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 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.

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

The king and his officials and the whole assembly in Jerusalem had decided to observe 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.

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.

4 And the proposal pleased the king and the congregation.

The plan seemed right to both 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 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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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

Only some men from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun weren't too proud to go 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.

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.

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

Many people gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month—a really large crowd.

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 went and removed the pagan altars in Jerusalem as well as the incense altars and threw 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.

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.

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 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.

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 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.

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,

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

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 sincerely wants to follow the Lord God, the God of their forefathers, even though they're not clean according to the sanctuary requirements.”

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

The Lord accepted Hezekiah's prayer and permitted them this violation.

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 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.

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.

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.

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

Everyone then agreed to continue to celebrate the festival for seven more days. So for another seven days they celebrated, full of 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The priests and the Levites stood up to bless the people, and God heard them—their prayer ascended to where he lived in heaven.