< 2 Chronicles 30 >
1 And Ezechie sente to al Israel and to Juda, and he wroot pistlis to Effraym and to Manasses, that thei schulden come in to the hous of the Lord in Jerusalem, and make paske to the Lord God of Israel.
Then sent Hezekiah to all Israel and Judah, and he also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, to prepare the passover-sacrifice unto the Lord the God of Israel.
2 Therfor whanne counseil was takun of the kyng, and of princes, and of al the cumpeny of Jerusalem, thei demyden to make paske in the secounde moneth.
And the king held a consultation, as also his princes, and all the assembly in Jerusalem, to prepare the passover-sacrifice in the second month.
3 For thei demyden not to do in his tyme; for the preestis that myyten suffice weren not halewid, and the puple was not yit gaderid in to Jerusalem.
For they were not able to prepare it at that time; because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently, nor had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.
4 And the word pleside the king, and al the multitude.
And the thing seemed right in the eyes of the king and in the eyes of all the assembly.
5 And thei demyden to sende messangeris in to al Israel, fro Bersabee `til to Dan, that thei schulden come, and make pask to the Lord God of Israel in Jerusalem; for many men hadden not do, as it is bifor writun in the lawe.
So they established a decree to cause a proclamation to be made throughout all Israel, from Beer-sheba' even as far as Dan, that they should come to prepare the passover-sacrifice unto thy Lord the God of Israel at Jerusalem; because for a long time past they had not prepared it as it was written,
6 And corouris yeden forth with pistlis, bi comaundement of the kyng and of hise princis, in to al Israel and Juda, and prechiden bi that, that the kyng hadde comaundid, Sones of Israel, turne ye ayen to the Lord God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Israel; and he schal turne ayen to the residue men, that ascapiden the hondis of the kyng of Assiriens.
So the runners went with the letters from the hand of the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the command of the king, saying, O children of Israel, return unto the Lord the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, and he will return to the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the power of the kings of Assyria.
7 Nyle ye be maad as youre fadris and britheren, that yeden awei fro the Lord God of her fadris; and he yaue hem in to perischyng, as ye seen.
And be net like your fathers, and like your brethren, who acted faithlessly against the Lord the God of their fathers, wherefore he gave them up to become an [object of] astonishment, as ye see.
8 Nyle ye make hard youre nollis, as youre fadris diden; yyue ye hondis to the Lord, and come ye to his seyntuarie, which he halewide withouten ende; serue ye the Lord God of youre fadris, and the ire of his strong veniaunce schal `be turned awey fro you.
Now do ye not harden your necks, like your fathers: hold out your hand unto the Lord, and come unto his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever, and serve the Lord your God, and so will he turn away from you the fierceness of his wrath.
9 For if ye turnen ayen to the Lord, youre britheren and youre sones schulen haue mercy, bifor her lordis that ledden hem prisoneris; and thei schulen turne ayen in to this lond. For `oure Lord God is pitouse, `ethir benygne, and merciful; and he schal not turne awey his face fro you, if ye turne ayen to hym.
For If ye return unto the Lord, your brethren and your children will find mercy in the presence of their captors, so that they may return to this land; for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his countenance from you, if ye return unto him.
10 Therfor the corours yeden swiftli fro cytee in to citee thorou the lond of Effraym and of Manasses `til to Zabulon, while thei scorniden and bimowiden hem.
And as the runners were passing from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Menasseh and as far as Zebulun, they were laughing them to scorn, and mocking at them.
11 Netheles sum men of Aser, and of Manasses, and of Zabulon, assentiden to the counsel, and camen in to Jerusalem.
Nevertheless some men of Asher and Menasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem.
12 Forsothe the hond of the Lord was maad in Juda, that he yaf to hem oon herte, and that thei diden the word of the Lord, bi the comaundement of the kyng and of the princes.
Also over Judah came the hand of God to give unto them one heart to do the command of the king and of the princes, by the word of the Lord.
13 And many puplis weren gaderid in to Jerusalem, for to make the solempnyte of therf looues in the secounde monethe.
And there was gathered together at Jerusalem a numerous people to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great assembly.
14 And thei risiden, and destrieden the auteris, that weren in Jerusalem; and `thei destriynge alle thingis in whiche encense was brent to idols, castiden forth in to the stronde of Cedron.
And they arose and removed the altars which were in Jerusalem, and all the vessels for burning incense did they take away, and they threw them into the brook Kidron.
15 Forsothe thei offriden pask in the fourtenthe dai of the secounde monethe; also the preestis and the dekenes weren halewid at the laste, and offriden brent sacrifices in the hows of the Lord.
And they slaughtered the passover-sacrifice on the fourteenth day of the second month: and the priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought burnt-offerings unto the house of the Lord.
16 And thei stoden in her ordre, bi the ordynaunce and lawe of Moises, the man of God. Sothely the preestis token of the hondis of dekenes the blood to be sched out,
And they stood on their station after their prescribed manner, according to the law of Moses the man of God, the priest sprinkling the blood, [which they received] out of the hand of the Levites.
17 for myche cumpeny was not halewid; and therfor the dekenes offriden pask for hem, that myyten not be halewid to the Lord.
For there were many in the assembly that had not sanctified themselves: therefore the Levites had the charge of the slaughtering of the passover sacrifices for every one that was not clean, to sanctify [the same] unto the Lord.
18 Also a greet part of the puple of Effraym, and Manasses, and of Ysachar, and of Zabulon, that was not halewid, eet pask not bi that that is writun. And Ezechie preyde for hem, and seide, The good Lord schal do mercy to alle men,
For a large portion of the people, even many out of Ephraim, and Menasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, but ate the passover not as it is written. However Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The Lord who is good will grant pardon for this.
19 that seken in al the herte the Lord God of her fadris; and it schal not be arettid to hem, that thei ben not halewid.
To every one that hath directed his heart to seek God, the Lord the God of his fathers; though he be not [cleansed] according to the purification of the sanctuary.
20 And the Lord herde hym, and was plesid to the puple.
And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah, and he healed the people.
21 And the sones of Israel, that weren founden in Jerusalem, maden solempnyte of therf looues seuene daies in greet gladnesse, and herieden the Lord bi ech dai; and dekenes and preestis `preisiden the Lord bi orguns, that acordiden to her offices.
And the children of Israel that were present at Jerusalem celebrated the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great joy; and the Levites and the priests praised the Lord day by day, with loud instruments before the Lord.
22 And Ezechie spak to the herte of alle the dekenes, that hadden good vndurstondyng of the Lord; and thei eeten bi seuene daies of the solempnyte, offrynge sacrifices of pesible thingis, and heriynge the Lord God of her fadris.
And Hezekiah spoke comfortingly unto all the Levites that had good intelligence of the Lord: and they ate the festive-offerings during seven days, offering peace-offerings, and making confession to the Lord the God of their fathers.
23 And it pleside al the multitude to halewe also othere seuene daies; which thing also thei diden with greet ioye.
And the whole assembly took counsel to celebrate other seven days: and they celebrated [these] seven days with joy.
24 Forsothe Ezechie, kyng of Juda, yaf to the multitude a thousynde bolis, and seuene thousynde of scheep; sotheli the princes yauen to the puple a thousynde bolis, and ten thousynde scheep. Therfor ful greet multitude of preestis was halewid;
For Hezekiah king of Judah had provided for the assembly one thousand bullocks and seven thousand sheep; and the princes had provided for the assembly one thousand bullocks and ten thousand sheep: and the priests sanctified themselves in great numbers.
25 and al the cumpany of Juda was fillid with gladnesse, as wel of preestis and dekenes, as of al the multitude, that camen fro Israel, and `of conuersis of the lond of Israel, and of dwelleris in Juda.
And thus rejoiced all the assembly of Judah, and the priests and the Levites, and all the assembly that was come out of Israel, and the strangers that were come out of the land of Israel, and those that dwelt in Judah.
26 And greet solempnytee was maad in Jerusalem, which maner solempnyte was not in that citee fro the daies of Salomon, sone of Dauid, kyng of Israel.
And there was great joy in Jerusalem: for since the time of Solomon the son of David the king of Israel had the like not been in Jerusalem.
27 Sotheli preestis and dekenes rysyden, and blessiden the puple; and the vois of hem was herd, and the preier cam in to the hooli dwelling place of heuene.
Then arose the priests the Levites and blessed the people: and their voice was listened to, and their prayer came to His holy dwelling-place, even unto heaven.