1 H ezekiah sent word to all Israel and Judah. He wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh also, that they should come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover to the Lord God of Israel.

Hezekiah sent to all Israel Judah and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh to come to the Lord’s house at Jerusalem to keep the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel.

2 F or the king and his rulers and all the people in Jerusalem had decided to keep the Passover in the second month.

For the king and his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem took counsel to keep the Passover in the second month.

3 F or they could not keep it at the set time, because there had not been enough religious leaders who had made themselves holy. And the people had not been gathered to Jerusalem.

For they could not keep it at the set time because not enough priests had sanctified themselves, neither had the people assembled in Jerusalem.

4 S o the new time pleased the king and all the people.

The new time pleased the king and all the assembly.

5 A nd they made it known in all Israel, from Beer-sheba to Dan, that they should come to keep the Passover to the Lord God of Israel at Jerusalem. For great numbers of people had not kept it, as they were told to do.

So they decreed to make a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, that the people should come to keep the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem. For they had not kept it collectively as prescribed for a long time.

6 M en were sent through all Israel and Judah with the letters from the hand of the king and his rulers, as the king had told them. The letters said, “O sons of Israel, return to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that He may return to those of you who have not been taken away by the kings of Assyria.

So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, as the king commanded, saying, O Israelites, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that He may return to those left of you who escaped out of the hands of the kings of Assyria.

7 D o not be like your fathers and your brothers. They were not faithful to the Lord God of their fathers, so He gave them a reason to fear, as you see.

Do not be like your fathers and brethren, who were unfaithful to the Lord, the God of their fathers, so that He gave them up to desolation, as you see.

8 N ow do not make your hearts hard like your fathers, but give yourselves to the Lord. Come to His holy place which He has set apart forever. And worship the Lord your God, that His burning anger may turn away from you.

Now be not stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the Lord and come to His sanctuary, which He has sanctified forever, and serve the Lord your God, that His fierce anger may turn away from you.

9 F or if you return to the Lord, your brothers and your sons will be shown pity by those who took them away, and will return to this land. For the Lord your God is kind and loving. He will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him.”

For if you return to the Lord, your brethren and your children shall find compassion with their captors and return to this land. For the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and He will not turn away His face from you if you return to Him.

10 S o the men took the letters from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun. But the people laughed at them and made fun of them.

So the posts passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, even to Zebulun, but the people laughed them to scorn and mocked them.

11 O nly a few men of Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun put away their pride and came to Jerusalem.

Yet, a few of Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.

12 T he hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the rulers told them by the Word of the Lord. The People Keep the Passover

Also the hand of God came upon Judah to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes, by the word of the Lord.

13 M any people gathered together at Jerusalem to keep the Special Supper of Bread Without Yeast in the second month. There were very many people.

And many people came to Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month, a very great assembly.

14 T hey took away the altars which were in Jerusalem. And they also took away all the special perfume altars and threw them into the river of Kidron.

They rose up and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars and utensils for incense they took away and threw into the Kidron Valley.

15 T hen they killed the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of the second month. The religious leaders and Levites were ashamed and made themselves holy, and brought burnt gifts to the house of the Lord.

Then they killed the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. And the priests and the Levites were ashamed and sanctified themselves and brought burnt offerings to the Lord’s house.

16 T hey stood in their places as they should, as given by the Law of Moses the man of God. The religious leaders placed the blood which they received from the hand of the Levites.

They stood in their accustomed places, as directed in the Law of Moses the man of God. The priests threw the blood they received from the hand of the Levites.

17 F or there were many of the people who had not made themselves holy. So the Levites had to kill the Passover lambs for every one who was unclean, to make them holy to the Lord.

For many were in the assembly who had not sanctified themselves. So the Levites had to kill the Passover lambs for all who were not clean, in order to make them holy to the Lord.

18 F or many of the people, many of them from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not made themselves clean. Yet they ate the Passover in a different way than had been written. For Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the good Lord forgive everyone

For a multitude of the people, many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover otherwise than Moses directed. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, May the good Lord pardon everyone

19 w ho makes his heart ready to look for God, the Lord God of his fathers, even if he does not follow the rules of the holy place for making himself clean.”

Who sets his heart to seek and yearn for God—the Lord, the God of his fathers—even though not complying with the purification regulations of the sanctuary.

20 A nd the Lord heard Hezekiah, and healed the people.

And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah and healed the people.

21 T he people of Israel who were there in Jerusalem kept the Special Supper of Bread Without Yeast for seven days with great joy. The Levites and the religious leaders praised the Lord day after day, singing with loud music to the Lord.

And the Israelites who were in Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy. The Levites and priests praised the Lord day by day, singing with instruments of much volume to the Lord.

22 T hen Hezekiah spoke comforting words to all the Levites who had good understanding in the Lord’s work. So the people ate the food of the Special Supper for seven days, giving peace gifts and thanks to the Lord God of their fathers.

Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who had good understanding in the Lord’s work. So the people ate the seven-day appointed feast, offering peace offerings, making confession to the Lord, the God of their fathers.

23 T hen all the people decided to keep the Special Supper for another seven days. So they kept it for another seven days with joy.

And the whole assembly took counsel to prolong the feast another seven days; and they kept it another seven days with joy.

24 F or King Hezekiah of Judah had given the people 1, 000 bulls and 7, 000 sheep. And the rulers had given the people 1, 000 bulls and 10, 000 sheep. And a large number of religious leaders made themselves holy.

For Hezekiah king of Judah gave to the assembly 1, 000 young bulls and 7, 000 sheep, and the princes gave 1, 000 young bulls and 10, 000 sheep. And a great number of priests sanctified themselves.

25 A ll the people of Judah were filled with joy, with the religious leaders and the Levites, and all the people who came from Israel. Both the people who came from the land of Israel and those living in Judah were filled with joy.

All the assembly of Judah, with the priests, the Levites, and all the assembly who with the sojourners came from the land of Israel to dwell in Judah, rejoiced.

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.

So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon son of David king of Israel there was nothing like this in Jerusalem.

27 T hen the religious leaders and Levites stood and prayed that good would come to the people. And their voice was heard. Their prayer came to the Lord’s holy place in heaven.

Then the priests and Levites arose and blessed the people; and their voice was heard and their prayer came up to holy habitation in heaven.