2 Chronicles 29

1 Hezekiah he became king a son of twenty and five year[s] and twenty and nine year[s] he reigned in Jerusalem and [the] name of mother his [was] Abijah [the] daughter of Zechariah.

Hezekiah was 25 years old when he became the king [of Judah]. He ruled from Jerusalem for 29 years. His mother was Abijah, the daughter of [a man whose name was] Zechariah.

2 And he did the right in [the] eyes of Yahweh according to all that he had done David ancestor his.

Hezekiah did things that Yahweh considered to be right, like his ancestor King David had done.

3 He in the year first of reigning his in the month first he opened [the] doors of [the] house of Yahweh and he repaired them.

During March of the first year that Hezekiah was ruling Judah, he unlocked the doors of the temple, and his workers repaired them.

4 And he brought the priests and the Levites and he gathered them to [the] open place of the east.

Then he gathered the priests and other descendants of Levi in the area on the east side of the temple,

5 And he said to them listen to me O Levites now consecrate yourselves and consecrate [the] house of Yahweh [the] God of ancestors your and bring out the impurity from the holy place.

and he said to them, “You descendants of Levi, listen to me! Consecrate yourselves. And then consecrate the temple of Yahweh, the God whom our ancestors [worshiped/belonged to]. Remove from the temple all the things that are not pleasing to God.

6 For they acted unfaithfully fathers our and they did the evil in [the] eyes of Yahweh God our and they forsook him and they turned faces their away from [the] tabernacle of Yahweh and they gave a back.

Our ancestors disobeyed God; they did many things that he considered to be evil, things that were not pleasing to him. They abandoned this place where Yahweh lives, and they have turned away from him.

7 Also they shut [the] doors of the porch and they extinguished the lamps and incense not they made smoke and burnt offering[s] not they offered up in the holy place to [the] God of Israel.

They locked the doors of the temple and extinguished the lamps. They did not burn any incense, and they did not offer any sacrifices that were to be completely burned [on the altar].

8 And it was [the] wrath of Yahweh towards Judah and Jerusalem and he has made them (into a terror *Q(K)*) into a horror and into a hissing just as you [are] seeing with own eyes your.

Therefore, Yahweh has become very angry with us people of Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah, and he has caused other people to become frightened and horrified [when they hear what Yahweh did to punish us]. And they ridicule us. You know this very well.

9 And there! they have fallen fathers our by the sword and sons our and daughters our and wives our [are] in captivity on this.

That is why our fathers have been killed in battles, and our sons and daughters and our wives have been captured and taken [to other countries].

10 Now [is] with heart my to make a covenant to Yahweh [the] God of Israel and it may turn back from us [the] burning of anger his.

But now I intend to make an agreement with Yahweh, our God, in order that he will no longer be angry with us.

11 O sons my now may not you be negligent for you he has chosen Yahweh to stand before him to serve him and to be of him servants and makers of smoke.

[You who are like] my sons, do not waste any time. [Do immediately what Yahweh wants you to do.] Yahweh has chosen you to stand in his presence and offer sacrifices and burn incense.”

12 And they arose the Levites Mahath [the] son of Amasai and Joel [the] son of Azariah of [the] descendants of the Kohathite[s] and of [the] descendants of Merari Kish [the] son of Abdi and Azariah [the] son of Jehallelel and of the Gershonite[s] Joah [the] son of Zimmah and Eden [the] son of Joah.

Then these descendants of Levi started to work [in the temple]: From the descendants of Kohath there were Mahath the son of Amasai, and Joel the son of Azariah. From the descendants of Merari there were Kish the son of Abdi, and Azariah the son of Jehallelel. From the descendants of Gershon there were Joah the son of Zimmah, and Eden the son of Joah.

13 And of [the] descendants of Elizaphan Shimri (and Jeiel *Q(K)*) and of [the] descendants of Asaph Zechariah and Mattaniah.

From the descendants of Elizaphan there were Shimri and Jeiel. From the descendants of Asaph there were Zechariah and Mattaniah.

14 And of [the] descendants of Heman (Jehiel *Q(K)*) and Shimei. And of [the] descendants of Jeduthun Shemaiah and Uzziel.

From the descendants of Heman there were Jehiel and Shimei. From the descendants of Jeduthun there were Shemaiah and Uzziel.

15 And they gathered relatives their and they consecrated themselves and they went according to [the] command of the king by [the] words of Yahweh to cleanse [the] house of Yahweh.

When those men had gathered their fellow descendants of Levi and had consecrated themselves, they entered the temple in order to consecrate it. That was what the king had commanded them to do, and they were also obeying what Yahweh had commanded.

16 And they went the priests to within [the] house of Yahweh to cleanse [it] and they brought out all the uncleanness which they found in [the] temple of Yahweh to [the] court of [the] house of Yahweh and they received [it] the Levites to bring [it] out to [the] wadi of Kidron [the] outside towards.

The priests entered the temple to consecrate it. They brought out into the courtyard of the temple everything that they had found in the temple that was not pleasing to Yahweh. Then the descendants of Levi took those things down to the Kidron Valley [and burned them there].

17 And they began on [day] one of the month first to consecrate and on day eight of the month they came to [the] porch of Yahweh and they consecrated [the] house of Yahweh for days eight and on day six-teen of the month first they finished.

The priests and other descendants of Levi started this work on the first day of March and finished purifying the courtyard [of the temple] on the eighth day of that month, and they finished purifying the temple one week later.

18 And they went within to Hezekiah the king and they said we have cleansed all [the] house of Yahweh [the] altar of the burnt offering and all utensils its and [the] table of the row and all utensils its.

Then they went to King Hezekiah and reported, “We have purified all parts of the temple, and the altar where sacrifices are completely burned, and all the items used at the altar, the table on which the priests place the sacred bread, and the things [used at that table].

19 And all the utensils which he had rejected the king Ahaz in reign his in unfaithfulness his we have prepared and we have consecrated and there they [are] before [the] altar of Yahweh.

While Ahaz was our king, he disobeyed what Yahweh had commanded, and he removed from the temple many things [that should be there], but now we have brought them back and placed them in front of the sacred altar.”

20 And he rose early Hezekiah the king and he gathered [the] officials of the city and he went up [the] house of Yahweh.

Early the next morning, King Hezekiah gathered together the city officials, and they went to the [courtyard of the] temple.

21 And they brought young bulls seven and rams seven and lambs seven and he-goats of goats seven to a sin offering on the kingdom and on the sanctuary and on Judah and he said to [the] descendants of Aaron the priests to offer up on [the] altar of Yahweh.

They took with them seven bulls, seven rams, seven male lambs, and seven male goats to be an offering in order that Yahweh would forgive the sins of all the people in the kingdom of Judah, and in order to purify the temple. The king commanded that the priests, who were descendants of Aaron, should offer those animals to be sacrificed to Yahweh on the altar.

22 And they slaughtered the cattle and they took the priests the blood and they sprinkled [it] the altar towards and they slaughtered the rams and they sprinkled the blood the altar towards and they slaughtered the lambs and they sprinkled the blood the altar towards.

So first the priests slaughtered those bulls, and took their blood and sprinkled it on the altar. Then they slaughtered the rams and sprinkled their blood on the altar. Then they slaughtered the lambs and sprinkled their blood on the altar.

23 And they brought near [the] goats of the sin offering before the king and the assembly and they laid hands their on them.

The goats that were slaughtered to be an offering in order that Yahweh would forgive the sins of the people were brought to the king and the others who were there. Then the king and those who were present laid their hands on those goats.

24 And they slaughtered them the priests and they made a sin offering blood their the altar towards to make atonement on all Israel for for all Israel he had said the king the burnt offering and the sin offering.

Then the priests slaughtered those goats and splashed their blood on the altar in order that Yahweh would forgive the sins that all the Israeli people had committed. The priests did that because the king had commanded that offerings that would be completely burned [on the altar] and other sacrifices should be made for all the people of Israel.

25 And he stationed the Levites [the] house of Yahweh with cymbals with lyres and with harps by [the] command of David and Gad [the] seer of the king and Nathan the prophet for [was] by [the] hand of Yahweh the commandment by [the] hand of prophets his.

The king then told the descendants of Levi to stand in the temple with their cymbals and harps and lyres, obeying what David and his prophets Gad and Nathan had commanded. Those were things that Yahweh had told his prophets that the descendants of Levi should do.

26 And they stood the Levites with [the] instruments of David and the priests with trumpets.

So the descendants of Levi [went and] stood in the temple, ready to play the musical instruments that King David had given to them. And the priests were ready to blow their trumpets.

27 And he said Hezekiah to offer up the burnt offering to the altar and at [the] time [when] it began the burnt offering it began [the] song of Yahweh and the trumpets and on [the] hands of [the] instruments of David [the] king of Israel.

Then Hezekiah told some of the priests to burn the animals that would be sacrificed on the altar. When they started to burn the animals, the people started to sing to [praise] Yahweh, while the other descendants of Levi were playing their instruments.

28 And all the assembly [were] bowing down and the song [was] singing and the trumpets ([were] blowing a trumpet *Q(k)*) everything until was complete the burnt offering.

All the people who were there bowed to worship Yahweh, while the singers sang and the trumpeters blew their trumpets. They continued to do this until they had finished slaughtering all the animals that would be completely burned.

29 And just as finished to offer up they bowed down the king and all those [who] were found with him and they bowed down.

When they finished making those offerings, the king and all those who were there knelt down and worshiped Yahweh.

30 And he said Hezekiah the king and the officials to the Levites to praise Yahweh with [the] words of David and Asaph the seer and they praised to to joy and they bowed low and they bowed down.

Then King Hezekiah and his officials commanded the descendants of Levi to praise Yahweh, singing the songs [composed/written] by David and Asaph the prophet. So they sang songs joyfully and bowed their heads to worship.

31 And he answered Hezekiah and he said now you have filled hand your to Yahweh draw near and bring sacrifices and thank-offerings to [the] house of Yahweh and they brought the assembly sacrifices and thank-offerings and every [person] willing of heart burnt offerings.

Then Hezekiah said, “You have now dedicated yourselves to Yahweh. So come close to the temple and bring animals to be sacrificed and other offerings to thank [Yahweh for what he has done for you].” And those who wanted to bring animals to be completely burned [on the altar] brought them.

32 And it was [the] number of the burnt offering[s] which they brought the assembly cattle seventy rams one hundred lambs two hundred [were] for a burnt offering to Yahweh all these.

Altogether they brought 70 bulls, 100 rams, and 200 male lambs to be completely burned on the altar.

33 And the holy offerings [were] cattle six hundred and sheep three thousand.

The other animals that they brought were 600 bulls and 3,000 sheep and goats that were set apart to be sacrifices.

34 Only the priests they were to fewness and not they were able to skin all the burnt offerings and they helped them relatives their the Levites until was complete the work and until they had consecrated themselves the priests for the Levites [were] upright of heart to consecrate themselves more than the priests.

But there were not enough priests to remove the skins from the animals that would be completely burned [on the altar]. So their fellow descendants of Levi helped them until that work was finished, and until other priests had purified/consecrated themselves to do that work. It was necessary for them to do that because many of the priests had not yet performed the rituals to consecrate themselves for that work, like the descendants of Levi had done.

35 And also burnt offering[s] to abundance with [the] fat of the peace offerings and with the drink offerings of the burnt offering and it was arranged [the] service of [the] house of Yahweh.

In addition to the all the offerings that were completely burned [on the altar], the priests also burned the fat of the other animals that were sacrificed to maintain good fellowship with Yahweh, and the usual wine offerings. So the worship at the temple began again.

36 And he rejoiced Hezekiah and all the people on what he had prepared God for the people for in suddenness it had happened the thing.

And Hezekiah and all the other people of Judah celebrated, because God had enabled them to do all those things very quickly.