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2 Chronicles 29
Living Bible
2 Chronicles 29
Living Bible
29 Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became the king of Judah, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. 2 His reign was generally good in the Lord’s sight, just as his ancestor David’s had been.
3 In the very first month of the first year of his reign, he reopened the doors of the Temple and repaired them. 4-5 He summoned the priests and Levites to meet him at the open space east of the Temple and addressed them thus:
“Listen to me, you Levites. Sanctify yourselves and sanctify the Temple of the Lord God of your ancestors—clean all the debris from the holy place. 6 For our fathers have committed a deep sin before the Lord our God; they abandoned the Lord and his Temple and turned their backs on it. 7 The doors have been shut tight, the perpetual flame has been put out, and the incense and burnt offerings have not been offered. 8 Therefore, the wrath of the Lord has been upon Judah and Jerusalem. He has caused us to be objects of horror, amazement, and contempt, as you see us today. 9 Our fathers have been killed in war, and our sons and daughters and wives are in captivity because of this.
10 “But now I want to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel so that his fierce anger will turn away from us. 11 My children, don’t neglect your duties any longer, for the Lord has chosen you to minister to him and to burn incense.”
12-14 Then the Levites went into action:
From the Kohath clan, Mahath (son of Amasai) and Joel (son of Azariah);
From the Merari clan, Kish (son of Abdi) and Azariah (son of Jehallelel);
From the Gershon clan, Joah (son of Zimmah) and Eden (son of Joah).
From the Elizaphan clan, Shimri and Jeuel;
From the Asaph clan, Zechariah and Mattaniah;
From the Hemanite clan, Jehuel and Shimei;
From the Jeduthun clan, Shemaiah and Uzziel.
15 They in turn summoned their fellow Levites and sanctified themselves, and began to clean up and sanctify the Temple, as the king (who was speaking for the Lord) had commanded them. 16 The priests cleaned up the inner room of the Temple and brought out into the court all the filth and decay they found there. The Levites then carted it out to Kidron Brook. 17 This all began on the first day of April, and by the eighth day they had reached the outer court, which took eight days to clean up, so the entire job was completed in sixteen days.
18 Then they went back to the palace and reported to King Hezekiah, “We have completed the cleansing of the Temple and of the altar of burnt offerings and of its accessories, also the table of the Bread of the Presence and its equipment. 19 What’s more, we have recovered and sanctified all the utensils thrown away by King Ahaz when he closed the Temple. They are beside the altar of the Lord.”
20 Early the next morning King Hezekiah went to the Temple with the city officials, 21 taking seven young bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats for a sin offering for the nation and for the Temple.
He instructed the priests, the sons of Aaron, to sacrifice them on the altar of the Lord. 22 So they killed the young bulls, and the priests took the blood and sprinkled it on the altar, and they killed the rams and sprinkled their blood upon the altar, and did the same with the lambs. 23 The male goats for the sin offering were then brought before the king and his officials, who laid their hands upon them. 24 Then the priests killed the animals and made a sin offering with their blood upon the altar to make atonement for all Israel, as the king had commanded—for the king had specified that the burnt offering and sin offering must be sacrificed for the entire nation.
25-26 He organized Levites at the Temple into an orchestral group, using cymbals, psalteries, and harps. This was in accordance with the directions of David and the prophets Gad and Nathan, who had received their instructions from the Lord. The priests formed a trumpet corps. 27 Then Hezekiah ordered the burnt offering to be placed upon the altar, and as the sacrifice began, the instruments of music began to play the songs of the Lord, accompanied by the trumpets. 28 Throughout the entire ceremony everyone worshiped the Lord as the singers sang and the trumpets blew. 29 Afterwards the king and his aides bowed low before the Lord in worship. 30 Then King Hezekiah ordered the Levites to sing before the Lord some of the psalms of David and of the prophet Asaph, which they gladly did, and bowed their heads and worshiped.
31 “The consecration ceremony is now ended,” Hezekiah said. “Now bring your sacrifices and thank offerings.” So the people from every part of the nation brought their sacrifices and thank offerings, and those who wished to brought burnt offerings too. 32-33 In all, there were 70 young bulls for burnt offerings, 100 rams, and 200 lambs. In addition, 600 oxen and 3,000 sheep were brought as holy gifts. 34 But there were too few priests to prepare the burnt offerings, so their brothers the Levites helped them until the work was finished—and until more priests had reported to work—for the Levites were much more ready to sanctify themselves than the priests were. 35 There was an abundance of burnt offerings, and the usual drink offering with each, and many peace offerings. So it was that the Temple was restored to service, and the sacrifices offered again. 36 And Hezekiah and all the people were very happy because of what God had accomplished so quickly.
2 Chronicles 29
New International Version
2 Chronicles 29
New International Version
Hezekiah Purifies the Temple(A)
29 Hezekiah(B) was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. 2 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David(C) had done.
3 In the first month of the first year of his reign, he opened the doors of the temple of the Lord and repaired(D) them. 4 He brought in the priests and the Levites, assembled them in the square on the east side 5 and said: “Listen to me, Levites! Consecrate(E) yourselves now and consecrate the temple of the Lord, the God of your ancestors. Remove all defilement from the sanctuary. 6 Our parents(F) were unfaithful;(G) they did evil in the eyes of the Lord our God and forsook him. They turned their faces away from the Lord’s dwelling place and turned their backs on him. 7 They also shut the doors of the portico and put out the lamps. They did not burn incense(H) or present any burnt offerings at the sanctuary to the God of Israel. 8 Therefore, the anger of the Lord has fallen on Judah and Jerusalem; he has made them an object of dread and horror(I) and scorn,(J) as you can see with your own eyes. 9 This is why our fathers have fallen by the sword and why our sons and daughters and our wives are in captivity.(K) 10 Now I intend to make a covenant(L) with the Lord, the God of Israel, so that his fierce anger(M) will turn away from us. 11 My sons, do not be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to stand before him and serve him,(N) to minister(O) before him and to burn incense.”
12 Then these Levites(P) set to work:
from the Kohathites,
Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah;
from the Merarites,
Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel;
from the Gershonites,
Joah son of Zimmah and Eden(Q) son of Joah;
13 from the descendants of Elizaphan,(R)
Shimri and Jeiel;
from the descendants of Asaph,(S)
Zechariah and Mattaniah;
14 from the descendants of Heman,
Jehiel and Shimei;
from the descendants of Jeduthun,
Shemaiah and Uzziel.
15 When they had assembled their fellow Levites and consecrated themselves, they went in to purify(T) the temple of the Lord, as the king had ordered, following the word of the Lord. 16 The priests went into the sanctuary of the Lord to purify it. They brought out to the courtyard of the Lord’s temple everything unclean that they found in the temple of the Lord. The Levites took it and carried it out to the Kidron Valley.(U) 17 They began the consecration on the first day of the first month, and by the eighth day of the month they reached the portico of the Lord. For eight more days they consecrated the temple of the Lord itself, finishing on the sixteenth day of the first month.
18 Then they went in to King Hezekiah and reported: “We have purified the entire temple of the Lord, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the table for setting out the consecrated bread, with all its articles. 19 We have prepared and consecrated all the articles(V) that King Ahaz removed in his unfaithfulness while he was king. They are now in front of the Lord’s altar.”
20 Early the next morning King Hezekiah gathered the city officials together and went up to the temple of the Lord. 21 They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven male lambs and seven male goats(W) as a sin offering[a](X) for the kingdom, for the sanctuary and for Judah. The king commanded the priests, the descendants of Aaron, to offer these on the altar of the Lord. 22 So they slaughtered the bulls, and the priests took the blood and splashed it against the altar; next they slaughtered the rams and splashed their blood against the altar; then they slaughtered the lambs and splashed their blood(Y) against the altar. 23 The goats(Z) for the sin offering were brought before the king and the assembly, and they laid their hands(AA) on them. 24 The priests then slaughtered the goats and presented their blood on the altar for a sin offering to atone(AB) for all Israel, because the king had ordered the burnt offering and the sin offering for all Israel.(AC)
25 He stationed the Levites in the temple of the Lord with cymbals, harps and lyres in the way prescribed by David(AD) and Gad(AE) the king’s seer and Nathan the prophet; this was commanded by the Lord through his prophets. 26 So the Levites stood ready with David’s instruments,(AF) and the priests with their trumpets.(AG)
27 Hezekiah gave the order to sacrifice the burnt offering on the altar. As the offering began, singing to the Lord began also, accompanied by trumpets and the instruments(AH) of David king of Israel. 28 The whole assembly bowed in worship, while the musicians played and the trumpets sounded. All this continued until the sacrifice of the burnt offering(AI) was completed.
29 When the offerings were finished, the king and everyone present with him knelt down and worshiped.(AJ) 30 King Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to praise the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness and bowed down and worshiped.
31 Then Hezekiah said, “You have now dedicated yourselves to the Lord. Come and bring sacrifices(AK) and thank offerings to the temple of the Lord.” So the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all whose hearts were willing(AL) brought burnt offerings.
32 The number of burnt offerings(AM) the assembly brought was seventy bulls, a hundred rams and two hundred male lambs—all of them for burnt offerings to the Lord. 33 The animals consecrated as sacrifices amounted to six hundred bulls and three thousand sheep and goats. 34 The priests, however, were too few to skin all the burnt offerings;(AN) so their relatives the Levites helped them until the task was finished and until other priests had been consecrated,(AO) for the Levites had been more conscientious in consecrating themselves than the priests had been. 35 There were burnt offerings in abundance, together with the fat(AP) of the fellowship offerings(AQ) and the drink offerings(AR) that accompanied the burnt offerings.
So the service of the temple of the Lord was reestablished. 36 Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced at what God had brought about for his people, because it was done so quickly.(AS)
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 29:21 Or purification offering; also in verses 23 and 24
2 Crónicas 29
Traducción en lenguaje actual
2 Crónicas 29
Traducción en lenguaje actual
Ezequías, rey de Judá (2 R 18.1-3)
29 Ezequías tenía veinticinco años de edad cuando comenzó a gobernar sobre Judá. La capital de su reino fue Jerusalén, y su reinado duró veintinueve años. Su madre se llamaba Abí, era hija de Zacarías.
2 Ezequías obedeció a Dios, tal como lo había hecho el rey David. 3 En el mes de Abib,[a] del primer año de su reinado, Ezequías ordenó que las puertas del templo se abrieran y fueran reparadas. 4 Después reunió a los sacerdotes y a sus ayudantes en el patio que estaba al este del templo, 5 y les dijo:
«Escúchenme con atención: Es urgente que ustedes se preparen para honrar al Dios de sus antepasados y que preparen también su templo. Saquen de allí todo lo que a Dios no le agrada.
6 »Nuestros antepasados dejaron de adorar a Dios y abandonaron su templo. Desobedecieron a nuestro Dios, 7 pues cerraron las puertas de su templo y dejaron de adorarlo; apagaron las lámparas, dejaron de quemar incienso y no volvieron a presentar ofrendas en su honor.
8 »Por eso Dios castigó a los habitantes de Judá y de Jerusalén. Fue tan terrible el castigo, que no salíamos de nuestro asombro. 9 Nuestros padres murieron en batalla, y nuestros enemigos se llevaron prisioneros a nuestros hijos, hijas y esposas.
10 »Pero si hacemos un pacto con nuestro Dios, podremos volver a agradarle. 11 Dios los ha elegido a ustedes para que estén siempre a su servicio, y para que lo adoren. Por eso ahora les pido, amigos míos, que no sean perezosos y cumplan con su deber».
Los levitas preparan el templo
12 Ésta es la lista de los ayudantes de los sacerdotes que respondieron al llamado del rey:
De los descendientes de Quehat:
Máhat hijo de Amasai,
Joel hijo de Azarías.
De los descendientes de Merarí:
Quis hijo de Abdí,
Azarías hijo de Jehaleel.
De los descendientes de Guersón:
Joah hijo de Zimá,
Edén hijo de Joah.
13 De los descendientes de Elisafán:
Simrí,
Jehiel.
De los descendientes de Asaf:
Zacarías,
Matanías.
14 De los descendientes de Hemán:
Jehiel,
Simí.
De los descendientes de Jedutún:
Semaías,
Uziel.
15-17 El día primero, del mes de Abib,[b] todos ellos obedecieron al rey, siguiendo las instrucciones de la ley de Dios. De inmediato reunieron a sus parientes, y todos se prepararon para adorar a Dios. Luego los sacerdotes entraron en el templo para prepararlo. Encontraron muchos objetos que no agradaban a Dios, y los sacaron al patio del templo para que los ayudantes los tiraran al arroyo llamado Cedrón.
Tardaron ocho días en preparar la parte de afuera del templo, y otros ocho, para preparar el interior. El día dieciséis del mes de Abib terminaron de hacer todo esto. 18 Luego fueron al palacio del rey Ezequías, y le dijeron:
«Ya terminamos de purificar el templo, incluyendo el altar de los sacrificios, la mesa de los panes y todos los utensilios. 19 También hemos preparado y colocado ante el altar todos los utensilios que desechó el rey Ahaz cuando desobedeció a Dios».
20 Al día siguiente, muy temprano, el rey Ezequías reunió a los jefes más importantes de la ciudad y se fue con ellos al templo de Dios. 21 Llevaron como ofrendas siete toros, siete carneros y siete corderos. También llevaron siete cabritos para pedir perdón a Dios por los pecados de la familia del rey, por los pecados del pueblo de Judá, y para hacer del templo un lugar aceptable para Dios.
El rey entregó los animales a los sacerdotes descendientes de Aarón, para que los sacrificaran sobre el altar de Dios. 22 Y así lo hicieron los sacerdotes. Luego, con la sangre de los animales rociaron el altar. 23-24 Como el rey les había ordenado que presentaran la ofrenda para el perdón del pecado de todo el pueblo, los sacerdotes tomaron los cabritos y le pidieron al rey y a los que estaban reunidos con él, que pusieran las manos sobre los animales. Entonces los sacerdotes mataron a los cabritos y derramaron su sangre sobre el altar.
25-28 Mucho tiempo atrás, Dios les había indicado a David y a los profetas Gad y Natán, que los ayudantes de los sacerdotes debían adorarle con música. Entonces Ezequías les ordenó que se pusieran de pie en el templo de Dios, mientras que los sacerdotes tocaban las trompetas.
Por eso, en cuanto Ezequías dio la orden de que los sacerdotes empezaran a presentar los sacrificios, sus ayudantes comenzaron a tocar los platillos y las arpas, y otros instrumentos de cuerdas. Mientras terminaban de presentar los sacrificios, el pueblo adoraba a Dios de rodillas, el coro cantaba y los demás sacerdotes tocaban las trompetas.
29 Al terminar, el rey y todos los que estaban con él también se arrodillaron y adoraron a Dios. 30 Entonces Ezequías y los principales jefes del pueblo ordenaron a los ayudantes de los sacerdotes que le cantaran a Dios los salmos de David y del profeta Asaf. Ellos obedecieron y cantaron con mucha alegría, y al final también se arrodillaron y adoraron a Dios.
31 Después de esto, Ezequías animó a la gente para que también llevaran al templo de Dios sacrificios y ofrendas de gratitud, como señal de que se habían comprometido a obedecer a Dios. Y todo el pueblo le llevó a Dios, con toda sinceridad, sacrificios y ofrendas de gratitud. 32 Ésta fue la cantidad de animales que presentaron para honrar a Dios: setenta toros, cien carneros, y doscientos corderos. 33 Además, presentaron como ofrenda un total de seiscientas reses y tres mil ovejas, para pedirle a Dios su bendición.
34-35 Cuando Ezequías les ordenó a los ayudantes de los sacerdotes que se prepararan para adorar a Dios, ellos lo hicieron de inmediato; pero los sacerdotes no lo hicieron así. Por eso, y como no había suficientes sacerdotes para ofrecer los sacrificios, sus ayudantes, que eran de la misma tribu, tuvieron que ayudarlos.
Así fue como se volvió a rendir culto a Dios en el templo. 36 Y como Dios los había ayudado para que hicieran todo esto rápidamente, Ezequías y todo el pueblo se llenaron de alegría.
Footnotes
- 2 Crónicas 29:3 Abib: Primer mes del calendario lunar judío. En nuestro calendario solar corresponde al período que va de mediados de marzo a mediados de abril.
- 2 Crónicas 29:15 Abib. Véase nota en 29.3.
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