2 Cronache 29
La Nuova Diodati
29 Ezechia aveva venticinque anni quando iniziò a regnare, e regnò ventinove anni a Gerusalemme. Sua madre si chiamava Abijah, figlia di Zaccaria.
2 Egli fece ciò che è giusto agli occhi dell'Eterno, in tutto come aveva fatto Davide, suo padre.
3 Nel primo anno del suo regno, nel primo mese, egli aperse le porte della casa dell'Eterno e le restaurò.
4 Poi fece venire i sacerdoti e i Leviti e li radunò nella piazza orientale
5 e disse loro: «Ascoltatemi, o Leviti! Ora santificatevi e santificate la casa dell'Eterno, il DIO dei vostri padri, e portate fuori dal santuario ogni cosa immonda.
6 Poiché i nostri padri hanno peccato e hanno fatto ciò che è male agli occhi dell'Eterno, il nostro DIO e l'hanno abbandonato, distogliendo le loro facce dalla dimora dell'Eterno e voltandogli le spalle.
7 Essi hanno persino chiuso le porte del portico, hanno spento le lampade e non hanno piú bruciato incenso né offerto olocausti nel santuario al DIO d'Israele.
8 Perciò l'ira dell'Eterno si è riversata su Giuda e Gerusalemme, ed egli li ha abbandonati ai guai, alla desolazione e allo scherno, come potete vedere con i vostri occhi.
9 Ed ecco, a causa di questo, i nostri padri sono caduti di spada, e i nostri figli, le nostre figlie e le nostre mogli, sono in cattività.
10 Ora io ho in cuore di fare un patto con l'Eterno, il DIO d'Israele, affinché l'ardore della sua ira si allontani da noi.
11 Figli miei, non siate ora negligenti, perché l'Eterno ha scelto voi per stare davanti a lui per servirlo, per essere suoi ministri e per offrirgli incenso».
12 Allora i Leviti si levarono: Mahath figlio di Amasai, Joel figlio di Azariah, dei figli di Kehath. Dei figli di Merari, Kish figlio di Abdi e Azariah figlio di Jehallelel. Dei Ghershoniti, Joah figlio di Zimmah e Eden figlio di Joah.
13 Dei figli di Elitsafan, Scimri e Jeiel. Dei figli di Asaf, Zaccaria e Mattaniah.
14 Dei figli di Heman, Jehiel e Scimei. Dei figli di Jeduthun, Scemaiah e Uzziel.
15 Essi radunarono i loro fratelli e si santificarono; quindi entrarono a purificare la casa dell'Eterno, secondo l'ordine del re, conformemente alle parole dell'Eterno.
16 Cosí i sacerdoti entrarono nell'interno della casa dell'Eterno per purificarla e portarono fuori, nel cortile della casa dell'Eterno, tutte le cose immonde che trovarono nel tempio dell'Eterno; i Leviti le presero per portarle fuori al torrente Kidron.
17 Cominciarono a santificarsi il primo giorno del primo mese; nel giorno ottavo del mese entrarono nel portico dell'Eterno; in otto giorni purificarono la casa dell'Eterno e terminarono il sedicesimo giorno del primo mese.
18 Quindi entrarono nel palazzo del re Ezechia e gli dissero: «Abbiamo purificato tutta la casa dell'Eterno, l'altare, degli olocausti con tutti i suoi utensili e la tavola dei pani della presentazione con tutti i suoi utensili.
19 Inoltre abbiamo rimesso a posto e purificato tutti gli utensili che il re Achaz nel suo peccato aveva gettato via durante il suo regno; ed ecco, ora sono davanti all'altare dell'Eterno».
20 Allora il re Ezechia si alzò presto, radunò i capi della città e salí alla casa dell'Eterno.
21 Essi portarono sette torelli, sette montoni, sette agnelli e sette capri, come sacrificio per il peccato per il regno, per il santuario e per Giuda. Quindi il re ordinò ai sacerdoti, figli di Aaronne, di offrirli sull'altare dell'Eterno.
22 Cosí scannarono i tori, e i sacerdoti ne raccolsero il sangue e lo spruzzarono sull'altare; allo stesso modo scannarono i montoni e ne spruzzarono il sangue sull'altare, poi scannarono gli agnelli e ne spruzzarono il sangue sull'altare.
23 Quindi presentarono al re e all'assemblea i capri del sacrificio per il peccato, ed essi posarono su di loro le mani.
24 I sacerdoti li scannarono e ne offrirono il sangue sull'altare come sacrificio per il peccato, in espiazione, per tutto Israele, perché il re aveva ordinato di offrire l'olocausto e il sacrificio per il peccato, per tutto Israele.
25 Il re stabilí inoltre i Leviti, nella casa dell'Eterno con cembali, con arpe e con cetre, secondo l'ordine di Davide, di Gad, il veggente del re, e del profeta Nathan, perché l'ordine era dato dall'Eterno per mezzo dei suoi profeti.
26 Cosí i Leviti presero posto con gli strumenti di Davide, e i sacerdoti con le trombe.
27 Allora Ezechia ordinò di offrire l'olocausto sull'altare; e nel momento in cui iniziò l'olocausto, ebbe pure inizio il canto dell'Eterno assieme alle trombe e l'accompagnamento degli strumenti di Davide, re d'Israele.
28 Allora tutta l'assemblea si prostrò, mentre i cantori cantavano e i trombettieri suonavano; tutto questo continuò fino alla fine dell'olocausto.
29 Terminato l'olocausto, il re e tutti quelli che erano con lui s'inchinarono e adorarono.
30 Poi il re Ezechia e i capi ordinarono ai Leviti di lodare l'Eterno con le parole di Davide e del veggente Asaf; essi lo lodarono con gioia, quindi s'inchinarono e adorarono.
31 Allora Ezechia prese la parola e disse: «Ora che vi siete consacrati all'Eterno, avvicinatevi e portate sacrifici e offerte di ringraziamento nella casa dell'Eterno». Cosí l'assemblea portò sacrifici e offerte di ringraziamento; e tutti quelli di cuore volenteroso portarono olocausti.
32 Il numero degli olocausti portati dall'assemblea fu di settanta tori, cento montoni e duecento agnelli; tutti questi erano in olocausto all'Eterno.
33 Gli animali consacrati, furono seicento buoi e tremila pecore.
34 Ma i sacerdoti erano troppo pochi e non potevano scuoiare tutti gli olocausti, perciò i loro fratelli, i Leviti, li aiutarono finché il lavoro non fu terminato e finché gli altri sacerdoti non si furono santificati, perché i Leviti avevano maggior rettitudine di cuore nel santificarsi dei sacerdoti.
35 Ci fu anche un gran numero di olocausti assieme al grasso dei sacrifici di ringraziamento e alle libazioni degli olocausti. Cosí fu ristabilito il servizio della casa dell'Eterno.
36 Ezechia e tutto il popolo si rallegrarono che DIO avesse preparato il popolo; la cosa infatti era avvenuta in fretta.
2 Chronicles 29
21st Century King James Version
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.
2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done.
3 He, in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them.
4 And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east street,
5 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.
6 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.
7 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.
8 Therefore 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.
9 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 on the sixteenth day of the first month they finished.
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 showbread table with all the vessels thereof.
19 Moreover all the vessels which King Ahaz in his reign 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 hegoats 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 hegoats 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 worshiped, 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 who were present with him bowed themselves and worshiped.
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 worshiped.
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 burned offerings.
32 And the number of the burnt offerings which the congregation brought was threescore and ten bullocks, a 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. Therefore their brethren the Levites helped 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.
2 Chronicles 29
King James Version
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.
2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done.
3 He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the Lord, and repaired them.
4 And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east street,
5 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.
6 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.
7 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.
8 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.
9 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.
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 Chronicles 29
New King James Version
Hezekiah Reigns in Judah(A)
29 Hezekiah (B)became king when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was [a]Abijah the daughter of Zechariah. 2 And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done.
Hezekiah Cleanses the Temple
3 In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he (C)opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them. 4 Then he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them in the East Square, 5 and said to them: “Hear me, Levites! Now [b]sanctify yourselves, (D)sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and carry out the rubbish from the holy place. 6 For our fathers have trespassed and done evil in the eyes of the Lord our God; they have forsaken Him, have (E)turned their faces away from the [c]dwelling place of the Lord, and turned their backs on Him. 7 (F)They have also shut up the doors of the vestibule, put out the lamps, and have not burned incense or offered burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel. 8 Therefore the (G)wrath of the Lord fell upon Judah and Jerusalem, and He has (H)given them up to trouble, to desolation, and to (I)jeering, as you see with your (J)eyes. 9 For indeed, because of this (K)our fathers have fallen by the sword; and our sons, our daughters, and our wives are in captivity.
10 “Now it is in my heart to make (L)a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, that His fierce wrath may turn away from us. 11 My sons, do not be negligent now, for the Lord has (M)chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, and that you should minister to Him and burn incense.”
12 Then these Levites arose: (N)Mahath the son of Amasai and Joel the son of Azariah, of the sons of the (O)Kohathites; of the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi and Azariah the son of Jehallelel; of the Gershonites, Joah the son of Zimmah and Eden the son of Joah; 13 of the sons of Elizaphan, Shimri and Jeiel; of the sons of Asaph, Zechariah and Mattaniah; 14 of the sons of Heman, Jehiel and Shimei; and of the sons of Jeduthun, Shemaiah and Uzziel.
15 And they gathered their brethren, (P)sanctified[d] themselves, and went according to the commandment of the king, at the words of the Lord, (Q)to cleanse the house of the Lord. 16 Then the priests went into the inner part of the house of the Lord to cleanse it, and brought out all the debris that they found in the temple of the Lord to the court of the house of the Lord. And the Levites took it out and carried it to the Brook (R)Kidron.
17 Now they began to [e]sanctify on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they came to the vestibule of the Lord. So they sanctified the house of the Lord in eight days, and on the sixteenth day of the first month they finished.
18 Then they went in to King Hezekiah and said, “We have cleansed all the house of the Lord, the altar of burnt offerings with all its articles, and the table of the showbread with all its articles. 19 Moreover all the articles which King Ahaz in his reign had (S)cast aside in his transgression we have prepared and [f]sanctified; and there they are, before the altar of the Lord.”
Hezekiah Restores Temple Worship
20 Then King Hezekiah rose early, gathered the rulers of the city, and went up to the house of the Lord. 21 And they brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats for a (T)sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah. Then he commanded the priests, the sons of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the Lord. 22 So they killed the bulls, and the priests received the blood and (U)sprinkled it on the altar. Likewise they killed the rams and sprinkled the blood on the altar. They also killed the lambs and sprinkled the blood on the altar. 23 Then they brought out the male goats for the sin offering before the king and the assembly, and they laid their (V)hands on them. 24 And the priests killed them; and they presented their blood on the altar as a sin offering (W)to make an atonement for all Israel, for the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering be made for all Israel.
25 (X)And he stationed the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, with stringed instruments, and with harps, (Y)according to the commandment of David, of (Z)Gad the king’s seer, and of Nathan the prophet; (AA)for thus was the commandment of the Lord by His prophets. 26 The Levites stood with the instruments (AB)of David, and the priests with (AC)the trumpets. 27 Then Hezekiah commanded them to offer the burnt offering on the altar. And when the burnt offering began, (AD)the song of the Lord also began, with the trumpets and with the instruments of David king of Israel. 28 So all the assembly worshiped, the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded; all this continued until the burnt offering was finished. 29 And when they had finished offering, (AE)the king and all who were present with him bowed and worshiped. 30 Moreover King Hezekiah and the leaders commanded the Levites to sing praise to the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshiped.
31 Then Hezekiah answered and said, “Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the Lord, come near, and bring sacrifices and (AF)thank offerings into the house of the Lord.” So the assembly brought in sacrifices and thank offerings, and as many as were of a (AG)willing heart brought burnt offerings. 32 And the number of the burnt offerings which the assembly brought was seventy bulls, one hundred rams, and two hundred lambs; all these were for a burnt offering to the Lord. 33 The consecrated things were six hundred bulls and three thousand sheep. 34 But the priests were too few, so that they could not skin all the burnt offerings; therefore (AH)their brethren the Levites helped them until the work was ended and until the other priests had [g]sanctified themselves, (AI)for the Levites were (AJ)more diligent in (AK)sanctifying themselves than the priests. 35 Also the burnt offerings were in abundance, with (AL)the fat of the peace offerings and with (AM)the drink offerings for every burnt offering.
So the service of the house of the Lord was set in order. 36 Then Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced that God had prepared the people, since the events took place so suddenly.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 29:1 Abi, 2 Kin. 18:2
- 2 Chronicles 29:5 consecrate
- 2 Chronicles 29:6 Temple
- 2 Chronicles 29:15 consecrated
- 2 Chronicles 29:17 consecrate
- 2 Chronicles 29:19 consecrated
- 2 Chronicles 29:34 consecrated
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

