Hezekiah Celebrates the Passover
1
Hezekiah sent word to all Israel and Judah and also wrote letters to
Ehpraim and Manasseh, inviting them to come to the temple of the LORD
in Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem and
celebrate the Passover to the LORD, the God of Israel.
2
The king and his officials and the whole assembly in Jerusalem decided
to celebrate the Passover in the second month.
3
They had not been albe to celebrate it at the regular time because not enough
priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not assemble in Jerusalem.
4
The plan seemed right both to the king and to the whole assembly.
5
They decided to send a proclamation throghout Israel, from Beersheba to Dan,
calling the people to come to Jerusalem and celebrate
the Passover to the LORD, the God of Israel.
6
At 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
7
Do not be like your fathers and brothers, who were unfaithful to the LORD,
the God of their fathers, so that he made them an object of horror, as you see.
8
Do not be stiff-necked, as your fathers were; submit to the LORD.
Come to the sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever.
Serve the LORD your God, so that his fierce anger will turn away from you.
9
If you return t the LORD, then your brothers and your children will be shown
compassion by gheir captors and will come back 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."
10
The couriers went from town to twon in Ephraim and Manasseh as far as
Zebulun, but the people scorned and ridiculed them.
11
Nevertheless, some men of Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled
themselves and went to Jerusalem.
12
Also 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.
13
A very large crowd of people assembled in Jerusalem to celebrate
the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second mounth.
14
They removed the altars in Jerusalem and cleared way the incense altars
and threw them into the Kidron Valley.
15
They 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.
16
Then they took up their regular positions as prescribed in the Law of Moses
the man of God. The priests sprinkled the blood handed to them by the Levites.
17
Since 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 to the LORD.
18
Although 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
19
who sets his heart on seeking God - the LORD, the God of his fathers -
even if he is not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary."
20
And the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people.
21
The Israelites who were present in Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of Unleaveed
Bread for seven days with great rejoicing, while the Levites and priests sang
to the LORD every day, ccompanied by the LORD's instruments of praise.
22
Hezekiah 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 andpraised the LORD, the God of their fathers.
23
The whole assembly then agreed to celebrate the festivial seven rmore days;
so for another seven days they celegrated joyfully.
24
Hezekiah king of Judah provided a thousand bulls andseven 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.
25
The entire assembly of Judah rejoiced, along with the priests and Levites
and all who had assembled from Israel, including the aliens who had come
from Israel and those who lived in Judah
26
There 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.
27
The priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard them,
for their prayer reached heaven, his holy dwelling place.
