2 Chronicles 30
30
Hezekiah Observes the Passover
1 Hezekiah sent messages throughout Israel and Judah; he even wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, summoning them to come to the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem#map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4. and observe a Passover celebration for the Lord God of Israel. 2 The king, his officials, and the entire assembly in Jerusalem decided to observe the Passover in the second month. 3 They were unable to observe it at the regular#tn Heb “at that time.” time because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not assembled in Jerusalem. 4 The proposal seemed appropriate to#tn Heb “and the thing was proper in the eyes of.” the king and the entire assembly. 5 So they sent an edict#tn Heb “and they caused to stand a word to cause a voice to pass through.” throughout Israel from Beer Sheba to Dan, summoning the people#tn The words “summoning the people” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. to come and observe a Passover for the Lord God of Israel in Jerusalem, for they had not observed it on a nationwide scale as prescribed in the law.#tn Heb “because not for abundance had they done as written.” 6 Messengers#tn Heb “the runners.” delivered the letters from the king and his officials throughout Israel and Judah.
This royal edict read:#tn Heb “and according to the command of the king, saying.” “O Israelites, return to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so he may return#tn The jussive with vav conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative. to you who have been spared from the kings of Assyria.#tn Heb “to the survivors who are left to you from the palm of the kings of Assyria.” 7 Don’t be like your fathers and brothers who were unfaithful to the Lord God of their ancestors,#tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 19, 22). provoking him to destroy them,#tn Heb “and he made them a devastation” (or, perhaps, “an object of horror”). as you can see. 8 Now, don’t be stubborn#tn Heb “don’t stiffen your neck” (a Hebrew idiom for being stubborn). like your fathers! Submit#tn Heb “give a hand.” On the meaning of the idiom here, see HALOT 387 s.v. I יָד 2. to the Lord and come to his sanctuary which he has permanently consecrated. Serve the Lord your God so that he might relent from his raging anger.#tn Heb “so that the rage of his anger might turn from you.” The jussive with vav conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative. 9 For if you return to the Lord, your brothers and sons will be shown mercy by their captors and return to this land. The Lord your God is merciful and compassionate; he will not reject you#tn Heb “turn [his] face from you.” if you return to him.”
10 The messengers journeyed from city to city through the land of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun, but people mocked and ridiculed them.#tn Heb “and they were mocking them and ridiculing them.” 11 But some men from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. 12 In Judah God moved the people to unite and carry out the edict the king and the officers had issued at the Lord’s command.#tn Heb “also in Judah the hand of God was to give to them one heart to do the command of the king and the officials by the word of the Lord.” 13 A huge crowd assembled in Jerusalem to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month.#tn The Hebrew text adds here, “a very large assembly.” This has not been translated to avoid redundancy with the expression “a huge crowd” at the beginning of the verse. 14 They removed the altars in Jerusalem; they also removed all the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley.#tn Heb “and they arose and removed the altars which were in Jerusalem, and all the incense altars they removed and threw into the Kidron Valley.”
15 They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and Levites were ashamed, so they consecrated themselves and brought burnt sacrifices to the Lord’s temple. 16 They stood at their posts according to the regulations outlined in the law of Moses, the man of God. The priests were splashing the blood as the Levites handed it to them.#tn Heb “from the hand of the Levites.” 17 Because many in the assembly had not consecrated themselves, the Levites slaughtered#tn Heb “were over the slaughter of.” the Passover lambs of all who were ceremonially unclean and could not consecrate their sacrifice to the Lord.#tn Heb “of everyone not pure to consecrate to the Lord.” 18 The majority of the many people from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun were ceremonially unclean, yet they ate the Passover in violation of what is prescribed in the law.#tn Heb “without what is written.” For Hezekiah prayed for them, saying: “May the Lord, who is good, forgive#tn Heb “make atonement for.” 19 everyone who has determined to follow God,#tn Heb “everyone [who] has prepared his heart to seek God.” the Lord God of his ancestors, even if he is not ceremonially clean according to the standards of the temple.”#tn Heb “and not according to the purification of the holy place.” 20 The Lord responded favorably#tn Heb “listened.” to Hezekiah and forgave#tn Heb “healed.” the people.
21 The Israelites who were in Jerusalem observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy. The Levites and priests were praising the Lord every day with all their might.#tn Heb “and they were praising the Lord day by day, the Levites and the priests with instruments of strength to the Lord.” The phrase בִּכְלֵי־עֹז (bikhley-’oz, “with instruments of strength”) might refer to loud sounding musical instruments (NASB “with loud instruments”; NEB “with unrestrained fervour”). The present translation assumes an emendation to בְּכָל־עֹז (bÿkhol-’oz, “with all strength”); see 1 Chr 13:8, as well as HALOT 805 s.v. I עֹז and BDB 739 s.v. עֹז). 22 Hezekiah expressed his appreciation to all the Levites,#tn Heb “and Hezekiah spoke to the heart of all the Levites.” On the meaning of the idiom “speak to the heart of” here, see HALOT 210 s.v. II דבר 8.d. who demonstrated great skill in serving the Lord.#tn Heb “who demonstrated skill [with] good skill for the Lord.” They feasted for the seven days of the festival,#tn Heb “and they ate [during] the appointed time [for] seven days.” מוֹעֵד (mo’ed, “appointed time”) is probably an adverbial accusative of time referring to the festival. However, some understand it as metonymically referring to the food eaten during the festival. See BDB 417 s.v. and were making peace offerings and giving thanks to the Lord God of their ancestors.
23 The entire assembly then decided to celebrate for seven more days; so they joyfully celebrated for seven more days. 24 King Hezekiah of Judah supplied 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep#tn The Hebrew term צֹאן (ts’on, translated “sheep” twice in this verse) denotes smaller livestock in general; depending on context it can refer to sheep only or goats only, but their is nothing in the immediate context here to specify one or the other. for the assembly, while the officials supplied them#tn Heb “the assembly.” The pronoun “them” has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy. with 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep. Many priests consecrated themselves. 25 The celebration included#tn Heb “they rejoiced.” the entire assembly of Judah, the priests, the Levites, the entire assembly of those who came from Israel, the resident foreigners who came from the land of Israel, and the residents of Judah. 26 There was a great celebration in Jerusalem, unlike anything that had occurred in Jerusalem since the time of King Solomon son of David of Israel.#tn Heb “and there was great joy in Jerusalem, for from the days of Solomon son of David, king of Israel, there was nothing like this in Jerusalem.” 27 The priests and Levites got up and pronounced blessings on the people. The Lord responded favorably to them#tn Heb “and it was heard with their voice.” BDB 1034 s.v. שָׁמַע Niph.4 interprets this to mean “hearing was granted to their voice.” It is possible that the name יְהוָה (yÿhvah, “the Lord”) has been accidentally omitted. as their prayers reached his holy dwelling place in heaven.
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2 Chronicles 30
30
1And 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. 2And the King and his princes and all the Congregation had taken counsel in Ierusalem to keepe the Passeouer in the second moneth. 3For they could not keepe it at this time, because there were not Priests enow sanctified, neither was the people gathered to Ierusalem. 4And the thing pleased the King, and all the Congregation. 5And 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. 6So 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. 7And 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. 8Be 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. 9For 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. 10So 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. 11Neuerthelesse diuers of Asher, and Manasseh, and of Zebulun submitted themselues, and came to Ierusalem. 12And 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. 13And there assembled to Ierusalem much people, to keepe the feast of ye vnleauened bread in the second moneth, a very great assemblie. 14And 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. 15Afterwarde 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. 16And 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. 17Because 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. 18For 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, 19That 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. 20And the Lord heard Hezekiah, and healed the people. 21And 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. 22And 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. 23And the whole assembly tooke counsel to keepe it other seuen dayes. So they kept it seuen dayes with ioy. 24For 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. 25And 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. 26So 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. 27Then 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.
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