2 Chronicles 30

¹ Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem to keep the Passover to the LORD, the God of Israel.

² For the king and his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem had taken counsel to keep the Passover in the second month --

³ for they could not keep it at that time because the priests had not consecrated themselves in sufficient number, nor had the people assembled in Jerusalem --

⁴ and the plan seemed right to the king and all the assembly.

⁵ So they decreed to make a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, that the people should come and keep the Passover to the LORD, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem, for they had not kept it as often as prescribed.

⁶ So couriers went throughout all Israel and Judah with letters from the king and his princes, as the king had commanded, saying, "O people of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that he may turn again to the remnant of you who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria.

⁷ Do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who were faithless to the LORD God of their fathers, so that he made them a desolation, as you see.

⁸ Do not now be stiff-necked as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the LORD and come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever, and serve the LORD your God, that his fierce anger may turn away from you.

⁹ For if you return to the LORD, your brothers and your children will find compassion with their captors and return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him."

¹⁰ So the couriers went from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them.

¹¹ However, some men of Asher, of Manasseh, and of Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.

¹² The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the LORD.

¹³ And many people came together in Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month, a very great assembly.

¹⁴ They set to work and removed the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for burning incense they took away and threw into the Kidron valley.

¹⁵ And they slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. And the priests and the Levites were ashamed, so that they consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings into the house of the LORD.

¹⁶ They took their accustomed posts according to the Law of Moses the man of God. The priests threw the blood that they received from the hand of the Levites.

¹⁷ For there were many in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves. Therefore the Levites had to slaughter the Passover lamb for everyone who was not clean, to consecrate it to the LORD.

¹⁸ For a majority of the people, many of them from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover otherwise than as prescribed. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, "May the good LORD pardon everyone

¹⁹ who sets his heart to seek God, the LORD, the God of his fathers, even though not according to the sanctuary's rules of cleanness."[1]

²⁰ And the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people.

²¹ And the people of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great gladness, and the Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day, singing with all their might[2] to the LORD.

²² And Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who showed good skill in the service of the LORD. So they ate the food of the festival for seven days, sacrificing peace offerings and giving thanks to the LORD, the God of their fathers.

²³ Then the whole assembly agreed together to keep the feast for another seven days. So they kept it for another seven days with gladness.

²⁴ For Hezekiah king of Judah gave the assembly 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep for offerings, and the princes gave the assembly 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep. And the priests consecrated themselves in great numbers.

²⁵ The whole assembly of Judah, and the priests and the Levites, and the whole assembly that came out of Israel, and the sojourners who came out of the land of Israel, and the sojourners who lived in Judah, rejoiced.

²⁶ So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem.

²⁷ Then the priests and the Levites arose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard, and their prayer came to his holy habitation in heaven.

2 Chronicles 30

¹ And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come into the house of the Lord to Jerusalem, to keep the Passover to the Lord God of Israel.

² For the king, and the princes, and all the congregation in Jerusalem, designed to keep the Passover in the second month.

³ For they could not keep it at that time, because a sufficient number of priests had not purified themselves, and the people were not gathered to Jerusalem.

⁴ And the proposal pleased the king and the congregation.

⁵ And they established a decree that a proclamation should go through all Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, that they should come and keep the Passover to the Lord God of Israel at Jerusalem; for the multitude had not done it lately according to the Scripture.

⁶ And the posts went with the letters from the king and the princes to all Israel and Judah, according to the command of the king, saying, Children of Israel, return to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and bring back them that have escaped, even those that were left of the hand of the king of Assyria.

⁷ And be not as your fathers and your brethren, who revolted from the Lord God of their fathers, and He gave them up to desolation, as you see.

⁸ And now harden not your hearts, as your fathers did; give glory to the Lord God, and enter into His sanctuary, which He has sanctified forever, and serve the Lord your God, and He shall turn away His fierce anger from you.

⁹ For when you turn to the Lord, your brethren and your children shall be pitied before all that have carried them captives, and He will restore you to this land; for the Lord our God is merciful and gracious, and will not turn away His face from you, if we return to Him.

¹⁰ So the posts went through from city to city in Mount Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun; and they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them.

¹¹ But the men of Asher, and some of Manasseh and of Zebulun, were ashamed, and came to Jerusalem and Judah.

¹² And the hand of the Lord was present to give them one heart to come, to do according to the commands of the king and of the princes, by the word of the Lord.

¹³ And a great multitude were gathered to Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month, a very great congregation.

¹⁴ And they arose, and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all on which they burnt incense to false gods they tore down and cast into the Brook Kidron.

¹⁵ Then they killed the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of the second month. And the priests and the Levites repented, and purified themselves, and brought whole burnt offerings into the house of the Lord.

¹⁶ And they stood at their post, according to their ordinance, according to the commandment of Moses the man of God; and the priests received the blood from the hand of the Levites.

¹⁷ For a great part of the congregation was not sanctified; and the Levites were ready to kill the Passover for everyone who could not sanctify himself to the Lord.

¹⁸ For the greatest part of the people of Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not purified themselves, but ate the Passover contrary to the Scripture. On this account also Hezekiah prayed concerning them, saying,

¹⁹ The good Lord be merciful with regard to every heart that sincerely seeks the Lord God of their fathers, and is not purified according to the purification of the sanctuary.

²⁰ And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.

²¹ And the children of Israel who were present in Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great joy; and they continued to sing hymns to the Lord daily, and the priests and the Levites played on instruments to the Lord.

²² And Hezekiah encouraged all the Levites, and those that had good understanding of the Lord, and they completely kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days, offering peace offerings, and confessing to the Lord God of their fathers.

²³ And the congregation purposed together to keep another seven days. And they kept another seven days with gladness.

²⁴ For Hezekiah set apart for Judah, even for the congregation, a thousand calves and seven thousand sheep; and the princes set apart for the people a thousand calves and ten thousand sheep, and the holy things of the priests abundantly.

²⁵ And all the congregation rejoiced, the priests and the Levites, and all the congregation of Judah, and those that were present of Jerusalem, and the strangers that came from the land of Israel, and those that dwelt in Judah.

²⁶ And there was great joy in Jerusalem. From the days of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was not such a feast in Jerusalem.

²⁷ Then the priests the Levites rose up and blessed the people, and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to His holy dwelling place, even into heaven.