2 Chronicles 30
1 Then Hezekiah sent an announcement to everyone in Israel and Judah, and also sent letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, inviting them to come to the Lord's Temple in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover of the Lord, the God of Israel.
[宣告舉行逾越節]希則克雅派人到全以色列和猶大，且也寫了封公函給厄弗辣因和默納協，叫他們來耶路撒冷上主的殿內，向上主以色列的天主舉行逾越節，
2 The king and his officials and the whole assembly in Jerusalem had decided to observe the Passover in the second month,
因為君王與首領和耶路撒冷會眾已商妥，在二月舉行逾越節。
3 because they hadn't been able to observe it at the usual time since not enough priests had purified themselves and the people hadn't had time to get to Jerusalem.
他們不能如期舉行的原因，是因為自潔的司祭尚不敷用，百姓又尚未齊集在耶路撒冷。
4 The plan seemed right to both the king and the whole assembly.
君王和全會眾都認為這樣做很對，
5 So they decided to send an announcement to everyone in Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, inviting people to come and keep the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel, in Jerusalem, for many had not done as the Law required.
遂下令通告全以色列，從貝爾舍巴直到丹，都來耶路撒冷，向上主以色列的天主舉行逾越節，因為人很久沒有照章舉行這節了。
6 So messengers went to all of Israel and Judah carrying letters from the king and his officials and with the king's authorization. They said, “Children of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that he may return to you who are left, who have escaped the oppression of the kings of Assyria.
使者遂帶君王和首領的公函，走遍全以色列和猶大，照君王的吩咐，宣佈說：「以色列的子民，你們應當轉向上主，亞巴郎、依撒格和以色列的天主，好使他轉向你們，這些擺脫亞述王權下的遺民。
7 Don't be like your fathers and those of you who sinned against the Lord, the God of your forefathers He made them into something horrifying, as you can see.
你們不可像你們的祖先和弟兄一樣，因為他們背叛了上主，他們祖先的天主，上主遂叫他們成了驚駭的對象，有如你們親眼所見的。
8 So don't be proud and obstinate like your fathers, but give yourselves to the Lord and come to his sanctuary, which he has made holy forever, and serve the Lord your God, that his fierce anger may no longer fall on you.
現在，你們再別頸硬，如同你們祖先一樣，反應投奔上主，進入他永遠祝聖的居所，奉事上主你們的天主，使他的震怒轉離你們。
9 If you come back to the Lord, your relatives and children will receive mercy from their captors and will return to this land. For the Lord your God is gracious and merciful. He will not reject you if you come back to him.”
如果你們轉向上主你們的天主，你們的弟兄子女，在擄掠他們的人面前必會蒙受憐憫，會再回到這地；因為上主你們的天主是慈悲的，是仁愛的；如果你們轉向他，他決不會轉面不顧你們。」
10 The messengers went from town to town all over the land of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun; but the people laughed at them and mocked them.
使者由這城到那城，奏遍了厄弗辣因和默納協各地，直到則步隆；但是，那裏的人卻嘲笑侮辱他們。
11 Only some men from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun weren't too proud to go to Jerusalem.
可是，有些阿協爾、默納協和則步隆人自謙自卑，來到耶路撒冷。
12 At this time the power of God was helping the people in Judah to all have the same desire to follow the orders of the king and his officials, as indicated by the word of the Lord.
天主的手也在猶大行事，使民眾一心遵從君王和首領，照上主的話所出的命令。[舉行逾越節]
13 Many people gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month—a really large crowd.
二月，有很多人民聚集在耶路撒冷，舉行無酵節，實行是一個大盛會。
14 They went and removed the pagan altars in Jerusalem as well as the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley.
民眾起來，將耶路撒冷所有的丘壇拆毀，將所有焚香的器具拿去，丟在克德龍溪裏。
15 On the fourteenth day of the second month they killed the Passover lamb. The priests and Levites were ashamed, and they purified themselves and brought burnt offerings to the Lord's Temple.
二月十四日宰殺了逾越節羔羊；司祭和肋未人自覺慚愧，便聖潔自己，好能在上主殿內奉獻全燔祭。
16 They stood at their assigned positions, according to the law of Moses, the man of God. The priests sprinkled the blood of the sacrifices, which the Levites gave to them.
他們都按天主僕人梅瑟的法律，各自立在自己的地方，司祭由肋未人手中取過血來，灑在祭壇上。
17 Since many people in the assembly had not purified themselves, the Levites had to kill the Passover lambs on behalf of every unclean person to dedicate the lambs to the Lord.
因為會眾中有許多人尚未自潔，肋未人便為所有不潔的人，宰殺逾越節的羔羊，好奉獻給上主。
18 Most of the people, many of those from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not purified themselves. Yet they ate the Passover meal even though this was not what the Law required, for Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, “May the good Lord forgive everyone
實在，有許多人，有許多來自厄弗辣因，默納協、依撒加爾和則布隆的人，沒有自潔，就吃了逾越節的羔羊，竟沒有遵守明文的規定；為此，希則克雅為他們祈禱說：「
19 who sincerely wants to follow the Lord God, the God of their forefathers, even though they're not clean according to the sanctuary requirements.”
凡誠心尋求天主，上主，他們祖先的天主的人，雖然沒有依照聖所的潔禮自潔，願良善的上主予以寬恕! 」
20 The Lord accepted Hezekiah's prayer and permitted them this violation.
上主垂允了希則克雅，寬恕了百姓。
21 The people of Israel who were there in Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great enthusiasm, and every day the Levites and priests praised the Lord, accompanied by loud instruments.
在耶路撒冷的以色列子民，極其歡樂，七天舉行了無酵節；肋未人和司祭們，天天讚頌上主，極力讚頌上主。
22 Hezekiah spoke positively to all the Levites who showed a good understanding of the Lord. For seven days they ate the food that was assigned to them, presented friendship offerings, and gave thanks to the Lord, the God of their forefathers.
由於所有的肋未人慇勤服事上主，希則克雅便慰勞他們。七天之久，眾人吃了節宴，獻了和平祭，稱謝了上主，他們祖先的天主。
23 Everyone then agreed to continue to celebrate the festival for seven more days. So for another seven days they celebrated, full of joy.
以後，全會眾議定，再舉行七天，於是歡樂地又舉行了七天，
24 Hezekiah, king of Judah, gave a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep as offerings on behalf of the assembly. The officials in turn gave a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep on as offerings on behalf of the assembly. A large number of priests purified themselves.
因為猶大王希則克雅送給了會眾一千頭牛犢，七千隻綿羊；首領們也送給了會眾一千頭牛犢，一萬隻綿羊；且有許多司祭已行了自潔禮。
25 The whole assembly of Judah celebrated, together with the priests and Levites, and also with the whole assembly that had come from Israel, including the foreigners from Israel and those living in Judah.
猶大全會眾、司祭和肋未人，來自以色列的全會眾，以及由以色列地來的，或是僑居在猶大的人，都非常高興。
26 There was such tremendous happiness in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel, nothing like this had happened in the city.
歡樂瀰漫了耶路撒冷，自以色列王達味的兒子撒羅滿以來，耶路撒冷從未有過這樣大的喜慶。
27 The priests and the Levites stood up to bless the people, and God heard them—their prayer ascended to where he lived in heaven.
肋未人司祭起來為民眾祝福，他們的聲音承蒙垂聽，他們的祈禱達於他天上的神聖居所。
