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Hezekiah’s Temple Restoration Project(A)

In the first month of the first year of his reign he repaired and reopened the doors of the Lord’s Temple. Then he brought in the priests and descendants of Levi, gathered them into the square in the eastern part of the Temple,[a] and told them,

“Pay attention to me, you descendants of Levi! Consecrate yourselves and the Temple of the Lord God of your ancestors by taking out from the Holy Place whatever is unclean. Our ancestors have been unfaithful. They practiced what the Lord considers to be evil, abandoned him, turned their faces away from the place where the Lord resides, and turned their backs to him. They shut the doors to the vestibule[b] of the Temple,[c] extinguished its lamps, and have not burned incense or offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel in the Holy Place. That’s why the Lord was angry with Judah and Jerusalem and made them an object of terror, horror, and derision, as you’ve seen with your own eyes. Now look! Our ancestors have been killed with swords and our sons, daughters, and wives are being held captive because of all of this. 10 I’m intending to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel so his burning anger may turn away from us. 11 Please don’t be careless, you descendants of Aaron,[d] because the Lord has chosen you to minister in his presence, to serve him, to be his ministers, and to burn incense.”

12 Here are the names of the descendants of Levi who made themselves available to God: Amasai’s son Mahath and Azariah’s son Joel from the descendants of Kohath; Abdi’s son Kish and Jehallelel’s son Azariah from the descendants of Merari; Zimmah’s son Joah and Joah’s son Eden from the descendants of Gershon; 13 Elizaphan’s sons Shimri and Jeiel; Asaph’s sons Zechariah and Mattaniah; 14 Heman’s sons Jehiel and Shimei; and Jeduthun’s sons Shemaiah and Uzziel. 15 They also brought together their brothers, consecrated themselves, and proceeded to cleanse the Lord’s Temple, just as the king had ordered in accordance with what the Lord had told him. 16 The priests entered the inner courts of the Lord’s Temple to cleanse it, and they brought out everything unclean that they found there to the outer court of the Lord’s Temple. Then the descendants of Levi carried everything from there out to the Kidron Valley. 17 They began their consecration duties on the first day of the first month and finished at the Lord’s outer vestibule[e] on the eighth day of the month. Another eight days was used to consecrate the Lord’s Temple, so they completed the work on the sixteenth day of the first month.

18 After this, they went to King Hezekiah and told him, “We have cleansed all of the Lord’s Temple, including the altar for burnt offerings, all of its utensils, the table of showbread, and all of its utensils. 19 In addition, we have prepared and rededicated all of the utensils that King Ahaz threw away during his unfaithful reign, and now they’re back in service at the Lord’s altar.”

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 29:4 The Heb. lacks part of the temple
  2. 2 Chronicles 29:7 Or the outer courtyard
  3. 2 Chronicles 29:7 The Heb. lacks of the temple
  4. 2 Chronicles 29:11 The Heb. lacks of Aaron
  5. 2 Chronicles 29:17 Or courtyard