2 Chronicles 29:1-11
New English Translation
Hezekiah Consecrates the Temple
29 Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother[a] was Abijah,[b] the daughter of Zechariah. 2 He did what the Lord approved, just as his ancestor David had done.[c]
3 In the first month of the first year of his reign, he opened the doors of the Lord’s temple and repaired them. 4 He brought in the priests and Levites and assembled them in the square on the east side. 5 He said to them: “Listen to me, you Levites! Now consecrate yourselves, so you can consecrate the temple of the Lord God of your ancestors.[d] Remove from the sanctuary what is ceremonially unclean. 6 For our fathers were unfaithful; they did what is evil in the sight of[e] the Lord our God and abandoned him. They turned away[f] from the Lord’s dwelling place and rejected him.[g] 7 They closed the doors of the temple porch and put out the lamps; they did not offer incense or burnt sacrifices in the sanctuary of the God of Israel. 8 The Lord was angry at Judah and Jerusalem and made them an appalling object of horror at which people hiss out their scorn,[h] as you can see with your own eyes. 9 Look, our fathers died violently[i] and our sons, daughters, and wives were carried off[j] because of this. 10 Now I intend[k] to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, so that he may relent from his raging anger.[l] 11 My sons, do not be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to stand in his presence, to minister to him,[m] to be his ministers,[n] and offer sacrifices.”[o]
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 2 Chronicles 29:1 tn Heb “the name of his mother.”
- 2 Chronicles 29:1 tn The parallel passage in 2 Kgs 18:2 has “Abi.”
- 2 Chronicles 29:2 tn Heb “he did what was proper in the eyes of the Lord, according to all which David his father had done.”
- 2 Chronicles 29:5 tn Heb “fathers.”
- 2 Chronicles 29:6 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
- 2 Chronicles 29:6 tn Heb “turned their faces.”
- 2 Chronicles 29:6 tn Heb “and turned the back.”
- 2 Chronicles 29:8 tn Heb “and he made them [an object] of dread and devastation and hissing.”
- 2 Chronicles 29:9 tn Heb “fell by the sword.”
- 2 Chronicles 29:9 tn Heb “are in captivity.”
- 2 Chronicles 29:10 tn Heb “now it is with my heart.”
- 2 Chronicles 29:10 tn Heb “so that the rage of his anger might turn from us.” The jussive with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding statement of intention.
- 2 Chronicles 29:11 tn That is, to conduct the religious rituals directed to the Lord.
- 2 Chronicles 29:11 tn That is, to be his ministers for the nation.
- 2 Chronicles 29:11 tn Heb “ones who cause [sacrifices] to go up in smoke.” The Hiphil form of קָטַר (qatar) can refer specifically to offering incense (e.g. 2 Chr 26:19; 32:12), but it may also be a general word for making sacrifices (e.g. 1 Chr 6:49). If it refers to burning incense, then the altar of incense in the Holy place of the tabernacle may be in view. Otherwise it is more general (they sacrifice animals later in this chapter, 2 Chr 29:21-24) and includes making sacrifices as well as offering incense.
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