CHAPTER 29
Hezekiah
was twenty-five
years old
when he became king,
and he reigned
in Jerusalem
twenty-nine
years.
His mother’s
name
was Abijah,
the daughter
of Zechariah.
In the first
month
of the first
year
of his reign,
Hezekiah opened
and repaired
the doors
of the house
of the LORD.
“Listen to me,
O Levites,”
he said.
“Consecrate
yourselves now
and consecrate
the house
of the LORD,
the God
of your fathers.
Remove
from
the Holy Place
every impurity.
For
our fathers
were unfaithful
and did
evil
in the sight
of the LORD
our God.
They abandoned Him,
turned their faces
away
from the dwelling place
of the LORD,
and turned
their backs on Him.
They also
shut
the doors
of the portico
and extinguished
the lamps.
They did not
burn
incense
or
present
burnt offerings
in the Holy Place
of the God
of Israel.
Therefore, the wrath
of the LORD
has fallen
upon
Judah
and Jerusalem,
and He has made them
an object of terror,
horror,
and mockery,
as
you
can see
with your own eyes.
For behold,
this
is why
our fathers
have fallen
by the sword,
and our sons
and daughters
and wives
are in captivity.
Now
it is in
my heart
to make
a covenant
with the LORD,
the God
of Israel,
so that His fierce anger
will turn away
from us.
Now,
my sons,
do not
be negligent,
for
the LORD
has chosen
you
to stand
before Him,
to serve Him,
to
minister
before Him,
and to burn incense.”
Then the Levites
set to work:
Mahath
son
of Amasai
and Joel
son
of Azariah
from
the Kohathites;
Kish
son
of Abdi
and Azariah
son
of Jehallelel
from
the Merarites;
Joah
son
of Zimmah
and Eden
son
of Joah
from
the Gershonites;
When they had assembled
their brothers
and consecrated themselves,
they went in
to cleanse
the house
of the LORD,
according to the command
of the king
by the words
of the LORD.
So the priests
went
inside
the house
of the LORD
to cleanse it,
and they brought out
to the courtyard
all
the unclean things
that
they found
in the temple
of the LORD.
Then the Levites
took these things
and carried them
out
to the Kidron
Valley.
They began
the consecration
on the first
day of the first
month,
and on the eighth
day
of the month
they reached
the portico
of the LORD.
For eight more
days
they consecrated
the house
of the LORD itself,
finishing
on the sixteenth
day
of the first
month.
Then they went
in
to
King
Hezekiah
and reported,
“We have cleansed
the entire
house
of the LORD,
the altar
of burnt offering
with all
its utensils,
and the table
of the showbread
with
all
its utensils.
Moreover,
we have prepared
and consecrated
all
the articles
that
King
Ahaz
in his unfaithfulness
cast aside
during his reign.
They are now in front
of the altar
of the LORD.”
Early the next morning
King
Hezekiah
gathered
the city
officials
and went
up to the house
of the LORD.
They brought
seven
bulls,
seven
rams,
seven
lambs,
and seven
male goats
as a sin offering
for
the kingdom,
for
the sanctuary,
and for
Judah.
And the king commanded
the priests,
the descendants
of Aaron,
to offer
them on
the altar
of the LORD.
So they slaughtered
the bulls,
and the priests
took
the blood
and sprinkled
it on the altar.
They slaughtered
the rams
and sprinkled
the blood
on the altar.
And they slaughtered
the lambs
and sprinkled
the blood
on the altar.
Then they brought
the goats
for the sin offering
before
the king
and the assembly,
who laid
their hands
on them.
And the priests
slaughtered the goats
and put their blood
on the altar
for a sin offering,
to make atonement
for
all
Israel,
for
the king
had ordered
that the burnt offering
and sin offering
were for all
Israel.
Hezekiah stationed
the Levites
in the house
of the LORD
with cymbals,
harps,
and lyres
according to the command
of David,
of Gad
the king’s
seer,
and of Nathan
the prophet.
For
the command
had come from
the LORD
through
His prophets.
And Hezekiah
ordered
that the burnt offering
be sacrificed
on the altar.
When
the burnt offering
began,
the song
of the LORD
and the trumpets
began as well,
accompanied by
the instruments
of David
king
of Israel.
The whole
assembly
was worshiping,
the singers
were singing,
and the trumpeters
were playing.
All this
continued until
the burnt offering
was completed.
When the offerings
were completed,
the king
and all
those present
with
him bowed down
and worshiped.
Then King
Hezekiah
and his officials
ordered
the Levites
to sing praises
to the LORD
in the words
of David
and of Asaph
the seer.
So they sang praises
with gladness
and bowed their heads
and worshiped.
Then Hezekiah
said,
“Now
that you have consecrated
yourselves
to the LORD,
come near
and bring
sacrifices
and thank offerings
to the house
of the LORD.”
So the assembly
brought
sacrifices
and thank offerings,
and all
whose hearts
were willing
brought burnt offerings.
The number
of burnt offerings
the assembly
brought
was
seventy
bulls,
a hundred
rams,
and two hundred
lambs;
all
these
were for a burnt offering
to the LORD.
However,
since there were
not enough
priests
to skin
all
the burnt offerings,
their Levite
brothers
helped
them until
the work
was finished
and until
the priests
had been consecrated.
For
the Levites
had been more diligent
in consecrating themselves
than the priests had been.
Furthermore,
the burnt offerings were abundant,
along with the fat
of the peace offerings
and with the drink offerings
for the burnt offering.
So the service
of the house
of the LORD
was established.
Then Hezekiah
and all
the people
rejoiced
at what
God
had prepared
for the people,
because
everything
had been accomplished
so quickly.