Παραλειπομένων Βʹ 29
1 καὶ Εζεκιας ἐβασίλευσεν ὢν εἴκοσι καὶ πέντε ἐτῶν καὶ εἴκοσι καὶ ἐννέα ἔτη ἐβασίλευσεν ἐν Ιερουσαλημ καὶ ὄνομα τῇ μητρὶ αὐτοῦ Αββα θυγάτηρ Ζαχαρια
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 καὶ ἐποίησεν τὸ εὐθὲς ἐνώπιον κυρίου κατὰ πάντα ὅσα ἐποίησεν Δαυιδ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ
Hezekiah did things that Yahweh considered to be right, like his ancestor King David had done.
3 καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς ἔστη ἐπὶ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ πρώτῳ μηνὶ ἀνέῳξεν τὰς θύρας οἴκου κυρίου καὶ ἐπεσκεύασεν αὐτάς
During March of the first year that Hezekiah was ruling Judah, he unlocked the doors of the temple, and his workers repaired them.
4 καὶ εἰσήγαγεν τοὺς ἱερεῖς καὶ τοὺς Λευίτας καὶ κατέστησεν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ κλίτος τὸ πρὸς ἀνατολὰς
Then he gathered the priests and other descendants of Levi in the area on the east side of the temple,
5 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ἀκούσατε οἱ Λευῖται νῦν ἁγνίσθητε καὶ ἁγνίσατε τὸν οἶκον κυρίου θεοῦ τῶν πατέρων ὑμῶν καὶ ἐκβάλετε τὴν ἀκαθαρσίαν ἐκ τῶν ἁγίων
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 ὅτι ἀπέστησαν οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν καὶ ἐποίησαν τὸ πονηρὸν ἐναντίον κυρίου καὶ ἐγκατέλιπαν αὐτὸν καὶ ἀπέστρεψαν τὸ πρόσωπον ἀπὸ τῆς σκηνῆς κυρίου καὶ ἔδωκαν αὐχένα
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 καὶ ἀπέκλεισαν τὰς θύρας τοῦ ναοῦ καὶ ἔσβεσαν τοὺς λύχνους καὶ θυμίαμα οὐκ ἐθυμίασαν καὶ ὁλοκαυτώματα οὐ προσήνεγκαν ἐν τῷ ἁγίῳ θεῷ Ισραηλ
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 καὶ ὠργίσθη ὀργῇ κύριος ἐπὶ τὸν Ιουδαν καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν Ιερουσαλημ καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτοὺς εἰς ἔκστασιν καὶ εἰς ἀφανισμὸν καὶ εἰς συρισμόν ὡς ὑμεῖς ὁρᾶτε τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ὑμῶν
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 καὶ ἰδοὺ πεπλήγασιν οἱ πατέρες ὑμῶν μαχαίρᾳ καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ ὑμῶν καὶ αἱ θυγατέρες ὑμῶν καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες ὑμῶν ἐν αἰχμαλωσίᾳ ἐν γῇ οὐκ αὐτῶν ὃ καὶ νῦν ἐστιν
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 ἐπὶ τούτοις νῦν ἐστιν ἐπὶ καρδίας διαθέσθαι διαθήκην κυρίου θεοῦ Ισραηλ καὶ ἀποστρέψει τὴν ὀργὴν θυμοῦ αὐτοῦ ἀφ’ ἡμῶν
But now I intend to make an agreement with Yahweh, our God, in order that he will no longer be angry with us.
11 καὶ νῦν μὴ διαλίπητε ὅτι ἐν ὑμῖν ᾑρέτικεν κύριος στῆναι ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ λειτουργεῖν καὶ εἶναι αὐτῷ λειτουργοῦντας καὶ θυμιῶντας
[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 καὶ ἀνέστησαν οἱ Λευῖται Μααθ ὁ τοῦ Αμασι καὶ Ιωηλ ὁ τοῦ Αζαριου ἐκ τῶν υἱῶν Κααθ καὶ ἐκ τῶν υἱῶν Μεραρι Κις ὁ τοῦ Αβδι καὶ Αζαριας ὁ τοῦ Ιαλλεληλ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν Γεδσωνι Ιωα ὁ τοῦ Ζεμμαθ καὶ Ιωδαν ὁ τοῦ Ιωαχα
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 καὶ τῶν υἱῶν Ελισαφαν Σαμβρι καὶ Ιιηλ καὶ τῶν υἱῶν Ασαφ Ζαχαριας καὶ Μαθθανιας
From the descendants of Elizaphan there were Shimri and Jeiel. From the descendants of Asaph there were Zechariah and Mattaniah.
14 καὶ τῶν υἱῶν Αιμαν Ιιηλ καὶ Σεμεϊ καὶ τῶν υἱῶν Ιδιθων Σαμαιας καὶ Οζιηλ
From the descendants of Heman there were Jehiel and Shimei. From the descendants of Jeduthun there were Shemaiah and Uzziel.
15 καὶ συνήγαγον τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτῶν καὶ ἡγνίσθησαν κατὰ τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ βασιλέως διὰ προστάγματος κυρίου καθαρίσαι τὸν οἶκον κυρίου
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 καὶ εἰσῆλθον οἱ ἱερεῖς ἔσω εἰς τὸν οἶκον κυρίου ἁγνίσαι καὶ ἐξέβαλον πᾶσαν τὴν ἀκαθαρσίαν τὴν εὑρεθεῖσαν ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ κυρίου καὶ εἰς τὴν αὐλὴν οἴκου κυρίου καὶ ἐδέξαντο οἱ Λευῖται ἐκβαλεῖν εἰς τὸν χειμάρρουν Κεδρων ἔξω
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 καὶ ἤρξαντο τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ πρώτῃ νουμηνίᾳ τοῦ μηνὸς τοῦ πρώτου ἁγνίσαι καὶ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ὀγδόῃ τοῦ μηνὸς εἰσῆλθαν εἰς τὸν ναὸν κυρίου καὶ ἥγνισαν τὸν οἶκον κυρίου ἐν ἡμέραις ὀκτὼ καὶ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἑκκαιδεκάτῃ τοῦ μηνὸς τοῦ πρώτου συνετέλεσαν
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 καὶ εἰσῆλθαν ἔσω πρὸς Εζεκιαν τὸν βασιλέα καὶ εἶπαν ἡγνίσαμεν πάντα τὰ ἐν οἴκῳ κυρίου τὸ θυσιαστήριον τῆς ὁλοκαυτώσεως καὶ τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν τράπεζαν τῆς προθέσεως καὶ τὰ σκεύη αὐτῆς
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 καὶ πάντα τὰ σκεύη ἃ ἐμίανεν Αχαζ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ ἀποστασίᾳ αὐτοῦ ἡτοιμάκαμεν καὶ ἡγνίκαμεν ἰδού ἐστιν ἐναντίον τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου κυρίου
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 καὶ ὤρθρισεν Εζεκιας ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ συνήγαγεν τοὺς ἄρχοντας τῆς πόλεως καὶ ἀνέβη εἰς οἶκον κυρίου
Early the next morning, King Hezekiah gathered together the city officials, and they went to the [courtyard of the] temple.
21 καὶ ἀνήνεγκεν μόσχους ἑπτά κριοὺς ἑπτά ἀμνοὺς ἑπτά χιμάρους αἰγῶν ἑπτὰ περὶ ἁμαρτίας περὶ τῆς βασιλείας καὶ περὶ τῶν ἁγίων καὶ περὶ Ισραηλ καὶ εἶπεν τοῖς υἱοῖς Ααρων τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν ἀναβαίνειν ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον κυρίου
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 καὶ ἔθυσαν τοὺς μόσχους καὶ ἐδέξαντο οἱ ἱερεῖς τὸ αἷμα καὶ προσέχεον ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον καὶ ἔθυσαν τοὺς κριούς καὶ προσέχεον τὸ αἷμα ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον καὶ ἔθυσαν τοὺς ἀμνούς καὶ περιέχεον τὸ αἷμα τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ
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 καὶ προσήγαγον τοὺς χιμάρους τοὺς περὶ ἁμαρτίας ἐναντίον τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας καὶ ἐπέθηκαν τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῶν ἐπ’ αὐτούς
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 καὶ ἔθυσαν αὐτοὺς οἱ ἱερεῖς καὶ ἐξιλάσαντο τὸ αἷμα αὐτῶν πρὸς τὸ θυσιαστήριον καὶ ἐξιλάσαντο περὶ παντὸς Ισραηλ ὅτι περὶ παντὸς Ισραηλ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς ἡ ὁλοκαύτωσις καὶ τὰ περὶ ἁμαρτίας
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 καὶ ἔστησεν τοὺς Λευίτας ἐν οἴκῳ κυρίου ἐν κυμβάλοις καὶ ἐν νάβλαις καὶ ἐν κινύραις κατὰ τὴν ἐντολὴν Δαυιδ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ Γαδ τοῦ ὁρῶντος τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ Ναθαν τοῦ προφήτου ὅτι δῑ ἐντολῆς κυρίου τὸ πρόσταγμα ἐν χειρὶ τῶν προφητῶν
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 καὶ ἔστησαν οἱ Λευῖται ἐν ὀργάνοις Δαυιδ καὶ οἱ ἱερεῖς ταῖς σάλπιγξιν
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 καὶ εἶπεν Εζεκιας ἀνενέγκαι τὴν ὁλοκαύτωσιν ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον καὶ ἐν τῷ ἄρξασθαι ἀναφέρειν τὴν ὁλοκαύτωσιν ἤρξαντο ᾄδειν κυρίῳ καὶ αἱ σάλπιγγες πρὸς τὰ ὄργανα Δαυιδ βασιλέως Ισραηλ
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 καὶ πᾶσα ἡ ἐκκλησία προσεκύνει καὶ οἱ ψαλτῳδοὶ ᾄδοντες καὶ αἱ σάλπιγγες σαλπίζουσαι ἕως οὗ συνετελέσθη ἡ ὁλοκαύτωσις
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 καὶ ὡς συνετέλεσαν ἀναφέροντες ἔκαμψεν ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ πάντες οἱ εὑρεθέντες καὶ προσεκύνησαν
When they finished making those offerings, the king and all those who were there knelt down and worshiped Yahweh.
30 καὶ εἶπεν Εζεκιας ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες τοῖς Λευίταις ὑμνεῖν τὸν κύριον ἐν λόγοις Δαυιδ καὶ Ασαφ τοῦ προφήτου καὶ ὕμνουν ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ καὶ ἔπεσον καὶ προσεκύνησαν
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 καὶ ἀπεκρίθη Εζεκιας καὶ εἶπεν νῦν ἐπληρώσατε τὰς χεῖρας ὑμῶν κυρίῳ προσαγάγετε καὶ φέρετε θυσίας καὶ αἰνέσεως εἰς οἶκον κυρίου καὶ ἀνήνεγκεν ἡ ἐκκλησία θυσίας καὶ αἰνέσεως εἰς οἶκον κυρίου καὶ πᾶς πρόθυμος τῇ καρδίᾳ ὁλοκαυτώσεις
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 καὶ ἐγένετο ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῆς ὁλοκαυτώσεως ἧς ἀνήνεγκεν ἡ ἐκκλησία μόσχοι ἑβδομήκοντα κριοὶ ἑκατόν ἀμνοὶ διακόσιοι εἰς ὁλοκαύτωσιν κυρίῳ πάντα ταῦτα
Altogether they brought 70 bulls, 100 rams, and 200 male lambs to be completely burned on the altar.
33 καὶ οἱ ἡγιασμένοι μόσχοι ἑξακόσιοι πρόβατα τρισχίλια
The other animals that they brought were 600 bulls and 3,000 sheep and goats that were set apart to be sacrifices.
34 ἀλλ’ ἢ οἱ ἱερεῖς ὀλίγοι ἦσαν καὶ οὐκ ἐδύναντο δεῖραι τὴν ὁλοκαύτωσιν καὶ ἀντελάβοντο αὐτῶν οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτῶν οἱ Λευῖται ἕως οὗ συνετελέσθη τὸ ἔργον καὶ ἕως οὗ ἡγνίσθησαν οἱ ἱερεῖς ὅτι οἱ Λευῖται προθύμως ἡγνίσθησαν παρὰ τοὺς ἱερεῖς
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 καὶ ἡ ὁλοκαύτωσις πολλὴ ἐν τοῖς στέασιν τῆς τελειώσεως τοῦ σωτηρίου καὶ τῶν σπονδῶν τῆς ὁλοκαυτώσεως καὶ κατωρθώθη τὸ ἔργον ἐν οἴκῳ κυρίου
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 καὶ ηὐφράνθη Εζεκιας καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς διὰ τὸ ἡτοιμακέναι τὸν θεὸν τῷ λαῷ ὅτι ἐξάπινα ἐγένετο ὁ λόγος
And Hezekiah and all the other people of Judah celebrated, because God had enabled them to do all those things very quickly.
