2 Chronicles 30:1-31
English Standard Version
Passover Celebrated
30 Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem to keep the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel. 2 For the king and his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem had taken counsel to keep the Passover (A)in the second month— 3 for they could not keep it (B)at that time (C)because the priests had not consecrated themselves in sufficient number, nor had the people assembled in Jerusalem— 4 and the plan seemed right to the king and all the assembly. 5 So they decreed to make a proclamation throughout all Israel, (D)from Beersheba to Dan, that the people should come and keep the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem, for they had not kept it as often as prescribed. 6 (E)So couriers went throughout all Israel and Judah with letters from the king and his princes, as the king had commanded, saying, “O people of Israel, (F)return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that he may turn again to the remnant of you who have escaped from the hand of (G)the kings of Assyria. 7 (H)Do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who were faithless to the Lord God of their fathers, so that he made them a desolation, as you see. 8 (I)Do not now be stiff-necked as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the Lord and come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever, and serve the Lord your God, (J)that his fierce anger may turn away from you. 9 For (K)if you return to the Lord, your brothers and your children (L)will find compassion with their captors and return to this land. For (M)the Lord your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away his face from you, (N)if you return to him.”
10 (O)So the couriers went from city to city through the country of (P)Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but (Q)they laughed them to scorn and mocked them. 11 However, (R)some men of Asher, of Manasseh, and of Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. 12 The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded (S)by the word of the Lord.
13 And many people came together in Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread (T)in the second month, a very great assembly. 14 They set to work and removed (U)the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for burning incense they took away (V)and threw into the brook Kidron. 15 (W)And they slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. (X)And the priests and the Levites were ashamed, (Y)so that they consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings into the house of the Lord. 16 (Z)They took their accustomed posts according to the Law of Moses (AA)the man of God. The priests threw the blood that they received from the hand of the Levites. 17 For there were many in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves. Therefore the Levites had to slaughter the Passover lamb for everyone who was not clean, to consecrate it to the Lord. 18 For a majority of the people, (AB)many of them from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover otherwise (AC)than as prescribed. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, “May the good Lord pardon everyone 19 (AD)who sets his heart to seek God, the Lord, the God of his fathers, even though not according to the sanctuary's rules of cleanness.”[a] 20 And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people. 21 And the people of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept (AE)the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great gladness, and the Levites and the priests praised the Lord day by day, singing with all their might[b] to the Lord. 22 And Hezekiah spoke (AF)encouragingly to all the Levites who showed good skill in the service of the Lord. So they ate the food of the festival for seven days, sacrificing (AG)peace offerings and giving thanks to the Lord, the God of their fathers.
23 Then the whole assembly agreed together to keep the feast (AH)for another seven days. So they kept it for another seven days with gladness. 24 For Hezekiah king of Judah (AI)gave the assembly 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep for offerings, and the princes gave the assembly 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep. And the priests (AJ)consecrated themselves in great numbers. 25 The whole assembly of Judah, and the priests and the Levites, (AK)and the whole assembly that came out of Israel, and the sojourners who came out of the land of Israel, and the sojourners who lived in Judah, rejoiced. 26 So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for (AL)since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. 27 Then (AM)the priests and the Levites arose and (AN)blessed the people, and their voice was heard, and their prayer came to (AO)his holy habitation in heaven.
Hezekiah Organizes the Priests
31 Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and (AP)broke in pieces the (AQ)pillars and cut down (AR)the Asherim and broke down the high places and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, and in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the people of Israel returned to their cities, every man to his possession.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 30:19 Hebrew not according to the cleanness of holiness
- 2 Chronicles 30:21 Compare 1 Chronicles 13:8; Hebrew with instruments of might
2 Chronicles 30:1-31
International Standard Version
Israel Celebrates the Passover
30 Hezekiah also sent word to all of Israel and Judah, and wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh that they should come to the Lord’s Temple in Jerusalem to observe the Passover to the Lord God of Israel. 2 The king, his princes, and the entire assembly in Jerusalem had mutually decided to observe the Passover in the second month, 3 but they had been unable to celebrate it then because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not yet been gathered together in Jerusalem. 4 This decision seemed to be a good one in the opinion of the king and of the entire assembly, 5 so they published a decree that was circulated throughout Israel from Beer-sheba to Dan that they are to come celebrate the Passover to the Lord God of Israel in Jerusalem. The Passover[a] had not been celebrated in great numbers as was being prescribed by the decree.[b]
6 Couriers were sent throughout all of Israel and Judah with letters written by the king and his princes, just as the king had commanded:
“Listen, you descendants of Israel! Come back to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so he may come back to those of you who have escaped and survived from domination by[c] the kings of Assyria. 7 Don’t be like your ancestors and your relatives, who weren’t faithful to the Lord God of their ancestors, who, as a result, made them a desolate horror, as you well know. 8 So don’t be stiff-necked like your ancestors were. Instead, submit to the Lord, enter his sanctuary that he has sanctified forever, and serve the Lord your God so that he’ll stop being angry with you. 9 If you return to the Lord, your relatives and children will receive compassion from those who took them away captive, and they’ll return to this land, because the Lord is both gracious and compassionate—he will not turn away from you if you return to him.”
10 Couriers crossed from city to city throughout the territories of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun, but those people[d] just mocked them and laughed at them. 11 Nevertheless, a few men from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and traveled to Jerusalem. 12 God also poured out his grace throughout[e] Judah, giving them a dedicated[f] heart to do what the king and princes had decreed according to the message from the Lord. 13 Many of the people gathered together in Jerusalem to observe the Festival of Unleavened Bread during the second month. It was a very large assembly. 14 They all got to work and removed the idolatrous[g] altars that were throughout Jerusalem. They also removed all the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Brook. 15 Then they slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month.
The priests and descendants of Levi felt ashamed of themselves, so they consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the Lord’s Temple. 16 Then they took their customary places, as the Law of Moses the man of God prescribes, and the priests sprinkled the blood that they were given by the descendants of Levi. 17 Because there were so many in the assembly that had not consecrated themselves, therefore the descendants of Levi supervised the slaughter of the Passover sacrifices on behalf of everyone who remained unclean, so they could be consecrated to the Lord. 18 Even though a large crowd of people from as far away as Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun had not completed consecrating themselves, they still ate the Passover in a manner not proscribed by the Law,[h] because Hezekiah had prayed like this for them: “May the good Lord extend a pardon on behalf of 19 everyone who prepares his own heart to seek God, the Lord God of his ancestors, even though he does so inconsistent with the laws of consecration.” 20 The Lord listened to Hezekiah and healed the people.
The Festival of Unleavened Bread is Observed
21 The Israelis who were present in Jerusalem observed the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days with immense gladness, and the descendants of Levi and priests praised the Lord throughout each day, singing mightily to the Lord. 22 Hezekiah encouraged all the descendants of Levi who demonstrated significant insight in their service to the Lord, so they all participated in the festival meals for seven days, all the while sacrificing peace offerings and giving thanks to the Lord God of their ancestors. 23 After this, the whole assembly agreed to celebrate for another seven days, and so they did—and they were very happy to do so! 24 King Hezekiah of Judah gave the assembly 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep for offerings, and the princes contributed 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep, and a large number of priests consecrated themselves.
25 Everyone in the assembly of Judah rejoiced, as did the priests, the descendants of Levi, and the people who gathered together from throughout Israel, including those who came from the land of Israel and those who lived in Judah. 26 There was great joy throughout Jerusalem, because nothing had happened like this in Jerusalem since the days of David’s son Solomon, king of Israel. 27 After this, the priests arose, blessed the people, and their voices were heard in prayer all the way to heaven, where God resides in holiness.
Idols are Eliminated from Judah(A)
31 At the conclusion of all of these activities, everybody in Israel who was in attendance traveled throughout the cities of Judah, broke down the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherim, and broke down the high places and altars throughout the territories of[i] Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh until they had eliminated all of them. Then the people of Israel went back to their cities and back to their work.[j]
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 30:5 Lit. Jerusalem, since they
- 2 Chronicles 30:5 The Heb. lacks by the decree
- 2 Chronicles 30:6 Lit. from the palm of
- 2 Chronicles 30:10 Lit. but they
- 2 Chronicles 30:12 Lit. The hand of God also rested on
- 2 Chronicles 30:12 Lit. them one
- 2 Chronicles 30:14 The Heb. lacks idolatrous
- 2 Chronicles 30:18 The Heb. lacks by the Law
- 2 Chronicles 31:1 The Heb. lacks the territories of
- 2 Chronicles 31:1 Lit. possessions
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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