1
And Hezekiah[H3169]sent[H7971] to all Israel[H3478] and Judah[H3063], and wrote[H3789]letters[H107] also to Ephraim[H669] and Manasseh[H4519], that they should come[H935] to the house[H1004] of the LORD[H3068] at Jerusalem[H3389], to keep[H6213] the passover[H6453] unto the LORD[H3068]God[H430] of Israel[H3478].
2
For the king[H4428] had taken counsel[H3289], and his princes[H8269], and all the congregation[H6951] in Jerusalem[H3389], to keep[H6213] the passover[H6453] in the second[H8145]month[H2320].
3
For they could[H3201] not keep[H6213] it at that time[H6256], because the priests[H3548] had not sanctified[H6942] themselves sufficiently[H4078], neither had the people[H5971] gathered themselves together[H622] to Jerusalem[H3389].
4
And the thing[H1697]pleased[H3474] the king[H4428] and all the congregation[H6951].
5
So they established[H5975] a decree[H1697] to make proclamation[H5674] throughout all Israel[H3478], from Beersheba[H884] even to Dan[H1835], that they should come[H935] to keep[H6213] the passover[H6453] unto the LORD[H3068]God[H430] of Israel[H3478] at Jerusalem[H3389]: for they had not done[H6213] it of a long[H7230] time in such sort as it was written[H3789].
6
So the posts[H7323]went[H3212] with the letters[H107]from[H3027] the king[H4428] and his princes[H8269] throughout all Israel[H3478] and Judah[H3063], and according to the commandment[H4687] of the king[H4428], saying[H559], Ye children[H1121] of Israel[H3478], turn again[H7725] unto the LORD[H3068]God[H430] of Abraham[H85], Isaac[H3327], and Israel[H3478], and he will return[H7725] to the remnant[H7604] of you, that are escaped[H6413] out of the hand[H3709] of the kings[H4428] of Assyria[H804].
7
And be not ye like your fathers[H1], and like your brethren[H251], which trespassed[H4603] against the LORD[H3068]God[H430] of their fathers[H1], who therefore gave them up[H5414] to desolation[H8047], as ye see[H7200].
8
Now be ye not stiffnecked[H7185], as your fathers[H1] were, but yield[H5414]yourselves[H3027] unto the LORD[H3068], and enter[H935] into his sanctuary[H4720], which he hath sanctified[H6942] for ever[H5769]: and serve[H5647] the LORD[H3068] your God[H430], that the fierceness[H2740] of his wrath[H639] may turn away[H7725] from you.
9
For if ye turn again[H7725] unto the LORD[H3068], your brethren[H251] and your children[H1121] shall find compassion[H7356]before[H6440] them that lead them captive[H7617], so that they shall come again[H7725] into this land[H776]: for the LORD[H3068] your God[H430] is gracious[H2587] and merciful[H7349], and will not turn away[H5493] his face[H6440] from you, if ye return[H7725] unto him.
10
So the posts[H7323]passed[H5674] from city[H5892] to city[H5892] through the country[H776] of Ephraim[H669] and Manasseh[H4519] even unto Zebulun[H2074]: but they laughed them to scorn[H7832], and mocked[H3932] them.
11
Nevertheless divers[H582] of Asher[H836] and Manasseh[H4519] and of Zebulun[H2074]humbled[H3665] themselves, and came[H935] to Jerusalem[H3389].
12
Also in Judah[H3063] the hand[H3027] of God[H430] was to give[H5414] them one[H259]heart[H3820] to do[H6213] the commandment[H4687] of the king[H4428] and of the princes[H8269], by the word[H1697] of the LORD[H3068].
13
And there assembled[H622] at Jerusalem[H3389]much[H7227]people[H5971] to keep[H6213] the feast[H2282] of unleavened bread[H4682] in the second[H8145]month[H2320], a very[H3966]great[H7230]congregation[H6951].
14
And they arose[H6965] and took away[H5493] the altars[H4196] that were in Jerusalem[H3389], and all the altars[H4196] for incense[H6999] took they away[H5493], and cast[H7993] them into the brook[H5158]Kidron[H6939].
15
Then they killed[H7819] the passover[H6453] on the fourteenth[H702] day of the second[H8145]month[H2320]: and the priests[H3548] and the Levites[H3881] were ashamed[H3637], and sanctified[H6942] themselves, and brought in[H935] the burnt offerings[H5930] into the house[H1004] of the LORD[H3068].
16
And they stood[H5975] in their place[H5977] after their manner[H4941], according to the law[H8451] of Moses[H4872] the man[H376] of God[H430]: the priests[H3548]sprinkled[H2236] the blood[H1818], which they received of the hand[H3027] of the Levites[H3881].
17
For there were many[H7227] in the congregation[H6951] that were not sanctified[H6942]: therefore the Levites[H3881] had the charge of the killing[H7821] of the passovers[H6453] for every one that was not clean[H2889], to sanctify[H6942] them unto the LORD[H3068].
18
For a multitude[H4768] of the people[H5971], even many[H7227] of Ephraim[H669], and Manasseh[H4519], Issachar[H3485], and Zebulun[H2074], had not[H3808]cleansed[H2891] themselves, yet did they eat[H398] the passover[H6453] otherwise than it was written[H3789]. But Hezekiah[H3169]prayed[H6419] for them, saying[H559], The good[H2896]LORD[H3068]pardon[H3722] every one
19
That prepareth[H3559] his heart[H3824] to seek[H1875]God[H430], the LORD[H3068]God[H430] of his fathers[H1], though he be not cleansed according to the purification[H2893] of the sanctuary[H6944].
20
And the LORD[H3068]hearkened[H8085] to Hezekiah[H3169], and healed[H7495] the people[H5971].
21
And the children[H1121] of Israel[H3478] that were present[H4672] at Jerusalem[H3389]kept[H6213] the feast[H2282] of unleavened bread[H4682]seven[H7651]days[H3117] with great[H1419]gladness[H8057]: and the Levites[H3881] and the priests[H3548]praised[H1984] the LORD[H3068]day[H3117] by day[H3117], singing with loud[H5797]instruments[H3627] unto the LORD[H3068].
22
And Hezekiah[H3169]spake[H1696]comfortably[H3820] unto all the Levites[H3881] that taught[H7919] the good[H2896]knowledge[H7922] of the LORD[H3068]: and they did eat[H398] throughout the feast[H4150]seven[H7651]days[H3117], offering[H2076]peace[H8002]offerings[H2077], and making confession[H3034] to the LORD[H3068]God[H430] of their fathers[H1].
23
And the whole assembly[H6951] took counsel[H3289] to keep[H6213]other[H312]seven[H7651]days[H3117]: and they kept[H6213]other[H312]seven[H7651]days[H3117] with gladness[H8057].
24
For Hezekiah[H2396]king[H4428] of Judah[H3063] did give[H7311] to the congregation[H6951] a thousand[H505]bullocks[H6499] and seven[H7651]thousand[H505]sheep[H6629]; and the princes[H8269]gave[H7311] to the congregation[H6951] a thousand[H505]bullocks[H6499] and ten[H6235]thousand[H505]sheep[H6629]: and a great number[H7230] of priests[H3548]sanctified[H6942] themselves.
25
And all the congregation[H6951] of Judah[H3063], with the priests[H3548] and the Levites[H3881], and all the congregation[H6951] that came out[H935] of Israel[H3478], and the strangers[H1616] that came out[H935] of the land[H776] of Israel[H3478], and that dwelt[H3427] in Judah[H3063], rejoiced[H8055].
26
So there was great[H1419]joy[H8057] in Jerusalem[H3389]: for since the time[H3117] of Solomon[H8010] the son[H1121] of David[H1732]king[H4428] of Israel[H3478] there was not the like in Jerusalem[H3389].
27
Then the priests[H3548] the Levites[H3881]arose[H6965] and blessed[H1288] the people[H5971]: and their voice[H6963] was heard[H8085], and their prayer[H8605]came[H935] up to his holy[H6944] dwelling place[H4583], even unto heaven[H8064].