猶大王希西迦

29 希西迦二十五歲登基,在耶路撒冷執政二十九年。他母親叫亞比雅,是撒迦利雅的女兒。 希西迦效法他祖先大衛,做耶和華視為正的事。

潔淨聖殿

希西迦元年一月,他開啟耶和華殿的門,重新修理。 他把眾祭司和利未人召集在東邊的廣場, 對他們說:「利未人啊,請聽我說!現在你們要潔淨自己,也要潔淨你們祖先的上帝耶和華的殿,除去聖所中的污穢之物。 我們的祖先行事不忠,做我們的上帝耶和華視為惡的事,背棄祂,轉臉背向祂的居所。 他們封鎖殿廊的門,吹滅燈火,不在聖所裡向以色列的上帝燒香、獻燔祭。 因此,耶和華的烈怒臨到猶大和耶路撒冷,使他們的遭遇令人恐懼、震驚、嗤笑,正如你們親眼所見的。 所以我們的祖先死在刀下,我們的妻兒也被擄去。 10 現在我決心要與以色列的上帝耶和華立約,好使祂的烈怒轉離我們。 11 我的孩子們啊,不要懈怠!因為耶和華揀選你們站在祂面前事奉祂,向祂燒香。」

12 於是,利未人開始供職。其中哥轄宗族有亞瑪賽的兒子瑪哈和亞撒利雅的兒子約珥,米拉利宗族有亞伯底的兒子基士和耶哈利勒的兒子亞撒利雅,革順宗族有薪瑪的兒子約亞和約亞的兒子伊甸, 13 以利撒反宗族有申利和耶利,亞薩宗族有撒迦利雅和瑪探雅, 14 希幔宗族有耶歇和示每,耶杜頓宗族有示瑪雅和烏薛。 15 他們召集其他利未人一起潔淨自己,並遵照王的吩咐和耶和華的命令,進去潔淨耶和華的殿。 16 祭司們進入耶和華的殿,把所有污穢之物搬到耶和華殿的院子裡,然後再由利未人運到外面的汲淪溪丟掉。 17 他們一月一日開始潔淨的工作,到一月八日已經潔淨到耶和華殿的走廊,又用八天潔淨耶和華的殿,一月十六日完成潔淨的工作。

重新奉獻聖殿

18 然後,他們晉見希西迦王,說:「我們已經潔淨了整個耶和華的殿、燔祭壇以及壇上的一切器皿、供餅的桌子及桌子上的一切器皿。 19 我們已備齊亞哈斯王對上帝不忠時所廢棄的器皿,並潔淨了它們,現在都放在耶和華的壇前。」

20 希西迦王清早起來,召集城中官員一同上到耶和華的殿。 21 他們牽來七頭公牛、七隻公綿羊、七隻羊羔和七隻公山羊,作國家、聖所和猶大人的贖罪祭。王吩咐做祭司的亞倫子孫把這些牲畜獻在耶和華的壇上。 22 他們宰了公牛,祭司取過血來灑在壇上,然後宰了公綿羊並把血灑在壇上,又宰了羊羔並把血灑在壇上。 23 有人把作贖罪祭的公山羊牽到王和會眾面前,他們就將手按在公山羊身上。 24 祭司宰了公山羊,把血灑在壇上作贖罪祭,為所有以色列人贖罪,因為王吩咐要為所有以色列人獻上燔祭和贖罪祭。

25 王又分派利未人在耶和華的殿裡敲鈸、鼓瑟、彈琴,正如大衛王、王的先見迦得和先知拿單的指示,即耶和華藉先知所吩咐的。 26 利未人拿著大衛的樂器侍立在那裡,祭司拿著號角侍立在那裡。 27 希西迦下令在壇上獻燔祭。開始獻燔祭時,伴隨著號角聲和以色列王大衛的樂器聲,響起了頌讚耶和華的歌聲。 28 全體會眾伴著歌聲和號角聲俯伏敬拜,直到獻完燔祭。 29 獻完燔祭後,王和所有在場的人都俯伏敬拜。 30 希西迦王與眾官員又吩咐利未人用大衛和亞薩先見的詩詞頌讚耶和華。他們歡喜地歌唱,並低頭敬拜。

31 希西迦說:「你們既然已經把自己獻給了耶和華,現在就把祭物和感恩祭帶到耶和華的殿裡來吧。」於是,會眾就把祭物和感恩祭送來,有些人甘心樂意地送來燔祭。 32 會眾獻給耶和華作燔祭的有七十頭公牛、一百隻公綿羊、二百隻羊羔, 33 獻為聖物的有六百頭公牛、三千隻綿羊。 34 但祭司人數太少,剝不完燔祭牲的皮,於是他們的親族利未人就來幫助他們,直到獻完燔祭,並且別的祭司也潔淨了自己,因為利未人比祭司更誠心潔淨自己。 35 他們獻上大量的燔祭,以及很多平安祭祭牲的脂肪和與燔祭同獻的奠祭。

從此,耶和華殿裡的事奉恢復了。 36 希西迦和民眾因上帝為他們所做的而歡喜快樂,因為這事情很快成就了。

29 Hezekiah began to reign when he was five and twenty years old, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah.

And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done.

He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the Lord, and repaired them.

And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east street,

And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place.

For our fathers have trespassed, and done that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord our God, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the Lord, and turned their backs.

Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place unto the God of Israel.

Wherefore the wrath of the Lord was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing, as ye see with your eyes.

For, lo, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this.

10 Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us.

11 My sons, be not now negligent: for the Lord hath chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that ye should minister unto him, and burn incense.

12 Then the Levites arose, Mahath the son of Amasai, and Joel the son of Azariah, of the sons of the Kohathites: and of the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi, and Azariah the son of Jehalelel: and of the Gershonites; Joah the son of Zimmah, and Eden the son of Joah:

13 And of the sons of Elizaphan; Shimri, and Jeiel: and of the sons of Asaph; Zechariah, and Mattaniah:

14 And of the sons of Heman; Jehiel, and Shimei: and of the sons of Jeduthun; Shemaiah, and Uzziel.

15 And they gathered their brethren, and sanctified themselves, and came, according to the commandment of the king, by the words of the Lord, to cleanse the house of the Lord.

16 And the priests went into the inner part of the house of the Lord, to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the Lord into the court of the house of the Lord. And the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad into the brook Kidron.

17 Now they began on the first day of the first month to sanctify, and on the eighth day of the month came they to the porch of the Lord: so they sanctified the house of the Lord in eight days; and in the sixteenth day of the first month they made an end.

18 Then they went in to Hezekiah the king, and said, We have cleansed all the house of the Lord, and the altar of burnt offering, with all the vessels thereof, and the shewbread table, with all the vessels thereof.

19 Moreover all the vessels, which king Ahaz in his reign did cast away in his transgression, have we prepared and sanctified, and, behold, they are before the altar of the Lord.

20 Then Hezekiah the king rose early, and gathered the rulers of the city, and went up to the house of the Lord.

21 And they brought seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven he goats, for a sin offering for the kingdom, and for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And he commanded the priests the sons of Aaron to offer them on the altar of the Lord.

22 So they killed the bullocks, and the priests received the blood, and sprinkled it on the altar: likewise, when they had killed the rams, they sprinkled the blood upon the altar: they killed also the lambs, and they sprinkled the blood upon the altar.

23 And they brought forth the he goats for the sin offering before the king and the congregation; and they laid their hands upon them:

24 And the priests killed them, and they made reconciliation with their blood upon the altar, to make an atonement for all Israel: for the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering should be made for all Israel.

25 And he set the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king's seer, and Nathan the prophet: for so was the commandment of the Lord by his prophets.

26 And the Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.

27 And Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt offering upon the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the Lord began also with the trumpets, and with the instruments ordained by David king of Israel.

28 And all the congregation worshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded: and all this continued until the burnt offering was finished.

29 And when they had made an end of offering, the king and all that were present with him bowed themselves, and worshipped.

30 Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the Lord with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped.

31 Then Hezekiah answered and said, Now ye have consecrated yourselves unto the Lord, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the Lord. And the congregation brought in sacrifices and thank offerings; and as many as were of a free heart burnt offerings.

32 And the number of the burnt offerings, which the congregation brought, was threescore and ten bullocks, an hundred rams, and two hundred lambs: all these were for a burnt offering to the Lord.

33 And the consecrated things were six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep.

34 But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt offerings: wherefore their brethren the Levites did help them, till the work was ended, and until the other priests had sanctified themselves: for the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests.

35 And also the burnt offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace offerings, and the drink offerings for every burnt offering. So the service of the house of the Lord was set in order.

36 And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that God had prepared the people: for the thing was done suddenly.

29 Now Ezechias began to reign, when he was five and twenty years old, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem: the name of his mother was Abia, the daughter of Zacharias.

And he did that which was pleasing in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done.

In the first year and month of his reign he opened the doors of the house of the Lord, and repaired them.

And he brought the priests and the Levites, and assembled them in the east street.

And he said to them: Hear me, ye Levites, and be sanctified, purify the house of the Lord the God of your fathers, and take away all filth out of the sanctuary.

Our fathers have sinned and done evil in the sight of the Lord God, forsaking him: they have turned away their faces from the tabernacle of the Lord, and turned their backs.

They have shut up the doors that were in tile porch, and put out the lamps. and have not burnt incense, nor offered holocausts in the sanctuary of the God of Israel.

Therefore the wrath of the Lord hath been stirred up against Juda and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to trouble, and to destruction, and to be hissed at, as you see with your eyes.

Behold, our fathers are fallen by the sword, our sons, and our daughters, and wives are led away captives for this wickedness.

10 Now therefore I have a mind that we make a covenant with the Lord the God of Israel, and he will turn away the wrath of his indignation from us.

11 My sons, be not negligent: the Lord hath chosen you to stand before him, and to minister to him, and to worship him, and to burn incense to him.

12 Then the Levites arose, Mahath the son of Amasai, and Joel the son of Azarias, of the sons of Caath: and of the sons of Merari, Cis the son of Abdi, and Azarias the son of Jalaleel. And of the sons of Gerson, Joah the son of Zemma, and Eden the son of Joah.

13 And of the sons of Elisaphan, Samri, and Jahiel. Also of the sons of Asaph, Zacharias, and Mathanias.

14 And of the sons of Heman, Jahiel, and Semei: and of the sons of Idithun, Semeias, and Oziel.

15 And they gathered together their brethren, and sanctified themselves, and went in according to the commandment of the king, and the precept of the Lord, to purify the house of God.

16 And the priests went into the temple of the Lord to sanctify it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found within to the entrance of the house of the Lord, and the Levites took it away, and carried it out abroad to the torrent Cedron.

17 And they began to cleanse on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the same month they came into the porch of the temple of the Lord, and they purified the temple in eight days, and on the sixteenth day of the same month they finished what they had begun.

18 And they went is to king Ezechias, and said to him: We have sanctified all the house of the Lord, and the altar of holocaust, and the vessels thereof, and the table of proposition with all its vessels,

19 And all the furniture of the temple, which king Achaz in his reign had defiled, after his transgression; and behold they are all set forth before the altar of the Lord.

20 And king Ezechias rising early, assembled all the rulers of the city, and went up into the house of the Lord:

21 And they offered together seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven he goats for sin, for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, for Juda: and he spoke to the priests the sons of Aaron, to offer them upon the altar of the Lord.

22 Therefore they killed the bullocks, and the priests took the blood, and poured it upon the altar; they killed also the rams, and their blood they poured also upon the altar, and they killed the lambs, and poured the blood upon the altar.

23 And they brought the he goats for sin before the king, and the whole multitude, and they laid their hand upon them:

24 And the priests immolated them, and sprinkled their blood before the altar for an expiation of all Israel: for the king had commanded that the holocaust and the sin offering should be made for all Israel.

25 And he set the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, and psalteries, and harps according to the regulation of David the king, and of Gad the seer, and of Nathan the prophet: for it was the commandment of the Lord by the hand of his prophets.

26 And the Levites stood, with the instruments of David, and the priests with trumpets.

27 And Ezechias commanded that they should offer holocausts upon the altar: and when the holocausts were offered, they began to sing praises to the Lord, and to sound with trumpets, and divers instruments which David the king of Israel had prepared.

28 And all the multitude adored, and the singers, and the trumpeters, were in their office till the holocaust was finished.

29 And when the oblation was ended, the king, and all that were with him bowed down and adored.

30 And Ezechias and the princes commanded the Levites to praise the Lord with the words of David, and Asaph the seer: and they praised him with great joy, and bowing the knee adored.

31 And Ezechias added, and said: You have filled your hands to the Lord, come and offer victims, and praises in the house of the Lord. And all the multitude offered victims, and praises, and holocausts with a devout mind.

32 And the number of the holocausts which the multitude offered, was seventy bullocks, a hundred rams, and two hundred lambs.

33 And they consecrated to the Lord six hundred oxen, and three thousand sheep.

34 But the priests were few, and were not enough to flay the holocausts: wherefore the Levites their brethren helped them, till the work was ended, and priests were sanctified, for the Levites are sanctified with an easier rite than the priests.

35 So there were many holocausts, and the fat of peace offerings, and the libations of holocausts: and the service of the house of the Lord was completed.

36 And Ezechias, and all the people rejoiced because the ministry of the Lord was accomplished. For the resolution of doing this thing was taken suddenly.