CHAPTER 30
Then Hezekiah
sent
word throughout
all
Israel
and Judah,
and he also
wrote
letters
to
Ephraim
and Manasseh
inviting them to come
to the house
of the LORD
in Jerusalem
to keep
the Passover
of the LORD,
the God
of Israel.
For the king
and his officials
and the whole
assembly
in Jerusalem
had decided
to keep
the Passover
in the second
month,
since
they had been unable
to observe it
at the regular
time,
because not
enough
priests
had consecrated themselves
and the people
had not
been gathered
in Jerusalem.
So they established
a decree
to circulate
a proclamation
throughout all
Israel,
from
Beersheba
to
Dan,
that the people should come
to keep
the Passover
of the LORD,
the God
of Israel,
in Jerusalem.
For
they had not
observed it
as a nation
as prescribed.
So the couriers
went
throughout
Israel
and Judah
with letters
from
the king
and his officials,
which read:
“Children
of Israel,
return
to
the LORD,
the God
of Abraham,
Isaac,
and Israel,
so that He may return
to
those of you who remain,
who have escaped
the grasp
of the kings
of Assyria.
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
can see.
Now
do not
stiffen
your neck
as your fathers did.
Submit
to the LORD
and come
to His sanctuary
which
He has consecrated
forever.
Serve
the LORD
your God,
so that His fierce anger
will turn away
from you.
For
if you return
to
the LORD,
your brothers
and sons
will receive mercy
in the presence
of their captors
and will return
to this
land.
For
the LORD
your God
is gracious
and merciful;
He will not
turn His face
away
from you
if
you return
to Him."
And
the couriers
traveled
from city
to city
through the land
of Ephraim
and Manasseh
as
far as Zebulun;
but the people scorned
and mocked
them.
Also,
the power
of God
was
on the people
in Judah
to give them
one
heart
to obey
the command
of the king
and his officials
according to the word
of the LORD.
In the second
month,
a very
great
assembly
gathered
in Jerusalem
to celebrate
the Feast
of Unleavened Bread.
They proceeded
to remove
the altars
in Jerusalem
and to take away
the incense altars
and throw
them into the Kidron
Valley.
And on the fourteenth
day of the second
month
they slaughtered
the Passover lamb.
The priests
and Levites
were ashamed,
and they consecrated themselves
and brought
burnt offerings
to the house
of the LORD.
They stood
at
their prescribed
posts,
according to the law
of Moses,
the man
of God.
The priests
sprinkled
the blood,
which they received from the hand
of the Levites.
Since
there were many
in the assembly
who
had not
consecrated themselves,
the Levites
were in charge of
slaughtering
the Passover
lambs for every
unclean person
to consecrate the lambs
to the LORD.
A large number
of the people—
many
from Ephraim,
Manasseh,
Issachar,
and Zebulun—
had not
purified themselves,
yet
they ate
the Passover,
contrary
to what was written.
But
Hezekiah
interceded
for them,
saying,
"May the LORD,
who is good,
provide atonement for
everyone
who
sets
his heart
on seeking
God—
the LORD,
the God
of his fathers—
even if he is not cleansed
according to the purification
rules of the sanctuary.”
The Israelites
who were present
in Jerusalem
celebrated
the Feast
of Unleavened Bread
for seven
days
with great
joy,
and the Levites
and priests
praised
the LORD
day
after day
accompanied by loud
instruments
to the LORD.
And Hezekiah
encouraged
all
the Levites
who performed skillfully
before the LORD.
For seven
days
they ate
their assigned portion,
sacrificing
fellowship
offerings
and giving thanks
to the LORD,
the God
of their fathers.
For
Hezekiah
king
of Judah
contributed
a thousand
bulls
and seven
thousand
sheep
for the assembly,
and the officials
contributed
a thousand
bulls
and ten
thousand
sheep
for the assembly,
and a great number
priests
consecrated themselves.
Then the whole
assembly
of Judah
rejoiced
along with the priests
and Levites
and all
the assembly
that had come
from Israel,
including the foreigners
who had come
from Israel
and those who lived
in Judah.
So there was
great
rejoicing
in Jerusalem,
for
nothing
like this had happened
since the days
of Solomon
son
of David
king
of Israel.
Then the priests
and the Levites
stood
to bless
the people,
and God heard
their voice,
and their prayer
came
into His holy dwelling
place
in heaven.