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.

The king and his officials and all the other people who had gathered in Jerusalem wanted to celebrate the Passover Festival. But they were not able to celebrate it at the usual time, because many of the priests had still not performed the rituals to purify themselves; therefore they were not allowed to do serve in the festival. Also, everyone had still not come to Jerusalem [to celebrate the Passover]. So they decided to celebrate it one month later than usual.

2 For the king, and the princes, and all the congregation in Jerusalem, designed 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.

4 And the proposal pleased the king and the congregation.

The king and all the other people who had gathered thought that was a good plan.

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 messages to all the towns in Judah and in Israel, from Beersheba [in the far south] to Dan [in the far north], including towns in the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, to invite people to come to the temple in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover [Festival] to [honor] Yahweh, the God whom the Israeli people [worshiped/belonged to]. Many of the people had not previously celebrated that festival, even though it had been written [in the laws of Moses that they should do that].

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.

Obeying what the king commanded, messengers went throughout Judah and Israel, taking messages that had been written by the king and his officials. This is what they wrote: “You Israeli people, you who survived after being slaves of the kings of Assyria, return to Yahweh, the God whom [our great ancestors] Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob [worshiped/belonged to], in order that he may return to you. Your fathers and brothers did not faithfully obey Yahweh, the God whom our ancestors [worshiped].

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 act like they did, because what they did caused other people to become disgusted with them.

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.

Do not be stubborn as our ancestors were. Do what Yahweh desires. Come [to Jerusalem] to the temple, which he has set apart forever. Do what pleases Yahweh our God, in order that he will no longer be angry with 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 return to Yahweh, the people who have captured our brothers [and sisters] and our children will be kind to them, and allow them to return to this land. Do not forget that Yahweh our God is kind and merciful. If you return to him, he will no longer reject you.”

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 to all the towns in the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, as far [north] as the tribe of Zebulun, [and gave them this message, ] but most of the people there scorned them and ridiculed them.

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

But some of the people of [the tribes of] Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and went 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.

Also in Judah God motivated the people to be united in wanting to do what Yahweh wanted them to do, which is what the king and his officials had told them to do in the message that they sent.

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

So a huge crowd of people gathered in Jerusalem in May, to celebrate the Festival of Eating 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 removed the altars [of Baal] in Jerusalem and took away the altars for burning incense [to honor other gods, and burned them] in 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.

They slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of that month. Some of the priests and the other descendants of Levi were ashamed [because they had not performed the rituals to cause them to be acceptable to work for Yahweh]. So they performed those rituals, and brought to the temple animals to be completely burned [on the altar].

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.

Then they stood at the places where Moses had written in his laws that they should stand. Then the descendants of Levi gave to the priests [bowls containing blood of the animals that were being sacrificed], and the priests sprinkled [the altar] with some of the blood.

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.

Many people in the crowd had not purified themselves, and therefore they were not able to kill the lambs [and dedicate them] to Yahweh. So it was necessary for the descendants of Levi to kill the lambs for them.

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,

Although most of the people who had come from [the tribes of] Ephraim, Manasseh, and Issachar had not purified themselves, they ate the food of the Passover Festival anyway, ignoring the rules written [by Moses]. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying “Yahweh, you always do what is good; I pray that you will 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 honor you, the God whom our ancestors [worshiped], even if they have not purified themselves by obeying the sacred laws that you gave to us.”

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

And Yahweh heard what Hezekiah prayed; he forgave the people, [and did not punish them].

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 Israeli people who were there in Jerusalem celebrated the Festival of Eating Unleavened Bread for seven days. They rejoiced greatly as they celebrated, while the priests and other descendants of Levi sang to Yahweh every day, and played musical instruments to [praise] God.

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 thanked all the descendants of Levi for doing this work for Yahweh, and for very skillfully leading the people who were worshiping. For those seven days the people ate the Passover food and brought offerings to maintain fellowship with Yahweh and praised Yahweh, the God whom their ancestors [belonged to/had worshiped].

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

Then the whole group decided to celebrate for seven more days, so they did: They celebrated joyfully for seven more days.

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.

King Hezekiah provided 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep to be slaughtered for the people [to eat during the festival], and the officials also gave them 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep and goats. Many 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.

All the people of Judah rejoiced, including the priests and other descendants of Levi and all the people from Israel who had come, and including some from other countries who were living in Israel and some from other countries who were 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.

Everyone in Jerusalem was very joyful, because nothing like this had happened in Jerusalem since the time when David’s son Solomon was the 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.

The priests and the other descendants of Levi stood up to bless the people, and God heard them in heaven, the holy place where he lives.