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2 Chronicles 30:1-31
Christian Standard Bible

Celebration of the Passover

30 Then Hezekiah sent word throughout all Israel and Judah, and he also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh to come to the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem to observe the Passover of the Lord, the God of Israel.(A) 2 For the king and his officials and the entire congregation in Jerusalem decided to observe the Passover of the Lord in the second month,(B) 3 because they were not able to observe it at the appropriate time. Not enough of the priests had consecrated themselves,(C) and the people hadn’t been gathered together in Jerusalem. 4 The proposal pleased the king and the congregation, 5 so they affirmed the proposal and spread the message throughout all Israel, from Beer-sheba to Dan,(D) to come to observe the Passover of the Lord, the God of Israel in Jerusalem, for they hadn’t observed it often,[a] as prescribed.[b]

6 So the couriers(E) went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the hand of the king and his officials, and according to the king’s command, saying, “Israelites, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel so that he may return to those of you who remain, who have escaped the grasp of the kings of Assyria.(F) 7 Don’t be like your ancestors and your brothers who were unfaithful to the Lord, the God of their ancestors(G) so that he made them an object of horror(H) as you yourselves see. 8 Don’t become obstinate[c](I) now like your ancestors did. Give your allegiance[d] to the Lord, and come to his sanctuary that he has consecrated forever. Serve the Lord your God so that he may turn his burning anger away from you,(J) 9 for when you return to the Lord, your brothers and your sons will receive mercy in the presence of their captors and will return to this land.(K) For the Lord your God is gracious and merciful;(L) he will not turn his face away from you if you return to him.”

10 The couriers traveled from city to city in the land of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun, but the inhabitants[e] laughed at them and mocked them.(M) 11 But some from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.(N) 12 Also, the power of God was at work in Judah to unite them[f] to carry out the command of the king and his officials by the word of the Lord.

13 A very large assembly of people was gathered in Jerusalem to observe the Festival of Unleavened Bread in the second month. 14 They proceeded to take away the altars that were in Jerusalem,(O) and they took away the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley.(P) 15 They slaughtered the Passover lamb(Q) on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and Levites were ashamed, and they consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the Lord’s temple. 16 They stood at their prescribed posts,(R) according to the law of Moses, the man of God. The priests splattered the blood received from the Levites, 17 for there were many in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves, and so the Levites were in charge of slaughtering the Passover lambs for every unclean person to consecrate the lambs to the Lord.(S) 18 A large number of the people—many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun—were ritually unclean, yet they had eaten the Passover(T) contrary to what was written.(U) But Hezekiah had interceded for them, saying, “May the good Lord provide atonement on behalf of 19 whoever sets his whole heart on seeking God,(V) the Lord, the God of his ancestors, even though not according to the purification rules of the sanctuary.” 20 So the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people.(W) 21 The Israelites who were present in Jerusalem observed the Festival of Unleavened Bread seven days with great joy,(X) and the Levites and the priests praised the Lord day after day with loud instruments. 22 Then Hezekiah encouraged[g](Y) all the Levites who performed skillfully before the Lord. They ate at the appointed festival for seven days, sacrificing fellowship offerings and giving thanks to the Lord, the God of their ancestors.(Z)

23 The whole congregation decided to observe(AA) seven more days, so they observed seven days with joy, 24 for King Hezekiah of Judah contributed one thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep for the congregation. Also, the officials contributed one thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep for the congregation,(AB) and many priests consecrated themselves.(AC) 25 Then the whole assembly of Judah with the priests and Levites, the whole assembly that came from Israel, the resident aliens who came from the land of Israel, and those who were living in Judah, rejoiced. 26 There was great rejoicing in Jerusalem, for nothing like this was known since the days of Solomon son of David, the king of Israel.(AD)

27 Then the priests and the Levites(AE) stood to bless the people,(AF) and God heard them, and their prayer came into his holy dwelling place(AG) in heaven.

Removal of Idolatry

31 When all this was completed, all Israel who had attended went out to the cities of Judah and broke up the sacred pillars, chopped down the Asherah poles, and tore down the high places and altars(AH) throughout Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, to the last one.[h] Then all the Israelites returned to their cities, each to his own possession.

Footnotes

  1. 30:5 Or in great numbers
  2. 30:5 Lit often, according to what is written
  3. 30:8 Lit Don’t stiffen your neck
  4. 30:8 Lit hand
  5. 30:10 Lit but they
  6. 30:12 Lit to give them one heart
  7. 30:22 Lit spoke to the heart of
  8. 31:1 Lit Manasseh, until finishing
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2 Chronicles 30:1-31
Lexham English Bible

Hezekiah Celebrates Passover

30 Then Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and he also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, to come to the house of Yahweh in Jerusalem to make a Passover feast to Yahweh the God of Israel. 2 Now the king and his princes, and all the assembly in Jerusalem had taken counsel to make the Passover feast in the second month— 3 but they were not able to make it at that time, for the priests had not consecrated themselves in sufficient numbers,[a] and the people had not been assembled in Jerusalem— 4 and the plan seemed right in the eyes of the king and in the eyes of all the assembly. 5 So they let the decree stand, to make a proclamation[b] throughout all Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, to come to make a Passover feast to Yahweh the God of Israel. 6 And the runners went with the letter from the hand of the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah according to the command of the king, saying, “O sons of Israel, return to Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that he may turn again to the remnant of you who escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. 7 Do not be like your fathers and like your brothers, who acted unfaithfully before Yahweh, the God of their ancestors,[c] so that he made them as a desolation, as you see. 8 Now, do not stiffen your neck as your fathers,[d] but give a hand to Yahweh and come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever, and serve Yahweh your God that his fierce anger may turn away from you. 9 For when you return to Yahweh, your brothers and your children will find compassion before their captors and return to this land, for Yahweh your God is gracious and compassionate, and he will not turn away his face from you if you return to him.”

10 And it happened that the runners were passing from city to city in the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and up to Zebulun, but they were laughing at them and mocking them. 11 Only men from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. 12 The hand of God was also upon Judah, to give them one heart to obey the command of the king and the princes concerning the word of Yahweh.

13 So many people gathered in Jerusalem to hold the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month; it was a very great assembly. 14 And they rose up and removed the altars that were in Jerusalem. And they removed all the incense altars and threw them away in the Wadi[e] Kidron. 15 And they slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. And the priests and the Levites were disgraced, so they consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings into the house of Yahweh. 16 Then they stood at their positions according to custom, according to the law of Moses the man of God. The priests were sprinkling the blood from the hand of the Levites. 17 For there were many in the assembly who did not consecrate themselves, so the Levites were over the killing of the Passover sacrifices for all who were not clean, to consecrate them to Yahweh. 18 For a majority of the people, many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves. But they ate the Passover sacrifice otherwise than prescribed,[f] but Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, “May the good Yahweh make atonement unto 19 everyone whose heart is set to seek God, Yahweh the God of his ancestors,[g] though not according to the cleansing for the sanctuary.” 20 And Yahweh listened to Hezekiah, and he healed the people. 21 And the Israelites[h] who were found in Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great joy. And the Levites and the priests were offering praise to Yahweh day by day, with powerful instruments to Yahweh. 22 And Hezekiah spoke to the heart of all the Levites who were skilled at service[i] to Yahweh. So they ate the feast seven days, offering peace offerings and giving thanks to Yahweh, the God of their ancestors.[j]

23 Then the whole assembly decided to make seven more days of feasting, so they made seven more days with joy, 24 for Hezekiah the king of Judah had provided[k] one thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep for the assembly, and the princes provided[l] one thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep for the assembly. And many priests consecrated themselves. 25 And the whole assembly of Judah, the priests and the Levites, all the assembly who had come from the land of Israel, and those living in Judah rejoiced. 26 And there was great joy in Jerusalem, for from the days of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, there was nothing such as this in Jerusalem. 27 Then the priests and the Levites arose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard, and their prayer came to his holy dwelling place in the heavens.

Hezekiah Organizes the Priesthood

31 And when all this was finished, all Israel who were found in the cities of Judah went out and shattered the stone pillars, cut down the Asherahs, and destroyed the high places and the altars from all Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh to the very last one.[m] Then all the Israelites returned, each to his own property and to their cities.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 30:3 Literally “for enough”
  2. 2 Chronicles 30:5 Literally “to spread a voice”
  3. 2 Chronicles 30:7 Or “fathers”
  4. 2 Chronicles 30:8 Or “ancestors”
  5. 2 Chronicles 30:14 Or “valley”; a wadi is a valley that is dry most of the year, but contains a stream during the rainy season
  6. 2 Chronicles 30:18 Literally “in not as it is written”
  7. 2 Chronicles 30:19 Or “fathers”
  8. 2 Chronicles 30:21 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  9. 2 Chronicles 30:22 Literally “who were showing good understanding”
  10. 2 Chronicles 30:22 Or “fathers”
  11. 2 Chronicles 30:24 Literally “lifted up”
  12. 2 Chronicles 30:24 Literally “lifted up”
  13. 2 Chronicles 31:1 Literally “until finishing”
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2 Chronicles 29
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Lexham English Bible (LEB)

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