1
Chizqiyahu sent to all Yisra’el and Yehudah, and wrote letters also to Efrayim and Menasheh, that they should come to the house of the Yahuah at Yerushalayim, to keep the Pesach to the Yahuah, the Elohim of Yisra’el.
2
For the king had taken counsel, and his princes, and all the assembly in Yerushalayim, to keep the Pesach in the second month.
3
For they could not keep it at that time, because the kohenim had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Yerushalayim.
4
The thing was right in the eyes of the king and of all the assembly.
5
So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Yisra’el, from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the Pesach to the Yahuah, the Elohim of Yisra’el, at Yerushalayim: for they had not kept it in great numbers in such sort as it is written.
6
So the couriers went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Yisra’el and Yehudah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, "You children of Yisra’el, turn again to the Yahuah, the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac, and Yisra’el, that he may return to the remnant that have escaped of you out of the hand of the kings of Assyria.
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Do not be like your fathers, and like your brothers, who trespassed against the Yahuah, the Elohim of their fathers, so that he gave them up to desolation, as you see.
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Now do not be stiff-necked, as your fathers were; but yield yourselves to the Yahuah, and enter into his sanctuary, which he has sanctified forever, and serve the Yahuah your Elohim, that his fierce anger may turn away from you.
9
For if you turn again to the Yahuah, your brothers and your children shall find compassion before those who led them captive, and shall come again into this land: for the Yahuah your Elohim is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him."
10
So the couriers passed from city to city through the country of Efrayim and Menasheh, even to Zebulun: but they ridiculed them, and mocked them.
11
Nevertheless certain men of Asher and Menasheh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Yerushalayim.
12
Also on Yehudah came the hand of Elohim to give them one heart, to do the commandment of the king and of the princes by the word of the Yahuah.
13
Many people assembled at Yerushalayim to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great assembly.
14
They arose and took away the altars that were in Yerushalayim, and all the altars for incense took they away, and cast them into the brook Kidron.
15
Then they killed the Pesach on the fourteenth day of the second month: and the kohenim and the Leviyim were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought burnt offerings into the house of the Yahuah.
16
They stood in their place after their order, according to the Torah of Mosheh the man of Elohim: the kohenim sprinkled the blood which they received of the hand of the Leviyim.
17
For there were many in the assembly who had not sanctified themselves: therefore the Leviyim were in charge of killing the Passovers for everyone who was not clean, to sanctify them to the Yahuah.
18
For a multitude of the people, even many of Efrayim and Menasheh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Pesach otherwise than it is written. For Chizqiyahu had prayed for them, saying, "May the good Yahuah pardon everyone
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who sets his heart to seek Elohim, the Yahuah, the Elohim of his fathers, even if they aren't clean according to the purification of the sanctuary."
20
The Yahuah listened to Chizqiyahu, and healed the people.
21
The children of Yisra’el who were present at Yerushalayim kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness; and the Leviyim and the kohenim praised the Yahuah day by day, singing with loud instruments to the Yahuah.
22
Chizqiyahu spoke comfortably to all the Leviyim who had good understanding in the service of the Yahuah. So they ate throughout the feast for the seven days, offering sacrifices of peace offerings, and making confession to the Yahuah, the Elohim of their fathers.
23
The whole assembly took counsel to keep other seven days; and they kept another seven days with gladness.
24
For Chizqiyahu king of Yehudah gave to the assembly for offerings one thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep; and the princes gave to the assembly a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep: and a great number of kohenim sanctified themselves.
25
All the assembly of Yehudah, with the kohenim and the Leviyim, and all the assembly who came out of Yisra’el, and the foreigners who came out of the land of Yisra’el, and who lived in Yehudah, rejoiced.
26
So there was great joy in Yerushalayim; for since the time of Shəlomah the son of Daviyd king of Yisra’el there was not the like in Yerushalayim.
27
Then the kohenim the Leviyim arose and blessed the people: and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy habitation, even to heaven.