2 Berɛsosɛm 30

1 Afei, ɔhene Hesekia de nkra kɔɔ Israel ne Yuda nyinaa, na ɔtwerɛɛ krataa too nsa de frɛɛ Efraim ne Manase. Ɔka kyerɛɛ obiara sɛ ɔmmra Awurade Asɔredan no mu wɔ Yerusalem, na wɔnni Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn, Twam Afahyɛ no.

Then Hezekiah sent an announcement to everyone in Israel and Judah, and also sent letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, inviting them to come to the Lord's Temple in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover of the Lord, the God of Israel.

2 Ɔhene no, ne mpanimfoɔ ne ɔmanfoɔ a wɔwɔ Yerusalem nyinaa yɛɛ adwene sɛ wɔbɛdi Twam Afahyɛ no wɔ bosome a ɛtɔ so mmienu no mu.

The king and his officials and the whole assembly in Jerusalem had decided to observe the Passover in the second month,

3 Na anka wɔdi Twam Afahyɛ no bosome ansa na bosome a ɛtɔ so mmienu ahyɛ aseɛ, nanso na asɔfoɔ no bebree ntumi nnwiraa wɔn ho, na ɔmanfoɔ no nso, na wɔmmoaa wɔn ho ano wɔ Yerusalem.

because they hadn't been able to observe it at the usual time since not enough priests had purified themselves and the people hadn't had time to get to Jerusalem.

4 Adwene a wɔyɛeɛ sɛ wɔbɛdi Twam Afahyɛ no, na ɛyɛ ma ɔhene no ne ɔmanfoɔ no nyinaa.

The plan seemed right to both the king and the whole assembly.

5 Enti, wɔbɔɔ no dawuro wɔ Israel nyinaa firi Beer-Seba a ɛwɔ anafoɔ fam kɔsi Dan a ɛwɔ atifi fam sɛ, obiara mmra Yerusalem mmɛdi Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn Twam Afahyɛ no bi. Na nnipa dodoɔ nni Twam Afahyɛ no sɛdeɛ mmara no kyerɛ.

So they decided to send an announcement to everyone in Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, inviting people to come and keep the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel, in Jerusalem, for many had not done as the Law required.

6 Ɔhene no hyɛ ma wɔsomaa abɔfoɔ kɔɔ Israel ne Yuda afanan nyinaa. Wɔmaa wɔn nkrataa a na emu nsɛm ka sɛ: “Ao Israel manfoɔ, monsane mmra Awurade, Abraham, Isak ne Israel Onyankopɔn nkyɛn, sɛdeɛ ɔbɛsane aba yɛn mu, nnipa kakra a yɛanya yɛn tiri adidi mu wɔ Asiria ahemfo nkonim a wɔdii yɛn so no.

So messengers went to all of Israel and Judah carrying letters from the king and his officials and with the king's authorization. They said, “Children of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that he may return to you who are left, who have escaped the oppression of the kings of Assyria.

7 Monnyɛ sɛ mo agyanom ne mo abusuafoɔ a wɔgyaa Awurade, wɔn agyanom Onyankopɔn, a wɔyɛɛ aseredeɛ sɛdeɛ mo ankasa mohunu yi.

Don't be like your fathers and those of you who sinned against the Lord, the God of your forefathers He made them into something horrifying, as you can see.

8 Monnyɛ asoɔden sɛdeɛ na wɔte no, na mmom, mommrɛ mo ho ase mma Awurade. Mommra nʼAsɔredan a wɔayi asi hɔ sɛ ade kronkron daa nyinaa. Monsom Awurade, mo Onyankopɔn, sɛdeɛ nʼabufuhyeɛ no bɛfiri mo so.

So don't be proud and obstinate like your fathers, but give yourselves to the Lord and come to his sanctuary, which he has made holy forever, and serve the Lord your God, that his fierce anger may no longer fall on you.

9 Na sɛ mosane ba Awurade nkyɛn a, mo abusuafoɔ ne mo mma bɛnya ahummɔborɔ wɔ wɔn a wɔfaa wɔn nnommum no nsam, na wɔbɛtumi asane aba asase yi so. Ɛfiri sɛ, Awurade, mo Onyankopɔn yɛ ɔdɔ ne ahummɔborɔ. Sɛ mosane ba ne nkyɛn a, ɔrenyi nʼani mfiri mo so.”

If you come back to the Lord, your relatives and children will receive mercy from their captors and will return to this land. For the Lord your God is gracious and merciful. He will not reject you if you come back to him.”

10 Abɔfoɔ no kyinii nkuro a ɛwɔ Efraim ne Manase kɔsi Sebulon so. Nanso, nnipa no mu bebree seree abɔfoɔ no, dii wɔn ho fɛw.

The messengers went from town to town all over the land of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun; but the people laughed at them and mocked them.

11 Nanso, wɔn a wɔfiri Aser, Manase ne Sebulon mu bi brɛɛ wɔn ho ase, kɔɔ Yerusalem.

Only some men from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun weren't too proud to go to Jerusalem.

12 Saa ɛberɛ korɔ no ara mu, na Onyankopɔn nsa wɔ nnipa a wɔwɔ Yuda so. Na ɛhyɛ wɔn sɛ wɔnyɛ baako, na wɔnyɛ ɔsetie mma Awurade asɛm a ɛfiri ɔhene ne ne mpanimfoɔ no nkyɛn.

At this time the power of God was helping the people in Judah to all have the same desire to follow the orders of the king and his officials, as indicated by the word of the Lord.

13 Enti, ɛdɔm kɛseɛ hyiaa wɔ Yerusalem bosome a ɛtɔ so mmienu no mu, sɛ wɔrebɛdi Twam Afahyɛ no ne Apiti Afahyɛ no.

Many people gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month—a really large crowd.

14 Wɔhyɛɛ aseɛ bubuu abosonsomfoɔ afɔrebukyia no nyinaa firii Yerusalem. Wɔyiyii nnuhwam afɔrebukyia nyinaa kɔto guu Kidron bɔnhwa mu.

They went and removed the pagan altars in Jerusalem as well as the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley.

15 Ɛda a wɔahyɛ wɔ bosome a ɛtɔ so mmienu no duruiɛ no, ɔmanfoɔ no kunkumm wɔn Twam Afahyɛ nnwammaa. Na asɔfoɔ no ne Lewifoɔ no ani wuiɛ enti, wɔdwiraa wɔn ho, na wɔde ɔhyeɛ afɔdeɛ baa Awurade Asɔredan mu.

On the fourteenth day of the second month they killed the Passover lamb. The priests and Levites were ashamed, and they purified themselves and brought burnt offerings to the Lord's Temple.

16 Obiara kɔgyinaa nʼafa wɔ Asɔredan no mu, sɛdeɛ Mose a ɔyɛ Onyankopɔn onipa no mmara no kyerɛ no. Lewifoɔ no de mogya afɔrebɔdeɛ no brɛɛ asɔfoɔ no, maa wɔn nso pete guu afɔrebukyia no so.

They stood at their assigned positions, according to the law of Moses, the man of God. The priests sprinkled the blood of the sacrifices, which the Levites gave to them.

17 Esiane sɛ na ɔmanfoɔ no mu bebree nnwiraa wɔn ho enti, Lewifoɔ no na wɔkunkumm wɔn Twam Afahyɛ nnwammaa no maa wɔn, nam so tee ho maa Awurade.

Since many people in the assembly had not purified themselves, the Levites had to kill the Passover lambs on behalf of every unclean person to dedicate the lambs to the Lord.

18 Na wɔn a wɔfiri Efraim, Manase, Isakar ne Sebulon no mu fa kɛseɛ no ara nnwiraa wɔn ho. Nanso, ɔhene Hesekia bɔɔ mpaeɛ maa wɔn, na wɔmaa wɔn ɛkwan maa wɔdii Twam Afahyɛ aduane no bi a na anka ɛtia Onyankopɔn mmara. Hesekia bɔɔ mpaeɛ sɛ, “Awurade a ɔyɛ mmɔborɔhunufoɔ no mfa nnipa a

Most of the people, many of those from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not purified themselves. Yet they ate the Passover meal even though this was not what the Law required, for Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, “May the good Lord forgive everyone

19 wɔasi wɔn adwene pi sɛ wɔbɛdi Awurade, wɔn agyanom Onyankopɔn akyi no bɔne nkyɛ wɔn, mpo, sɛ wɔnnwiraa wɔn ho yie mmaa afahyɛ no a.”

who sincerely wants to follow the Lord God, the God of their forefathers, even though they're not clean according to the sanctuary requirements.”

20 Na Awurade tiee Hesekia na ɔsaa ɔmanfoɔ no yadeɛ.

The Lord accepted Hezekiah's prayer and permitted them this violation.

21 Enti, ɔmanfoɔ a wɔwɔ Yerusalem no de nnanson dii Apiti Afahyɛ no anigyeɛ so. Ɛda biara, Lewifoɔ ne asɔfoɔ no too nnwom maa Awurade de nnwontodeɛ a ano yɛ den gyegyee ho.

The people of Israel who were there in Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great enthusiasm, and every day the Levites and priests praised the Lord, accompanied by loud instruments.

22 Hesekia hyɛɛ Lewifoɔ no nkuran wɔ ɛkwan pa a wɔfa so som Awurade no ho. Na afahyɛ no kɔɔ so nnanson. Wɔbɔɔ asomdwoeɛ afɔdeɛ, na ɔmanfoɔ kaa wɔn bɔne kyerɛɛ Awurade, wɔn agyanom Onyankopɔn.

Hezekiah spoke positively to all the Levites who showed a good understanding of the Lord. For seven days they ate the food that was assigned to them, presented friendship offerings, and gave thanks to the Lord, the God of their forefathers.

23 Badwa no nyinaa yɛɛ wɔn adwene sɛ, wɔbɛtoa so adi afahyɛ no nnanson bio enti wɔde anigyeɛ toaa so nnawɔtwe.

Everyone then agreed to continue to celebrate the festival for seven more days. So for another seven days they celebrated, full of joy.

24 Ɔhene Hesekia maa ɔmanfoɔ no anantwinini apem ne nnwan mpem nson sɛ wɔmfa mmɔ afɔdeɛ, na mpanimfoɔ no nso maa anantwinini apem ne nnwan ɔpedu. Ɛberɛ korɔ no ara mu, asɔfoɔ no bebree dwiraa wɔn ho.

Hezekiah, king of Judah, gave a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep as offerings on behalf of the assembly. The officials in turn gave a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep on as offerings on behalf of the assembly. A large number of priests purified themselves.

25 Yuda badwa nyinaa a asɔfoɔ, Lewifoɔ ne wɔn a wɔfiri Israel asase so nyinaa, ananafoɔ a wɔbɛdii afahyɛ no ne wɔn a na wɔte Yuda nyinaa ani gyeeɛ.

The whole assembly of Judah celebrated, together with the priests and Levites, and also with the whole assembly that had come from Israel, including the foreigners from Israel and those living in Judah.

26 Anigyeɛ kɛseɛ baa kuropɔn no mu, ɛfiri sɛ, na Yerusalem nhunuu afahyɛ a ɛte sei bi da, ɛfiri Salomo ɔhene Dawid babarima berɛ so.

There was such tremendous happiness in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel, nothing like this had happened in the city.

27 Na asɔfoɔ no ne Lewifoɔ sɔre hyiraa ɔmanfoɔ no, na Onyankopɔn tiee wɔn firi ne soro atenaeɛ kronkronbea hɔ.

The priests and the Levites stood up to bless the people, and God heard them—their prayer ascended to where he lived in heaven.