2 Chronicles 30

Hezekiah Celebrates the Passover

And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of Yahweh at Jerusalem to ¹celebrate the Passover to Yahweh, the God of Israel. 2 And the king and his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem had taken counsel ^ato celebrate the Passover in the second month, 3 since they could not celebrate it ^aat that time, because the priests had not set themselves apart as holy in sufficient numbers, nor had the people been gathered to Jerusalem. 4 Thus the thing was right in the eyes of the king and in the eyes of all the assembly. 5 So they established a decree to make a ¹proclamation pass throughout all Israel ^afrom Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to celebrate the Passover to Yahweh, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem. For they had not celebrated it in great numbers as it was written. 6 ^aAnd the ¹couriers went throughout all Israel and Judah with the letters from the hand of the king and his princes, even according to the commandment of the king, saying, “O sons of Israel, return to Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that He may return to those of you who escaped and remain from ^bthe ²hand of the kings of Assyria. 7 ^aNow do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who were unfaithful to Yahweh, the God of their fathers, so that ^bHe made them an object of horror, as you see. 8 Now do not ^astiffen your neck like your fathers, but give your hand to Yahweh and enter His sanctuary which He has set apart as holy forever, and serve Yahweh your God, ^bthat His burning anger may turn away from you. 9 For ^awhen you return to Yahweh, your brothers and your sons will find compassion before those who led them captive and will return to this land. ^bFor Yahweh your God is gracious and compassionate, and will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him.”
10 So the ¹couriers passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but ^athey were laughing at them to scorn and mocking them. 11 Nevertheless ^asome men of Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. 12 The ^ahand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of Yahweh.
13 Now many people were gathered at Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread ^ain the second month, a very large assembly. 14 And they arose and took away the altars which were in Jerusalem; they also ^atook away all the incense altars and ^bcast them into the brook Kidron. 15 Then ^athey slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth of the second month. And ^bthe priests and Levites were ashamed of themselves, and set themselves apart as holy and brought burnt offerings to the house of Yahweh. 16 ^aAnd they stood at their stations according to the legal judgment for them, according to the law of Moses the man of God; the priests splashed the blood which they received from the hand of the Levites. 17 For there were many in the assembly who had not set themselves apart as holy; therefore, ^athe Levites were over the slaughter of the Passover lambs for everyone who was unclean, in order to set them apart as holy to Yahweh. 18 For a multitude of the people, ^aeven many from Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, ^byet they ate the Passover ^cotherwise than what was written. For Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May Yahweh, who is good, atone 19 ^afor everyone who prepares his heart to seek God, Yahweh, the God of his fathers, though not according to the rules of cleansing of the sanctuary.” 20 So Yahweh heard Hezekiah and ^ahealed the people. 21 And the sons of Israel present in Jerusalem ^acelebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great gladness, and the Levites and the priests praised Yahweh day after day with loud instruments to Yahweh. 22 Then Hezekiah ^aspoke to the hearts of all the Levites who showed good insight in the things of Yahweh. So they ate for the appointed seven days, sacrificing peace offerings and ^bgiving thanks to Yahweh, the God of their fathers.
23 Then the whole assembly ^atook counsel to determine to celebrate the feast another seven days, so they celebrated the seven days with gladness. 24 For ^aHezekiah king of Judah had contributed to the assembly 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep, and the princes had contributed to the assembly 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep; and ^ba large number of priests set themselves apart as holy. 25 And all the assembly of Judah were glad, with the priests and the Levites and ^aall the assembly that came from Israel, both the sojourners who came from the land of Israel and those living in Judah. 26 So there was great gladness in Jerusalem, because there was nothing like this in Jerusalem ^asince the days of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel. 27 Then ^athe Levitical priests arose and ^bblessed the people; and their voice was heard and their prayer came to ^cHis holy habitation, to heaven.

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