All Israel Invited to the Passover

30 Now Hezekiah sent word to all Israel and Judah and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem to [a]celebrate the Passover to the Lord God of Israel. For the king and his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem had decided (A)to celebrate the Passover in the second month, since they could not celebrate it (B)at that time, because the priests had not consecrated themselves in sufficient numbers, nor had the people been gathered to Jerusalem. So the [b]decision was right in the sight of the king and all the assembly. So they established a decree to circulate a [c]proclamation throughout Israel (C)from Beersheba to Dan, that they are to come to celebrate the Passover to the Lord God of Israel in Jerusalem. For they had not celebrated it in great numbers as was written. (D)The [d]couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with the letters from the hand of the king and his princes, even according to the command of the king, saying, “Sons of Israel, return to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that He may return to those of you who escaped and are left from (E)the [e]hand of the kings of Assyria. (F)Do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who were untrue to the Lord God of their fathers, so that (G)He made them an object of horror, just as you see. Now do not (H)stiffen your neck like your fathers, but [f]yield to the Lord and enter His sanctuary which He has consecrated forever, and serve the Lord your God, (I)that His burning anger may turn away from you. For (J)if you return to the Lord, your brothers and your sons will find compassion in the presence of those who led them captive, and will return to this land. (K)For the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate, and will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him.”

10 So the [g]couriers passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but (L)they laughed at them with scorn and mocked them. 11 Nevertheless, (M)some men of Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. 12 The (N)hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the Lord.

Passover Reinstituted

13 Now many people were gathered at Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread (O)in the second month, a very large assembly. 14 They got up and removed the altars which were in Jerusalem; they also (P)removed all the incense altars and (Q)threw them into the brook Kidron. 15 Then (R)they slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth of the second month. And (S)the priests and Levites were ashamed of themselves, and consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the house of the Lord. 16 (T)They stood at their stations following their custom, according to the Law of Moses the man of God; the priests sprinkled the blood which they received from the hand of the Levites. 17 For there were many in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves; therefore, (U)the Levites were in charge of the slaughter of the Passover lambs for everyone who was unclean, in order to consecrate them to the Lord. 18 For a multitude of the people, (V)many from Ephraim and Manasseh, and Issachar and Zebulun, had not purified themselves, (W)yet they ate the Passover (X)contrary to what was written. For Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the good Lord pardon 19 (Y)everyone who prepares his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his fathers, though not according to the purification rules of the sanctuary.” 20 So the Lord heard Hezekiah and (Z)healed the people. 21 The sons of Israel present in Jerusalem (AA)celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy, and the Levites and the priests were praising the Lord day after day with loud instruments to the Lord. 22 Then Hezekiah (AB)spoke [h]encouragingly to all the Levites who showed good insight in the things of the Lord. So they ate for the appointed seven days, sacrificing peace offerings and (AC)giving thanks to the Lord God of their fathers.

23 Then the whole assembly (AD)decided to celebrate the feast another seven days, so they celebrated the seven days with joy. 24 For (AE)Hezekiah king of Judah had contributed to the assembly a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep, and the princes had contributed to the assembly a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep; and (AF)a large number of priests consecrated themselves. 25 All the assembly of Judah rejoiced, with the priests and the Levites and (AG)all the assembly that came from Israel, both the strangers who came from the land of Israel and those living in Judah. 26 So there was great joy in Jerusalem, because there was nothing like this in Jerusalem (AH)since the days of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel. 27 Then (AI)the Levitical priests stood and (AJ)blessed the people; and their voice was heard and their prayer came to (AK)His holy dwelling place, to heaven.

Idols Are Destroyed

31 Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah, (AL)broke the memorial stones in pieces, cut down the [i]Asherim and pulled down the high places and the altars throughout Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, until [j]they had destroyed them all. Then all the sons of Israel returned to their cities, each to his possession.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 30:1 Lit do, and so throughout the ch
  2. 2 Chronicles 30:4 Lit word
  3. 2 Chronicles 30:5 Lit voice
  4. 2 Chronicles 30:6 Lit runners
  5. 2 Chronicles 30:6 Lit palm
  6. 2 Chronicles 30:8 Lit give a hand
  7. 2 Chronicles 30:10 Lit runners
  8. 2 Chronicles 30:22 Lit to the heart of
  9. 2 Chronicles 31:1 I.e., wooden symbols of a female deity (Asherah)
  10. 2 Chronicles 31:1 Lit to completion

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. The king, his princes, and the entire assembly in Jerusalem had mutually decided to observe the Passover in the second month, 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. This decision seemed to be a good one in the opinion of the king and of the entire assembly, 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]

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. 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. 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. 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

  1. 2 Chronicles 30:5 Lit. Jerusalem, since they
  2. 2 Chronicles 30:5 The Heb. lacks by the decree
  3. 2 Chronicles 30:6 Lit. from the palm of
  4. 2 Chronicles 30:10 Lit. but they
  5. 2 Chronicles 30:12 Lit. The hand of God also rested on
  6. 2 Chronicles 30:12 Lit. them one
  7. 2 Chronicles 30:14 The Heb. lacks idolatrous
  8. 2 Chronicles 30:18 The Heb. lacks by the Law
  9. 2 Chronicles 31:1 The Heb. lacks the territories of
  10. 2 Chronicles 31:1 Lit. possessions