2 Chronicles 30
1 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.
And Hezekiah sent to all Israel, and Iudah, and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Lord at Ierusalem, to keepe the Passeouer vnto the Lord God of Israel.
And the King and his princes and all the Congregation had taken counsel in Ierusalem to keepe the Passeouer in the second moneth.
For they could not keepe it at this time, because there were not Priests enow sanctified, neither was the people gathered to Ierusalem.
4 The king and all the other people who had gathered thought that was a good plan.
And the thing pleased the King, and all the Congregation.
5 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].
And they decreed to make proclamation throughout all Israel from Beersheba euen to Dan, that they should come to keepe the Passeouer vnto the Lord God of Israel at Ierusalem: for they had not done it of a great time, as it was written.
6 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].
So the postes went with letters by the commission of the King, and his princes, thorowout all Israel and Iudah, and with the commandement of the King, saying, Ye children of Israel, turne againe vnto the Lord God of Abraham, Izhak, and Israel, and he will returne to the remnant that are escaped of you, out of ye hands of the Kings of Asshur.
7 Do not act like they did, because what they did caused other people to become disgusted with them.
And be not ye like your fathers, and like your brethren, which trespassed against the Lord God of their fathers: and therfore he made them desolate, as ye see.
8 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.
Be not ye now stiffenecked like your fathers, but giue the hand to the Lord, and come into his sanctuarie, which he hath sanctified for euer, and serue the Lord your God, and the fiercenesse of his wrath shall turne away from you.
9 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.”
For if ye returne vnto the Lord, your brethren and your children shall finde mercy before them that led them captiues, and they shall returne vnto this lande: for the Lord your God is gracious and mercifull, and will not turne away his face from you, if ye conuert vnto him.
10 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.
So the postes went from citie to citie thorow the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, euen vnto Zebulun: but they laughed them to scorne, and mocked them.
11 But some of the people of [the tribes of] Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem.
Neuerthelesse diuers of Asher, and Manasseh, and of Zebulun submitted themselues, and came to Ierusalem.
12 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.
And the hand of God was in Iudah, so that he gaue them one heart to doe the commandement of the King, and of the rulers, according to the worde of the Lord.
13 So a huge crowd of people gathered in Jerusalem in May, to celebrate the Festival of Eating Unleavened Bread.
And there assembled to Ierusalem much people, to keepe the feast of ye vnleauened bread in the second moneth, a very great assemblie.
14 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.
And they arose, and tooke away the altars that were in Ierusalem: and all those for incense tooke they away, and cast them into the brooke Kidron.
15 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].
Afterwarde they slewe the Passeouer the fourteenth day of the seconde moneth: and the Priestes and Leuites were ashamed, and sanctified themselues, and brought the burnt offrings into the house of the Lord.
16 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.
And they stoode in their place after their maner, according to the Lawe of Moses the man of God: and the Priestes sprinkled the blood, receiued of the handes of the Leuites.
17 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.
Because there were many in the Congregation that were not sanctified, therefore the Leuites had the charge of the killing of ye Passeouer for all that were not cleane, to sanctifie it to the Lord.
18 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
For a multitude of the people, euen a multitude of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not cleansed themselues, yet did eate the Passeouer, but not as it was written: wherefore Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good Lord be mercifull toward him,
19 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.”
That prepareth his whole heart to seeke the Lord God, the God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed, according to the purification of the Sanctuarie.
20 And Yahweh heard what Hezekiah prayed; he forgave the people, [and did not punish them].
And the Lord heard Hezekiah, and healed the people.
21 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.
And the children of Israel that were present at Ierusalem, kept the feast of the vnleauened bread seuen dayes with great ioye, and the Leuites, and the Priestes praysed the Lord, day by day, singing with loude instruments vnto the Lord.
22 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].
And Hezekiah spake comfortably vnto all the Leuites that had good knowledge to sing vnto the Lord: and they did eate in that feast seuen dayes, and offred peace offrings, and praysed the Lord God of their fathers.
23 Then the whole group decided to celebrate for seven more days, so they did: They celebrated joyfully for seven more days.
And the whole assembly tooke counsel to keepe it other seuen dayes. So they kept it seuen dayes with ioy.
24 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.
For Hezekiah King of Iudah had giuen to the Congregation a thousande bullockes, and seuen thousand sheepe. And the princes had giuen to the Congregation a thousand bullocks, and ten thousand sheepe: and many Priests were sanctified.
25 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.
And all the Congregation of Iudah reioyced with the Priestes and the Leuites, and all the Congregation that came out of Israel, and the strangers that came out of the land of Israel, and that dwelt in Iudah.
26 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.
So there was great ioye in Ierusalem: for since the time of Salomon the sonne of Dauid King of Israel there was not the like thing in Ierusalem.
27 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.
Then the Priests and the Leuites arose, and blessed the people, and their voyce was heard, and their prayer came vp vnto heauen, to his holy habitation.
