Hezekiah Keeps the Passover
1 And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of theLordat Jerusalem, to keep the Passover to theLordGod of Israel.
2 For the king and his leaders and all the assembly in Jerusalem had agreed to keep the Passover in the secondmonth.
3 For they could not keep itat the regular time,because a sufficient number of priests had not consecrated themselves, nor had the people gathered together at Jerusalem.
4 And the matter pleased the king and all the assembly.
5 So they resolved to make a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, that they should come to keep the Passover to theLordGod of Israel at Jerusalem, since they had not doneitfor a longtimein theprescribedmanner.
6 Then therunners went throughout all Israel and Judah with the letters from the king and his leaders, and spoke according to the command of the king: “Children of Israel,return to theLordGod of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel; then He will return to the remnant of you who have escaped from the hand ofthe kings ofAssyria.
7 And do not belike your fathers and your brethren, who trespassed against theLordGod of their fathers, so that Hegave them up todesolation, as you see.
8 Now do not bestiff-necked, as your fatherswere, butyield yourselves to theLord; and enter His sanctuary, which He has sanctified forever, and serve theLordyour God,that the fierceness of His wrath may turn away from you.
9 For if you return to theLord, your brethren and your childrenwillbetreatedwithcompassion by those who lead them captive, so that they may come back to this land; for theLordyour Godisgracious and merciful, and will not turnHisface from you if youreturn to Him.”
10 So the runners passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun; butthey laughed at them and mocked them.
11 Neverthelesssome from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.
12 Alsothe hand of God was on Judah to give them singleness of heart to obey the command of the king and the leaders,at the word of theLord.
13 Now many people, a very great assembly, gathered at Jerusalem to keep the Feast ofUnleavened Bread in the second month.
14 They arose and took away thealtars thatwerein Jerusalem, and they took away all the incense altars and casttheminto the BrookKidron.
15 Then they slaughtered the Passoverlambson the fourteenthdayof the second month. The priests and the Levites wereashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought the burnt offerings to the house of theLord.
16 They stood in theirplace according to their custom, according to the Law of Moses the man of God; the priests sprinkled the bloodreceivedfrom the hand of the Levites.
17 Forthereweremany in the assembly who had not sanctified themselves;therefore the Levites had charge of the slaughter of the Passoverlambsfor everyonewhowasnot clean, to sanctifythemto theLord.
18 For a multitude of the people,many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves,yet they ate the Passover contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the goodLordprovide atonement for everyone
19 whoprepares his heart to seek God, theLordGod of his fathers, thoughheisnotcleansedaccording to the purification of the sanctuary.”
20 And theLordlistened to Hezekiah and healed the people.
21 So the children of Israel who were present at Jerusalem keptthe Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great gladness; and the Levites and the priests praised theLordday by day,singingto theLord, accompanied by loud instruments.
22 And Hezekiah gave encouragement to all the Leviteswho taught the good knowledge of theLord; and they ate throughout the feast seven days, offering peace offerings andmaking confession to theLordGod of their fathers.
23 Then the whole assembly agreed to keepthefeastanother seven days, and they kept itanotherseven days with gladness.
24 For Hezekiah king of Judahgave to the assembly a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep, and the leaders gave to the assembly a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep; and a great number of priestssanctified themselves.
25 The whole assembly of Judah rejoiced, also the priests and Levites, all the assembly that came from Israel, the sojournerswho came from the land of Israel, and those who dwelt in Judah.
26 So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time ofSolomon the son of David, king of Israel,therehadbeen nothing like this in Jerusalem.
27 Then the priests, the Levites, arose andblessed the people, and their voice was heard; and their prayer cameuptoHis holy dwelling place, to heaven.