2 Chronicles 30:1-31
New American Standard Bible
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. 2 For the king and his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem had decided (A)to celebrate the Passover in the second month, 3 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. 4 So the [b]decision was right in the sight of the king and all the assembly. 5 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. 6 (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. 7 (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. 8 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. 9 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
- 2 Chronicles 30:1 Lit do, and so throughout the ch
- 2 Chronicles 30:4 Lit word
- 2 Chronicles 30:5 Lit voice
- 2 Chronicles 30:6 Lit runners
- 2 Chronicles 30:6 Lit palm
- 2 Chronicles 30:8 Lit give a hand
- 2 Chronicles 30:10 Lit runners
- 2 Chronicles 30:22 Lit to the heart of
- 2 Chronicles 31:1 I.e., wooden symbols of a female deity (Asherah)
- 2 Chronicles 31:1 Lit to completion
2 Chronicles 30:1-31
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Great Passover
30 Hezekiah sent word 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 officials and all the assembly in Jerusalem had taken counsel to keep the Passover in the second month(A) 3 (for they could not keep it at its proper time because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, nor had the people assembled in Jerusalem).(B) 4 The plan seemed right to the king and all the assembly. 5 So they decreed to make a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beer-sheba 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 in great numbers as prescribed.(C) 6 So couriers went throughout all Israel and Judah with letters from the king and his officials, as the king had commanded, saying, “O people of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that he may turn again to the remnant of you who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria.(D) 7 Do not be like your ancestors and your kindred, who were faithless to the Lord God of their ancestors, so that he made them a desolation, as you see.(E) 8 Do not now be stiff-necked as your ancestors were, but yield yourselves to the Lord and come to his sanctuary, which he has sanctified forever, and serve the Lord your God, so that his fierce anger may turn away from you.(F) 9 For as you return to the Lord, your kindred and your children will find compassion with their captors and return to this land. For the Lord your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him.”(G)
10 So the couriers went from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them.(H) 11 Only a few from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.(I) 12 The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the officials commanded by the word of the Lord.
13 Many people came together in Jerusalem to keep the Festival of Unleavened Bread in the second month, a very large assembly.(J) 14 They set to work and removed the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for offering incense they took away and threw into the Wadi Kidron.(K) 15 They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed, and they sanctified themselves and brought burnt offerings into the house of the Lord.(L) 16 They took their accustomed posts according to the law of Moses the man of God; the priests dashed the blood that they received[a] from the hands of the Levites.(M) 17 For there were many in the assembly who had not sanctified themselves; therefore the Levites had to slaughter the Passover lamb for everyone who was not clean, to make it holy to the Lord.(N) 18 For a multitude of the people, many of them from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover contrary to what was prescribed. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the good Lord pardon all(O) 19 who set their hearts to seek God, the Lord the God of their ancestors, even though not in accordance with the sanctuary’s rules of cleanness.”(P) 20 The Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people. 21 The people of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the Festival of Unleavened Bread seven days with great gladness, and the Levites and the priests praised the Lord day by day, accompanied by loud instruments for the Lord.(Q) 22 Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who showed good skill in the service of the Lord. So the people ate the food of the festival for seven days, sacrificing offerings of well-being and giving thanks to the Lord the God of their ancestors.(R)
23 Then the whole assembly agreed together to keep the festival for another seven days, so they kept it for another seven days with gladness.(S) 24 For King Hezekiah of Judah gave the assembly a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep for offerings, and the officials gave the assembly a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep. The priests sanctified themselves in great numbers.(T) 25 The whole assembly of Judah, the priests and the Levites, and the whole assembly that came out of Israel, and the resident aliens who came out of the land of Israel, and the resident aliens who lived in Judah rejoiced. 26 There was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon son of King David of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. 27 Then the priests and the Levites stood up and blessed the people, and their voice was heard; their prayer came to his holy dwelling in heaven.(U)
Pagan Shrines Destroyed
31 Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke down the pillars, cut down the sacred poles,[b] and pulled 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, all to their individual properties.(V)
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.