lord, and come unto his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever, and serve the Lord your God, and so will he turn away from you the fierceness of his wrath.

9 For if you come back to the Lord, those who took away your brothers and your children will have pity on them, and let them come back to this land: for the Lord your God is full of grace and mercy, and his face will not be turned away from you if you come back to him.

For If ye return unto the Lord, your brethren and your children will find mercy in the presence of their captors, so that they may return to this land; for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his countenance from you, if ye return unto him.

10 So the runners went from town to town through all the country of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun: but they were laughed at and made sport of.

And as the runners were passing from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Menasseh and as far as Zebulun, they were laughing them to scorn, and mocking at them.

11 However, some of Asher and Manasseh and Zebulun put away their pride and came to Jerusalem.

Nevertheless some men of Asher and Menasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem.

12 And in Judah the power of God gave them one heart to do the orders of the king and the captains, which were taken as the word of the Lord.

Also over Judah came the hand of God to give unto them one heart to do the command of the king and of the princes, by the word of the Lord.

13 So a very great number of people came together at Jerusalem to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month.

And there was gathered together at Jerusalem a numerous people to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great assembly.

14 And they got to work and took away all the altars in Jerusalem, and they put all the vessels for burning perfumes into the stream Kidron.

And they arose and removed the altars which were in Jerusalem, and all the vessels for burning incense did they take away, and they threw them into the brook Kidron.

15 Then on the fourteenth day of the second month they put the Passover lambs to death: and the priests and the Levites were shamed, and made themselves holy and took burned offerings into the house of the Lord.

And they slaughtered the passover-sacrifice on the fourteenth day of the second month: and the priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought burnt-offerings unto the house of the Lord.

16 And they took their places in their right order, as it was ordered in the law of Moses, the man of God: the priests draining out on the altar the blood given them by the Levites.

And they stood on their station after their prescribed manner, according to the law of Moses the man of God, the priest sprinkling the blood, [which they received] out of the hand of the Levites.

17 For there were still a number of the people there who had not made themselves holy: so the Levites had to put Passover lambs to death for those who were not clean, to make them holy to the Lord.

For there were many in the assembly that had not sanctified themselves: therefore the Levites had the charge of the slaughtering of the passover sacrifices for every one that was not clean, to sanctify [the same] unto the Lord.

18 For a great number of the people from Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not made themselves clean, but they took the Passover meal, though not in the right way. For Hezekiah had made prayer for them, saying, May the good Lord have mercy on everyone

For a large portion of the people, even many out of Ephraim, and Menasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, but ate the passover not as it is written. However Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The Lord who is good will grant pardon for this.

19 Who, with all his heart, is turned to God the Lord, the God of his fathers, even if he has not been made clean after the rules of the holy place.

To every one that hath directed his heart to seek God, the Lord the God of his fathers; though he be not [cleansed] according to the purification of the sanctuary.

20 And the Lord gave ear to Hezekiah, and made the people well.

And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah, and he healed the people.

21 So the children of Israel who were present in Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread for seven days with great joy: and the Levites and the priests gave praise to the Lord day by day, making melody to the Lord with loud instruments.

And the children of Israel that were present at Jerusalem celebrated the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great joy; and the Levites and the priests praised the Lord day by day, with loud instruments before the Lord.

22 And Hezekiah said kind words to the Levites who were expert in the ordering of the worship of the Lord: so they kept the feast for seven days, offering peace-offerings and praising the Lord, the God of their fathers.

And Hezekiah spoke comfortingly unto all the Levites that had good intelligence of the Lord: and they ate the festive-offerings during seven days, offering peace-offerings, and making confession to the Lord the God of their fathers.

23 And by the desire of all the people, the feast went on for another seven days, and they kept the seven days with joy.

And the whole assembly took counsel to celebrate other seven days: and they celebrated [these] seven days with joy.

24 For Hezekiah, king of Judah, gave to the people for offerings, a thousand oxen and seven thousand sheep; and the rulers gave a thousand oxen and ten thousand sheep; and a great number of priests made themselves holy.

For Hezekiah king of Judah had provided for the assembly one thousand bullocks and seven thousand sheep; and the princes had provided for the assembly one thousand bullocks and ten thousand sheep: and the priests sanctified themselves in great numbers.

25 And all the people of Judah, with the priests and the Levites, and those who had come from Israel, and men from other lands who had come from Israel or who were living in Judah, were glad with great joy.

And thus rejoiced all the assembly of Judah, and the priests and the Levites, and all the assembly that was come out of Israel, and the strangers that were come out of the land of Israel, and those that dwelt in Judah.

26 So there was great joy in Jerusalem: for nothing like this had been seen in Jerusalem from the time of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel.

And there was great joy in Jerusalem: for since the time of Solomon the son of David the king of Israel had the like not been in Jerusalem.

27 Then the priests and the Levites gave the people a blessing: and the voice of their prayer went up to the holy place of God in heaven.

Then arose the priests the Levites and blessed the people: and their voice was listened to, and their prayer came to His holy dwelling-place, even unto heaven.