2 Chronicles 30
30
Hezekiah Celebrates the Passover
1Hezekiah sent word to all Israel and Judah and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, inviting them to come to the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel. 2The king and his officials and the whole assembly in Jerusalem decided to celebrate the Passover in the second month. 3They had not been able to celebrate it at the regular time because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not assembled in Jerusalem. 4The plan seemed right both to the king and to the whole assembly. 5They decided to send a proclamation throughout Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, calling the people to come to Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel. It had not been celebrated in large numbers according to what was written.
6At the king’s command, couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and from his officials, which read:
“People of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that he may return to you who are left, who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. 7Do not be like your parents and your fellow Israelites, who were unfaithful to the Lord, the God of their ancestors, so that he made them an object of horror, as you see. 8Do not be stiff-necked, as your ancestors were; submit to the Lord. Come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever. Serve the Lord your God, so that his fierce anger will turn away from you. 9If you return to the Lord, then your fellow Israelites and your children will be shown compassion by their captors and will return to this land, for the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.”
10The couriers went from town to town in Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun, but people scorned and ridiculed them. 11Nevertheless, some from Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem. 12Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to give them unity of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had ordered, following the word of the Lord.
13A very large crowd of people assembled in Jerusalem to celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread in the second month. 14They removed the altars in Jerusalem and cleared away the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley.
15They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed and consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the temple of the Lord. 16Then they took up their regular positions as prescribed in the Law of Moses the man of God. The priests splashed against the altar the blood handed to them by the Levites. 17Since many in the crowd had not consecrated themselves, the Levites had to kill the Passover lambs for all those who were not ceremonially clean and could not consecrate their lambs#30:17 Or consecrate themselves to the Lord. 18Although most of the many people who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the Lord, who is good, pardon everyone 19who sets their heart on seeking God—the Lord, the God of their ancestors—even if they are not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary.” 20And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people.
21The Israelites who were present in Jerusalem celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great rejoicing, while the Levites and priests praised the Lord every day with resounding instruments dedicated to the Lord.#30:21 Or priests sang to the Lord every day, accompanied by the Lord’s instruments of praise
22Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites, who showed good understanding of the service of the Lord. For the seven days they ate their assigned portion and offered fellowship offerings and praised#30:22 Or and confessed their sins to the Lord, the God of their ancestors.
23The whole assembly then agreed to celebrate the festival seven more days; so for another seven days they celebrated joyfully. 24Hezekiah king of Judah provided a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep and goats for the assembly, and the officials provided them with a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep and goats. A great number of priests consecrated themselves. 25The entire assembly of Judah rejoiced, along with the priests and Levites and all who had assembled from Israel, including the foreigners who had come from Israel and also those who resided in Judah. 26There was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. 27The priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard them, for their prayer reached heaven, his holy dwelling place.
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Diḇre haYamim Bĕt (2 Chronicles) 30
30
1And Ḥizqiyahu sent to all Yisra’ĕl and Yehuḏah, and he also wrote letters to Ephrayim and Menashsheh, to come to the House of יהוה at Yerushalayim, to perform the Pĕsaḥ to יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl.
2But the sovereign and his leaders and all the assembly in Yerushalayim had taken counsel to perform the Pĕsaḥ in the second new moon.
3For they were unable to perform it at its time, because not enough priests had set themselves apart, and the people had not gathered at Yerushalayim.
4And the matter was right in the eyes of the sovereign and in the eyes of all the assembly.
5And they settled the matter, to send a call to all Yisra’ĕl, from Be’ĕrsheḇa to Dan, to come to perform a Pĕsaḥ to יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl at Yerushalayim, since they had not done it for a long time, as it is written.
6And the runners went to all Yisra’ĕl and Yehuḏah with the letters from the sovereign and his leaders, and spoke according to the command of the sovereign, “Children of Yisra’ĕl, turn back to יהוה Elohim of Aḇraham, Yitsḥaq, and Yisra’ĕl, so that He returns to the remnant of you who have escaped from the hand of the sovereigns of Ashshur.
7“And do not be like your fathers and like your brothers, who trespassed against יהוה Elohim of their fathers, so that He gave them up to ruin, as you see.
8“Now do not stiffen your neck, like your fathers, stretch forth the hand to יהוה, and come to His set-apart place, which He has set apart forever, and serve יהוה your Elohim, so that His burning wrath turns away from you.
9“For if you turn back to יהוה, your brothers and your children shall be shown compassion by their captors, even to return to this land. For יהוה your Elohim shows favour and compassion, and does not turn His face from you if you turn back to Him.”
10And the runners passed from city to city throughout the land of Ephrayim and Menashsheh, as far as Zeḇulun. But they were laughing at them and mocking them.
11Some from Ashĕr and Menashsheh and from Zeḇulun, however, humbled themselves and came to Yerushalayim.
12Also the hand of Elohim was on Yehuḏah to give them one heart to do the command of the sovereign and the rulers, at the word of יהוה.
13And many people, a very great assembly, gathered at Yerushalayim to perform the Festival of Matzot#Unleavened Bread. in the second new moon.
14And they rose up and removed the slaughter-places that were in Yerushalayim, and they removed all the incense slaughter-places and threw them into the wadi Qiḏron.
15Then they slew the Pĕsah#Passover. on the fourteenth day of the second new moon. And the priests and the Lĕwites were ashamed, and set themselves apart, and brought the ascending offerings to the House of יהוה.
16And they stood in their place according to their right-ruling. According to the Torah of Mosheh, the man of Elohim, the priests sprinkled the blood from the hand of the Lĕwites.
17For many in the assembly had not set themselves apart. Therefore the Lĕwites were over the slaughter of the Pĕsaḥim#Pĕsaḥim - Plural of Pĕsaḥ. See Explanatory Notes "Passover" for everyone who was not clean, to set them apart to יהוה.
18For many of the people, many from Ephrayim and Menashsheh, Yissasḵar and Zeḇulun, had not been cleansed, yet they ate the Pĕsaḥ contrary to what was written. But Ḥizqiyahu prayed for them, saying, “יהוה who is good, provide atonement for everyone
19who has prepared his heart to seek Elohim, יהוה Elohim of his fathers, though he is not cleansed according to the cleansing of the set-apart place.”
20And יהוה listened to Ḥizqiyahu and healed the people.
21And the children of Yisra’ĕl who were in Yerushalayim performed the Festival of Matzot#Unleavened bread. seven days with great joy. And the Lĕwites and the priests praised יהוה day by day, with instruments of praise before יהוה.
22And Ḥizqiyahu spoke to the heart of all the Lĕwites, those having good understanding concerning יהוה. So they ate during the appointed time, seven days, slaughtering slaughterings of peace offerings and making confession to יהוה Elohim of their fathers.
23And all the assembly took counsel to perform another seven days, and they performed it another seven days with joy.
24For Ḥizqiyahu sovereign of Yehuḏah presented to the assembly a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep, and the rulers presented to the assembly a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep. And a great number of priests set themselves apart.
25And all the assembly of Yehuḏah rejoiced, and the priests and Lĕwites, and all the assembly who had come from Yisra’ĕl, and the sojourners who came from the land of Yisra’ĕl, and those who dwelt in Yehuḏah.
26And there came to be great joy in Yerushalayim, for since the days of Shelomoh son of Dawiḏ, the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl, the like of this had not been in Yerushalayim.
27And the priests, the Lĕwites, rose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard. And their prayer came up to His set-apart dwelling place, to heaven.
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