Chronicles II 30

1 And Ezekias sent to all Israel and Juda, and wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasse, that they should come into the house of the Lord to Jerusalem, to keep the passover to the Lord God of Israel.

Then Hezekiah sent word throughout all Israel and Judah, and he also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh inviting them to come to the house of the LORD in Jerusalem to keep the Passover of the LORD, the God of Israel.

2 For the king, and the princes, and all the congregation in Jerusalem, designed to keep the passover in the second month.

For the king and his officials and the whole assembly in Jerusalem had decided to keep the Passover in the second month,

3 For they could not keep it at that time, because a sufficient number of priest had not purified themselves, and the people was not gathered to Jerusalem.

since they had been unable to observe it at the regular time, because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not been gathered in Jerusalem.

4 And the proposal pleased the king and the congregation.

This proposal pleased the king and the whole assembly.

5 And they established a decree that a proclamation should go through all Israel, from Bersabee to Dan, that they should come and keep the passover to the Lord God of Israel at Jerusalem: for the multitude had not done it lately according to the scripture.

So they established a decree to circulate a proclamation throughout Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, that the people should come to keep the Passover of the LORD, the God of Israel, in Jerusalem. For they had not observed it as a nation as prescribed.

6 And the posts went with the letters from the king and the princes to all Israel and Juda, according to the command of the king, saying, Children of Israel, return to the Lord God of Abraam, and Isaac, and Israel, and bring back them that have escaped [even] those that were left of the hand of the king of Assyria.

So the couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and his officials, which read: “Children of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that He may return to those of you who remain, who have escaped the grasp of the kings of Assyria.

7 And be not as your fathers, and your brethren, who revolted from the Lord God of their fathers, and he gave them up to desolation, as you see.

Do not be like your fathers and brothers who were unfaithful to the LORD, the God of their fathers, so that He made them an object of horror, as you can see.

8 And now harden not your hearts, as your fathers [did]: give glory to the Lord God, and enter into his sanctuary, which he has sanctified for ever: and serve the Lord your God, and he shall turn away [his] fierce anger from you.

Now do not stiffen your necks as your fathers did. Submit to the LORD and come to His sanctuary, which He has consecrated forever. Serve the LORD your God, so that His fierce anger will turn away from you.

9 For when you turn to the Lord, your brethren and your children shall be pitied before all that have carried them captives, and he will restore [you] to this land: for the Lord our God is merciful and pitiful, and will not turn away his face from you, if we return to him.

For if you return to the LORD, your brothers and sons will receive mercy in the presence of their captors and will return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and merciful; He will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him.”

10 So the posts went through from city to city in mount Ephraim, and Manasse, and as far as Zabulon: and they as it were laughed them to scorn, and mocked them.

And the couriers traveled from city to city through the land of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun; but the people scorned and mocked them.

11 But the men of Aser, and [some] of Manasses and of Zabulon, were ashamed, and came to Jerusalem and Juda.

Nevertheless, some from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.

12 And the hand of the Lord was [present] to give them one heart to come, to do according to the commands of the king and of the princes, by the word of the Lord.

Moreover, the power of God was on the people in Judah to give them one heart to obey the command of the king and his officials according to the word of the LORD.

13 And a great multitude were gathered to Jerusalem to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great congregation.

In the second month, a very great assembly gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

14 And they arose, and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all on which they burnt incense to false [gods] they tore down and cast into the brook Kedron.

They proceeded to remove the altars in Jerusalem and to take away the incense altars and throw them into the Kidron Valley.

15 Then they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the second month: and the priests and the Levites repented, and purified [themselves], and brought whole burnt offerings into the house of the Lord.

And on the fourteenth day of the second month they slaughtered the Passover lamb. The priests and Levites were ashamed, and they consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the house of the LORD.

16 And they stood at their post, according to their ordinance, according to the commandment of Moses the man of God: and the priests received the blood from the hand of the Levites.

They stood at their prescribed posts, according to the Law of Moses the man of God. The priests sprinkled the blood, which they received from the hand of the Levites.

17 For a great part of the congregation was not sanctified; and the Levites were [ready] to kill the passover for every one who could not sanctify himself to the Lord.

Since there were many in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves, the Levites were in charge of slaughtering the Passover lambs for every unclean person to consecrate the lambs to the LORD.

18 For the greatest part of the people of Ephraim, and Manasse, and Issachar, and Zabulon, had not purified [themselves], but ate the passover contrary to the scripture. On this account also Ezekias prayed concerning them, saying,

A large number of the people—many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun—had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah interceded for them, saying, “May the LORD, who is good, provide atonement for everyone

19 The good Lord be merciful with regard to every heart that sincerely seeks the Lord God of their fathers, and [is] not [purified] according to the purification of the sanctuary.

who sets his heart on seeking God—the LORD, the God of his fathers—even if he is not cleansed according to the purification rules of the sanctuary.”

20 And the Lord listened to Ezekias, and healed the people.

And the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people.

21 And the children of Israel who were present in Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great joy; and they continued to sing hymns to the Lord daily, and the priests and the Levites [played] on instruments to the Lord.

The Israelites who were present in Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy, and the Levites and priests praised the LORD day after day, accompanied by loud instruments of praise to the LORD.

22 And Ezekias encouraged all the Levites, and those that had good understanding of the Lord: and they completely kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days, offering peace-offerings, and confessing to the Lord God of their fathers.

And Hezekiah encouraged all the Levites who performed skillfully before the LORD. For seven days they ate their assigned portion, sacrificing fellowship offerings and giving thanks to the LORD, the God of their fathers.

23 And the congregation purposed together to keep other seven days: and they kept seven days with gladness.

The whole assembly agreed to observe seven more days, so they observed seven days with joy.

24 For Ezekias set apart for Juda, [even] for the congregation, a thousand calves and seven thousand sheep; and the princes set apart for the people a thousand calves and ten thousand sheep: and the holy things of the priests abundantly.

For Hezekiah king of Judah contributed a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep for the assembly, and the officials contributed a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep for the assembly, and a great number of priests consecrated themselves.

25 And all the congregation, the priests and the Levites, rejoiced, and all the congregation of Juda, and they that were present of Jerusalem, and the strangers that came from the land of Israel, and the dwellers in Juda.

Then the whole assembly of Judah rejoiced along with the priests and Levites and the whole assembly that had come from Israel, including the foreigners who had come from Israel and those who lived in Judah.

26 And there was great joy in Jerusalem: from the days of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was not such a feast in Jerusalem.

So there was great rejoicing in Jerusalem, for nothing like this had happened there since the days of Solomon son of David king of Israel.

27 Then the priests the Levites rose up and blessed the people: and their voice was heard, and their prayer came into his holy dwelling-place, [even] into heaven.

Then the priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard their voice, and their prayer came into His holy dwelling place in heaven.