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 unto all Israel and Judah, moreover also, letters, wrote he unto Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come unto the house of Yahweh, in Jerusalem, —to keep a passover unto Yahweh, 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.

Yea, the king and his rulers and all the convocation in Jerusalem, had taken counsel, —to keep the passover 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 unable to keep it at that time, —because, the priests, had not hallowed themselves in sufficient numbers, and, the people, had not gathered themselves unto Jerusalem.

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

And the thing was right, in the eyes of the king, —and in the eyes of all the convocation.

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 make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beer-sheba even unto Dan, that they should come in to keep a passover unto Yahweh the God of Israel, in Jerusalem, —for, not for a long time, had they kept it as 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.

The runners, therefore, went with letters from the hand of the king and his rulers, throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, —Ye sons of Israel, return ye unto Yahweh, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, and he will return unto the remnant, that which is left to you, out of the hand 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 not ye like your fathers, or like your brethren, who acted unfaithfully with Yahweh, God of your fathers, —who therefore delivered them up for an astonishment, as, ye yourselves, can 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 not stiffen your neck, like your fathers, —stretch forth the hand unto Yahweh, and enter into his sanctuary which he hath hallowed unto times age-abiding, and serve Yahweh your God, that he may turn from you the glow of his anger.

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, by your returning unto Yahweh, your brethren and your children, shall find compassion before their captors, so as to return unto this land. For, gracious and compassionate, is Yahweh your God, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye will 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.

So the runners were passing from city to city throughout the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, even unto Zebulun, —but they were laughing them to scorn, and mocking them.

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

Howbeit, some, out of Asher and Manasseh and out 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, upon Judah, came the hand of God, to give them one heart, —to keep the commandment of the king and the rulers, as the word of Yahweh.

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 gathered themselves unto Jerusalem much people, to keep the festival of unleavened cakes, in the second month, —an exceeding large convocation.

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.

Then rose they up, and removed the altars, which were in Jerusalem, -and, all the censers, removed they, and cast them into the Kidron ravine.

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.

Then slaughtered they the passover, on the fourteenth of the second month, —and, the priests and the Levites, were put to shame, and hallowed themselves, and brought in the ascending-sacrifices of the house of Yahweh.

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 in their place, according to their regulation, according to the law of Moses the man of God, —the priests, dashing the blood, [which they received] at 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 convocation, who had not hallowed themselves, —but, the Levites, were over the slaughtering of the passover-lambs, for every one who was, not pure, to hallow him unto Yahweh.

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, the multitude of the people, many out of Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not purified themselves, for they did eat the passover, otherwise than as was written, —for Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, May Yahweh the Good, put a propitiatory-covering about

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.

every one who hath prepared, his heart, to seek God, even Yahweh, God of his fathers, —though not according to the purification of the sanctuary!

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

And Yahweh hearkened unto Hezekiah, and 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 so the sons of Israel who were found in Jerusalem kept the festival of unleavened cakes seven days, with great rejoicing, —and the Levites and the priests, were offering praise unto Yahweh day by day, with loud instruments, unto Yahweh.

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 spake unto the heart of all the Levites who were giving good instruction respecting Yahweh, —and they did eat the appointed feast seven days, sacrificing the peace-offerings, and offering praise unto Yahweh, 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.

Then all the convocation took counsel, to keep seven days more, —and they kept seven days, with rejoicing.

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, presented to the convocation, a thousand bullocks and seven thousand sheep, and, the rulers, presented to the convocation, a thousand bullocks and ten thousand sheep, -and, priests in great numbers, hallowed themselves.

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.

So all the convocation of Judah, and the priests and the Levites, and all the convocation that came in out of Israel, rejoiced, —also the sojourners who were coming in out of the land of Israel, and the dwellers 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.

Thus was there great rejoicing, in Jerusalem, —for, since the days of Solomon son of David king of Israel, there had not been the like of this, 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 rose up the priests the Levites, and blessed the people, and there was a hearkening unto their voice, —and their prayer entered into his holy dwelling-place, even into the heavens.