2Chronicles 30
30Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem to keep the Passover to the LORD, the God of Israel.H3169H7971H3478H3063H3789H107H669H4519H935H1004H3068H3389H6213H6453H3068H430H34782For the king and his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem had taken counsel to keep the Passover in the second month—H4428H3289H8269H6951H3389H6213H6453H8145H23203for they could not keep it at that time because the priests had not consecrated themselves in sufficient number, nor had the people assembled in Jerusalem—H3201H6213H6256H3548H6942H4078H1767H5971H622H33894and the plan seemed right to the king and all the assembly.H1697H3474H5869H4428H69515So they decreed to make a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, that the people should come and keep the Passover to the LORD, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem, for they had not kept it as often as prescribed.H5975H1697H5674H6963H3478H884H1835H935H6213H6453H3068H430H3478H3389H6213H7230H37896So couriers went throughout all Israel and Judah with letters from the king and his princes, as the king had commanded, saying, "O people of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that he may turn again to the remnant of you who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria.H7323H3212H107H3027H4428H8269H3478H3063H4687H4428H559H1121H3478H7725H3068H430H85H3327H3478H7725H7604H6413H3709H4428H8047Do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who were faithless to the LORD God of their fathers, so that he made them a desolation, as you see.H1H251H4603H3068H430H1H5414H8047H72008Do not now be stiff-necked as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the LORD and come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever, and serve the LORD your God, that his fierce anger may turn away from you.H7185H6203H1H5414H3027H3068H935H4720H6942H5769H5647H3068H430H2740H639H77259For if you return to the LORD, your brothers and your children will find compassion with their captors and return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him."H7725H3068H251H1121H7356H6440H7617H7725H776H3068H430H2587H7349H5493H6440H772510So the couriers went from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them.H7323H5674H5892H5892H776H669H4519H2074H7832H393211However, some men of Asher, of Manasseh, and of Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.H582H836H4519H2074H3665H935H338912The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the LORD.H3063H3027H430H5414H259H3820H6213H4687H4428H8269H1697H306813And many people came together in Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month, a very great assembly.H622H3389H7227H5971H6213H2282H4682H8145H2320H3966H7230H695114They set to work and removed the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for burning incense they took away and threw into the Kidron Valley.H6965H5493H4196H3389H6999H5493H7993H5158H693915And they slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. And the priests and the Levites were ashamed, so that they consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings into the house of the LORD.H7819H6453H702H6240H8145H2320H3548H3881H3637H6942H935H5930H1004H306816They took their accustomed posts according to the Law of Moses the man of God. The priests threw the blood that they received from the hand of the Levites.H5975H5977H4941H8451H4872H376H430H3548H2236H1818H3027H388117For there were many in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves. Therefore the Levites had to slaughter the Passover lamb for everyone who was not clean, to consecrate it to the LORD.H7227H6951H6942H3881H7821H6453H2889H6942H306818For a majority of the people, many of them from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover otherwise than as prescribed. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, "May the good LORD pardon everyoneH4768H5971H7227H669H4519H3485H2074H3808H2891H398H6453H3789H3169H6419H559H2896H3068H372219who sets his heart to seek God, the LORD, the God of his fathers, even though not according to the sanctuary's rules of cleanness."H3559H3824H1875H430H3068H430H1H2893H694420And the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people.H3068H8085H3169H7495H597121And the people of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great gladness, and the Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day, singing with all their might to the LORD.H1121H3478H4672H3389H6213H2282H4682H7651H3117H1419H8057H3881H3548H1984H3068H3117H3117H5797H3627H306822And Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who showed good skill in the service of the LORD. So they ate the food of the festival for seven days, sacrificing peace offerings and giving thanks to the LORD, the God of their fathers.H3169H1696H3820H3881H7919H2896H7922H3068H398H4150H7651H3117H2076H8002H2077H3034H3068H430H123Then the whole assembly agreed together to keep the feast for another seven days. So they kept it for another seven days with gladness.H6951H3289H6213H312H7651H3117H6213H7651H3117H805724For Hezekiah king of Judah gave the assembly 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep for offerings, and the princes gave the assembly 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep. And the priests consecrated themselves in great numbers.H2396H4428H3063H7311H6951H505H6499H7651H505H6629H8269H7311H6951H505H6499H6235H505H6629H7230H3548H694225The whole assembly of Judah, and the priests and the Levites, and the whole assembly that came out of Israel, and the sojourners who came out of the land of Israel, and the sojourners who lived in Judah, rejoiced.H6951H3063H3548H3881H6951H935H3478H1616H935H776H3478H3427H3063H805526So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem.H1419H8057H3389H3117H8010H1121H1732H4428H3478H338927Then the priests and the Levites arose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard, and their prayer came to his holy habitation in heaven.H3548H3881H6965H1288H5971H6963H8085H8605H935H6944H4583H8064
Columbus, OH
