2Chronicles 30:24 - Prayer Tents

All Israel Invited to the Passover

30Now Hezekiah 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 celebrate the Passover to the LORD God of Israel.H3169H7971H3478H3063H3789H107H669H4519H935H1004H3068H3389H6213H6453H3068H430H34782For the king and his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem had decided to celebrate the Passover in the second month,H4428H3289H8269H6951H3389H6213H6453H8145H23203since they could not celebrate it at that time, because the priests had not consecrated themselves in sufficient numbers, nor had the people been gathered to Jerusalem.H3201H6213H6256H3548H6942H4078H1767H5971H622H33894Thus the thing was right in the sight of the king and all the assembly.H1697H3474H5869H4428H69515So they established a decree to circulate a proclamation throughout all Israel from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to celebrate the Passover to the LORD God of Israel at Jerusalem. For they had not celebrated [it] in great numbers as it was prescribed.H5975H1697H5674H6963H3478H884H1835H935H6213H6453H3068H430H3478H3389H6213H7230H37896And the couriers went throughout all Israel and Judah with the letters from the hand of the king and his princes, even according to the command of the king, saying, "O sons of Israel, return to the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that He may return to those of you who escaped [ and] are left from the hand of the kings of Assyria.H7323H3212H107H3027H4428H8269H3478H3063H4687H4428H559H1121H3478H7725H3068H430H85H3327H3478H7725H7604H6413H3709H4428H8047"And do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who were unfaithful to the LORD God of their fathers, so that He made them a horror, as you see.H1H251H4603H3068H430H1H5414H8047H72008"Now do not stiffen your neck like your fathers, but yield to the LORD and enter His sanctuary which He has consecrated forever, and serve the LORD your God, that His burning anger may turn away from you.H7185H6203H1H5414H3027H3068H935H4720H6942H5769H5647H3068H430H2740H639H77259"For if you return to the LORD, your brothers and your sons [will find] compassion before those who led them captive, and will return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate, and will not turn [His] face away from you if you return to Him."H7725H3068H251H1121H7356H6440H7617H7725H776H3068H430H2587H7349H5493H6440H772510So the couriers passed 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.H7323H5674H5892H5892H776H669H4519H2074H7832H393211Nevertheless some men of Asher, Manasseh, and 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.H3063H3027H430H5414H259H3820H6213H4687H4428H8269H1697H3068

Passover Reinstituted

13Now many people were gathered at Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month, a very large assembly.H622H3389H7227H5971H6213H2282H4682H8145H2320H3966H7230H695114And they arose and removed the altars which [were] in Jerusalem; they also removed all the incense altars and cast [them] into the brook Kidron.H6965H5493H4196H3389H6999H5493H7993H5158H693915Then they slaughtered the Passover [lambs] on the fourteenth of the second month. And the priests and Levites were ashamed of themselves and consecrated themselves, and brought burnt offerings to the house of the LORD.H7819H6453H702H6240H8145H2320H3548H3881H3637H6942H935H5930H1004H306816And they stood at their stations after their custom, according to the law of Moses the man of God; the priests sprinkled the blood [which they received] from the hand of the Levites.H5975H5977H4941H8451H4872H376H430H3548H2236H1818H3027H388117For [there were] many in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves; therefore, the Levites [were] over the slaughter of the Passover [lambs] for everyone who [was] unclean, in order to consecrate [them] to the LORD.H7227H6951H6942H3881H7821H6453H2889H6942H306818For a multitude of the people, [even] many from Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover otherwise than prescribed. For Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, "May the good LORD pardonH4768H5971H7227H669H4519H3485H2074H3808H2891H398H6453H3789H3169H6419H559H2896H3068H372219everyone who prepares his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though not according to the purification [rules] of the sanctuary. "H3559H3824H1875H430H3068H430H1H2893H694420So the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people.H3068H8085H3169H7495H597121And the sons of Israel present in Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread [for] seven days with great joy, and the Levites and the priests praised the LORD day after day with loud instruments to the LORD.H1121H3478H4672H3389H6213H2282H4682H7651H3117H1419H8057H3881H3548H1984H3068H3117H3117H5797H3627H306822Then Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who showed good insight [in the things] of the LORD. So they ate for the appointed seven days, sacrificing peace offerings and giving thanks to the LORD God of their fathers.H3169H1696H3820H3881H7919H2896H7922H3068H398H4150H7651H3117H2076H8002H2077H3034H3068H430H123Then the whole assembly decided to celebrate [the feast] another seven days, so they celebrated the seven days with joy.H6951H3289H6213H312H7651H3117H6213H7651H3117H805724For Hezekiah king of Judah had contributed to the assembly 10000 bulls and 70000 sheep, and the princes had contributed to the assembly 10000 bulls and 100000 sheep; and a large number of priests consecrated themselves.H2396H4428H3063H7311H6951H505H6499H7651H505H6629H8269H7311H6951H505H6499H6235H505H6629H7230H3548H694225And all the assembly of Judah rejoiced, with the priests and the Levites, and all the assembly that came from Israel, both the sojourners who came from the land of Israel and those living in Judah.H6951H3063H3548H3881H6951H935H3478H1616H935H776H3478H3427H3063H805526So there was great joy in Jerusalem, because there was nothing like this in Jerusalem since the days of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel.H1419H8057H3389H3117H8010H1121H1732H4428H3478H338927Then the Levitical priests arose and blessed the people; and their voice was heard and their prayer came to His holy dwelling place, to heaven.H3548H3881H6965H1288H5971H6963H8085H8605H935H6944H4583H8064