1 N ow 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.

And Hezekiah sendeth unto all Israel and Judah, and also letters he hath written unto Ephraim and Manasseh, to come in to the house of Jehovah in Jerusalem, to make a passover to Jehovah, God of Israel.

2 F or the king and his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem had decided to celebrate the Passover in the second month,

And the king taketh counsel, and his heads, and all the assembly in Jerusalem, to make the passover in the second month,

3 s ince 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.

for they have not been able to make it at that time, for the priests have not sanctified themselves sufficiently, and the people have not been gathered to Jerusalem.

4 T hus the thing was right in the sight of the king and all the assembly.

And the thing is right in the eyes of the king, and in the eyes of all the assembly,

5 S o 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.

and they establish the thing, to cause to pass over an intimation into all Israel, from Beer-Sheba even unto Dan, to come in to make a passover to Jehovah, God of Israel, in Jerusalem, for not for a long time had they done as it is written.

6 T he 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.

And the runners go with letters from the hand of the king and his heads, into all Israel and Judah, even according to the command of the king, saying, `O sons of Israel, turn back unto Jehovah, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and He doth turn back unto the escaped part that is left of you from the hand of the kings of Asshur;

7 D o 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.

and do not be like your fathers, and like your brethren, who trespassed against Jehovah, God of their fathers, and He giveth them to desolation, as ye do see.

8 N ow 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.

`Now, harden not your neck like your fathers, give a hand to Jehovah, and come in to His sanctuary, that He hath sanctified to the age, and serve Jehovah your God, and the fierceness of His anger doth turn back from you;

9 F or 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.”

for in your turning back unto Jehovah, your brethren and your sons have mercies before their captors, even to return to this land, for gracious and merciful Jehovah your God, and He doth not turn aside the face from you, if ye turn back unto Him.'

10 S o 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.

And the runners are passing over from city to city, in the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, even unto Zebulun: and they are laughing at them, and mocking at them,

11 N evertheless some men of Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.

only, certain from Asher, and Manasseh, and from Zebulun, have been humbled, and come in to Jerusalem.

12 T he 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. Passover Reinstituted

Also, in Judah hath the hand of God been to give to them one heart to do the command of the king and of the heads, in the matter of Jehovah;

13 N ow many people were gathered at Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month, a very large assembly.

and much people are gathered to Jerusalem, to make the feast of unleavened things in the second month -- a mighty assembly for multitude.

14 T hey arose and removed the altars which were in Jerusalem; they also removed all the incense altars and cast them into the brook Kidron.

And they arise and turn aside the altars that in Jerusalem, and all the perfume altars they have turned aside, and cast to the brook Kidron;

15 T hen 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.

and they slaughter the passover-offering on the fourteenth of the second month, and the priests and the Levites have been ashamed, and sanctify themselves, and bring in burnt-offerings to the house of Jehovah.

16 T hey 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.

And they stand on their station according to their ordinance; according to the law of Moses the man of God the priests are sprinkling the blood out of the hand of the Levites,

17 F or 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.

for many in the assembly who have not sanctified themselves, and the Levites over the slaughtering of the passover-offerings for every one not clean, to sanctify to Jehovah:

18 F or 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 pardon

for a multitude of the people, many from Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, have not been cleansed, but have eaten the passover otherwise than it is written; but Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, `Jehovah, who good, doth receive atonement for every one

19 e veryone who prepares his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his fathers, though not according to the purification rules of the sanctuary.”

who hath prepared his heart to seek God -- Jehovah, God of his fathers -- yet not according to the cleansing of the sanctuary;'

20 S o the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people.

and Jehovah hearkeneth unto Hezekiah, and healeth the people.

21 T he 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.

And the sons of Israel, those found in Jerusalem, make the feast of unleavened things seven days with great joy; and giving praise to Jehovah day by day are the Levites and the priests, with instruments of praise before Jehovah.

22 T hen 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.

And Hezekiah speaketh unto the heart of all the Levites, those giving good understanding concerning Jehovah, and they eat the appointed thing seven days; sacrificing sacrifices of peace-offerings, and making confession to Jehovah, God of their fathers.

23 T hen the whole assembly decided to celebrate the feast another seven days, so they celebrated the seven days with joy.

And all the assembly take counsel to keep other seven days, and they keep seven days joy;

24 F or Hezekiah king of Judah had contributed to the assembly 1, 000 bulls and 7, 000 sheep, and the princes had contributed to the assembly 1, 000 bulls and 10, 000 sheep; and a large number of priests consecrated themselves.

for Hezekiah king of Judah hath presented to the assembly a thousand bullocks, and seven thousand sheep; and the heads have presented to the assembly bullocks a thousand, and sheep ten thousand; and priests sanctify themselves in abundance.

25 A ll 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.

And all the assembly of Judah rejoice, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the assembly, those coming in from Israel, and the sojourners, those coming in from the land of Israel, and those dwelling in Judah,

26 S o 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.

and there is great joy in Jerusalem; for from the days of Solomon son of David king of Israel there is not like this in Jerusalem,

27 T hen the Levitical priests arose and blessed the people; and their voice was heard and their prayer came to His holy dwelling place, to heaven.

and the priests, the Levites, rise and bless the people, and their voice is heard, and their prayer cometh in to His holy habitation, to the heavens.