2 Chronicles 29

1 Therfor Ezechie bigan to regne, whanne he was of fyue and twenti yeer, and he regnede in Jerusalem nyne and twenti yeer; the name of his modir was Abia, the douytir of Zacharie.

And so Hezekiah began to reign when he was twenty-five years old. And he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah.

2 And he dide that, that was pleasaunt in the siyt of the Lord, bi alle thingis whiche Dauid, his fadir, hadde do.

And he did what was pleasing in the sight of the Lord, in accord with all that his father David had done.

3 In that yeer and the firste monethe of his rewme he openyde the yatis of the hows of the Lord, and restoride tho;

In the first year and month of his reign, he opened the double doors of the house of the Lord, and he repaired them.

4 and he brouyte the preestis and dekenes, and gaderide hem in to the eest strete,

And he brought together the priests and Levites. And he gathered them in the wide eastern street.

5 and seide to hem, Sones of Leuy, here ye me, and be ye halewid; clense ye the hows of the Lord God of youre fadris; do ye awei al vnclennesse fro the seyntuarie.

And he said to them: “Listen to me, O Levites, and be sanctified. Cleanse the house of the Lord, the God of your fathers, and take away every uncleanness from the sanctuary.

6 Oure fadris synneden, and diden yuel in the siyt of `oure Lord God, and forsoken hym; thei turneden awei her faces fro the tabernacle of `oure Lord God, and yauen the bak.

Our fathers sinned and did evil in the sight of the Lord our God, abandoning him. They turned their faces away from the tabernacle of the Lord, and they presented their backs.

7 Thei closiden the doris that weren in the porche, and quenchiden the lanternes; and thei brenten not encense, and thei offriden not brent sacrifices in the seyntuarie of God of Israel.

They closed up the doors which were in the portico, and they extinguished the lamps. And they did not burn incense, and they did not offer holocausts, in the sanctuary of the God of Israel.

8 Therfor the stronge veniaunce of the Lord was reisid on Juda and Jerusalem; and he yaf hem in to stiryng, and in to perischyng, and in to `hisshing, ether scornyng, as ye seen with youre iyen.

And so the fury of the Lord was stirred up against Judah and Jerusalem, and he handed them over to turmoil, and to destruction, and to hissing, just as you discern with your own eyes.

9 Lo! oure fadris felden doun bi swerdis; oure sones, and oure douytris, and wyues ben led prisouneris for this greet trespas.

Lo, our fathers have fallen by the sword. Our sons, and our daughters and wives have been led away as captives because of this wickedness.

10 Now therfor it plesith me, that we make a boond of pees with the Lord God of Israel, and that he turne fro vs the stronge veniaunce of his ire.

Now therefore, it is pleasing to me that we should enter into a covenant with the Lord, the God of Israel. And he will turn away the fury of his indignation from us.

11 My sones, nyle ye be reccheles; the Lord hath chose you, that ye stonde bifor hym, and serue hym, that ye herie hym, and brenne encense to hym.

My sons, do not choose to be negligent. The Lord has chosen you so that you would stand before him, and minister to him, and worship him, and burn incense to him.”

12 Therfor the dekenes risiden, Mahat, the sone of Amasie, and Johel, the sone of Azarie, of the sones of Caath; sotheli of the sones of Merarye, Cys, the sone of Abdai, and Azarie, the sone of Jelaleel; forsothe of the sones of Jerson, Joha, the sone of Zemma, and Hedem, the sone of Johaa;

Therefore, the Levites rose up, Mahath, the son of Amasai, and Joel, the son of Azariah, from the sons of Kohath; then, from the sons of Merari, Kish, the son of Abdi, and Azariah, the son of Jehallelel; and from the sons of Gershon, Joah, the son of Zimmah, and Eden, the son of Joah;

13 and sotheli of the sones of Elisaphan, Samri, and Jahiel; and of the sones of Asaph, Zacharie, and Mathanye;

and truly, from the sons of Elizaphan, Shimri and Jeuel; also, from the sons of Asaph, Zechariah and Mattaniah;

14 also of the sones of Heman, Jahiel, and Semei; but also of the sones of Iditum, Semei, and Oziel.

indeed also, from the sons of Heman, Jehuel and Shimei; then too, from the sons of Jeduthun, Shemaiah and Uzziel.

15 And thei gaderiden to gidere her britheren, and weren halewid; and thei entriden bi comaundement of the kyng, and bi comaundement of the Lord, for to clense the hows of the Lord.

And they gathered together their brothers. And they were sanctified. And they entered in accord with the command of the king and the order of the Lord, so that they might expiate the house of God.

16 Also preestis entriden in to the temple of the Lord, for to halewe it, and thei baren out al vnclennesse, which thei founden ther ynne in the porche, `ethir large place, of the hows of the Lord; which vnclennesse the dekenes token, and baren out to the stronde of Cedron with outforth.

And the priests, entering the temple of the Lord so that they might sanctify it, took every uncleanness, which they had found inside, out to the vestibule of the house of the Lord; and the Levites took it away and transported it outside, to the torrent Kidron.

17 Sotheli thei bigunnen to clense in the firste dai of the firste monethe, and in the eiyte dai of the same monethe thei entriden in to the porche of the hows of the Lord, and thei clensiden the temple eiyte daies; and in the sixtenthe dai of the same monethe thei filliden that, that thei hadden bigunne.

Now they began to cleanse on the first day of the first month. And on the eighth day of the same month, they entered the portico of the temple of the Lord. And then they expiated the temple over eight days. And on the sixteenth day of the same month, they finished what they had begun.

18 And thei entriden to Ezechie, the king, and seiden to hym, We han halewid al the hows of the Lord, and the auter of brent sacrifice therof, and the vessels therof, also and the boord of settyngforth with alle hise vessels,

Also, they entered to king Hezekiah, and they said to him: “We have sanctified the entire house of the Lord, and the altar of holocaust, and its vessels, indeed also the table of the presence, with all its vessels,

19 and al the purtenaunce of the temple, `which purtenaunce king Achaz hadde defoulid in his rewme, aftir that he brak the lawe; and lo! alle thingis ben set forth bifor the auter of the Lord.

and all the equipment of the temple, which king Ahaz, during his reign, had polluted after his transgression. And behold, these have all been set forth before the altar of the Lord.”

20 And Ezechie, the kyng, roos in the morwetid, and gaderide togidere alle the princes of the citee, and stiede in to the hows of the Lord;

And rising up at first light, king Hezekiah joined as one all the leaders of the city, and they ascended to the house of the Lord.

21 and thei offriden togidere seuene bolis, and seuene rammes, seuene lambren, and seuene buckis of geet, for synne, for the rewme, for the seyntuarye, and for Juda. And he seide to preestis, the sones of Aaron, that thei schulden offre on the auter of the Lord.

And together they offered seven bulls and seven rams, seven lambs and seven he-goats, for sin, for the kingdom, for the Sanctuary, for Judah. And he spoke to the priests, the sons of Aaron, so that they would offer these upon the altar of the Lord.

22 Therfor thei killiden bolis, and `the preestis tooken the blood, and schedden it on the auter; also thei killiden rammes, and `the preestis schedden the blood of tho on the auter; thei offriden lambren, and `the preestis schedden the blood on the auter.

And so they slaughtered the bulls. And the priests took up the blood, and they poured it upon the altar. Then they also slaughtered the rams, and they poured their blood upon the altar. And they immolated the lambs, and they poured the blood upon the altar.

23 And thei brouyten buckis of geet `for synne bifor the kyng and al the multitude, and thei settiden her hondis on tho;

They brought the he-goats for sin before the king and the entire multitude. And they laid their hands upon them.

24 and the preestis offriden tho, and spreynten the blood of tho bifor the auter, for the clensyng of al Israel. For the king comaundide, that brent sacrifice shulde be made for al Israel, and for synne.

And the priests immolated them, and they sprinkled their blood before the altar, for the expiation of all Israel. For certainly the king had instructed that the holocaust and the sin offering should be made on behalf of all Israel.

25 Also he ordeynede dekenes in the hows of the Lord, with cymbalis, and sawtrees, and harpis, bi the ordenaunce of `Dauid the kyng, and of Gad, the profete, and of Nathan, the profete; for it was the comaundement of the Lord bi the hond of hise prophetis.

Also, he situated the Levites in the house of the Lord, with cymbals, and psalteries, and harps, according to the disposition of king David, and of the seer Gad, and of the prophet Nathan. For indeed, this was the precept of the Lord, by the hand of his prophets.

26 And the dekenes stoden, and helden the orguns of Dauid; and preestis helden trumpis.

And the Levites stood, holding the musical instruments of David, and the priests held the trumpets.

27 And Ezechie comaundide, that thei schulden offre brent sacrifices on the auter; and whanne brent sacrifices weren offrid, thei bigunnen to synge preisyngis to the Lord, and to sowne with trumpis, and in dyuerse orguns, whiche Dauid, the kyng of Israel, hadde maad redi for to sowne.

And Hezekiah ordered that they should offer holocausts upon the altar. And when the holocausts were being offered, they began to sing praises to the Lord, and to sound the trumpets, and to play various musical instruments, which David, the king of Israel, had prepared.

28 Forsothe whanne al the cumpenye worschipide, syngeris and thei that helden trumpis weren in her office, til the brent sacrifice was fillid.

Then the entire crowd was adoring, and the singers and those who were holding the trumpeters were exercising their office, until the holocaust was completed.

29 And whanne the offryng was endid, the kyng was bowid, and alle that weren with hym, and thei worschipiden God.

And when the oblation was finished, the king, and all who were with him, bowed down and adored.

30 And Ezechie and the princes comaundiden to the dekenes, that thei schulden preise the Lord with the wordis of Dauith, and of Asaph, the profete; whiche preisiden hym with greet gladnesse, and kneliden, and worschipiden.

And Hezekiah and the rulers instructed the Levites to praise the Lord with the words of David, and of Asaph, the seer. And they praised him with great joy, and kneeling down, they adored.

31 Sothely Ezechie addide also these thingis, Ye han fillid youre hondis to the Lord; neiye ye, and offre sacrifices and preisyngis in the hows of the Lord.

And now Hezekiah also added: “You have filled your hands for the Lord. Draw near, and offer victims and praises in the house of the Lord.” Therefore, the entire multitude offered victims and praises and holocausts, with devout intention.

32 Therfor al the multitude offride with deuoute soule sacrifices, and preisyngis, and brent sacrifices. Sotheli this was the noumbre of brent sacrifices, whiche the multitude offride; seuenti bolis, and an hundrid rammes, two hundrid lambren.

Now the number of the holocausts that the multitude offered was seventy bulls, one hundred rams, two hundred lambs.

33 Also thei halewiden to the Lord sixe hundrid oxis, and thre thousynde sheep.

And they sanctified to the Lord six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep.

34 Forsothe the preestis weren fewe, and myyten not suffice for to `drawe awei the skynnes of brent sacrifices; wherfor and the dekenes her britheren helpiden hem, til the werk was fillid, and the preestis weren halewid; for the dekenes ben halewid bi liytere custom than the preestis.

Truly, the priests were few; neither were they sufficient to remove the pelts from the holocausts. Therefore, the Levites, their brothers, also assisted them, until the work was completed, and the priests, who were of higher rank, were sanctified. For indeed, the Levites are sanctified with an easier ritual than the priests.

35 Therfor there weren ful many brent sacrifices, ynnere fatnessis of pesible sacrifices, and the moyste sacrifices of brent sacrifices, and the worschip, `ethir ournyng, of the `Lordis hows was fillid.

Thus, there were very numerous holocausts, with the fat of the peace offerings and the libations of the holocausts. And the service of the house of the Lord was completed.

36 And Ezechie was glad, and al the puple, for the seruyce of the Lord was fillid; for it pleside, that this was doon sodeynly.

And Hezekiah and all the people were joyful because the ministry of the Lord was accomplished. For certainly, it had pleased them to do this suddenly.