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At the king’s command, runners were sent throughout Israel and Judah. They carried letters that said:

“O people of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel,[a] so that he will return to the few of us who have survived the conquest of the Assyrian kings. Do not be like your ancestors and relatives who abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and became an object of derision, as you yourselves can see. Do not be stubborn, as they were, but submit yourselves to the Lord. Come to his Temple, which he has set apart as holy forever. Worship the Lord your God so that his fierce anger will turn away from you.

“For if you return to the Lord, your relatives and your children will be treated mercifully by their captors, and they will be able to return to this land. For the Lord your God is gracious and merciful. If you return to him, he will not continue to turn his face from you.”

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Footnotes

  1. 30:6 Israel is the name that God gave to Jacob.

Then the (A)runners went throughout all Israel and Judah with the letters from the king and his leaders, and spoke according to the command of the king: “Children of Israel, (B)return to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel; then He will return to the remnant of you who have escaped from the hand of (C)the kings of (D)Assyria. And do not be (E)like your fathers and your brethren, who trespassed against the Lord God of their fathers, so that He (F)gave them up to (G)desolation, as you see. Now do not be (H)stiff-necked,[a] as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the Lord; and enter His sanctuary, which He has sanctified forever, and serve the Lord your God, (I)that the fierceness of His wrath may turn away from you. For if you return to the Lord, your brethren and your children will be treated with (J)compassion by those who lead them captive, so that they may come back to this land; for the Lord your God is (K)gracious and merciful, and will not turn His face from you if you (L)return to Him.”

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 30:8 Rebellious

So messengers carried letters written by the king and his leaders throughout the kingdoms.

Hezekiah’s Letter: People of Israel, return to the ways of the Eternal One, True God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and He will return to those of you who escaped the conquering kings of Assyria to follow Him. Don’t be like your relatives who ignored the Eternal One, the True God of their fathers; they were destroyed and became a horrific spectacle to other nations. Do not be stubborn as they were. Obey Him, come to His sanctuary, and serve the Eternal One, your True God, so that He will not be angry with you. If you return to His ways, then your families who were exiled by the Assyrians will receive compassion and will return to their homes because the Eternal One, your True God, is gracious and compassionate and will return to you if you return to Him.

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At the king’s command, couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and from his officials, which read:

“People of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that he may return to you who are left, who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. Do not be like your parents(A) and your fellow Israelites, who were unfaithful(B) to the Lord, the God of their ancestors, so that he made them an object of horror,(C) as you see. Do not be stiff-necked,(D) as your ancestors were; submit to the Lord. Come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever. Serve the Lord your God, so that his fierce anger(E) will turn away from you. If you return(F) to the Lord, then your fellow Israelites and your children will be shown compassion(G) by their captors and will return to this land, for the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate.(H) He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.”

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