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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.
2 And Hezekiah appointed working groups of the priests and the Levites, each according to their divisions, according to the service for priests and Levites,[n] for burnt offerings, for peace offerings, to serve, to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the camps of Yahweh. 3 And the gift of the king was out of his own possessions for the burnt offerings—the burnt offerings for the morning and the evening and for Sabbaths, new moon festivals, and appointed feasts, as is written in the law of Yahweh. 4 Then he said to the people, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to give a gift for the priests and the Levites, so that they might be strong in the law of Yahweh. 5 And the word spread. The Israelites gave abundantly from the firstfruits of grain, new wine, olive oil, honey, and all kinds of grains from the field. And they brought tithes of everything in abundance. 6 Then the people of Israel and Judah who were living in the cities of Judah, they also brought a tithe of cattle and sheep and a tithe of consecrated objects to Yahweh their God. And they gave heaps upon heaps. 7 In the third month the heaps began to pile up, and in the seventh month they ceased. 8 When Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed Yahweh and his people Israel. 9 And Hezekiah questioned[o] the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps. 10 And Azariah the chief priest of the house of Zadok answered him, saying, “Since the offerings began to be brought to the house of Yahweh, we have eaten and been satisfied, and have much to spare, for Yahweh has blessed his people. Now see this abundant remainder!”
11 And Hezekiah commanded to prepare chambers in the house of Yahweh, and they were prepared. 12 Then they brought the offerings and tithes and holy objects faithfully. And over them as leader was Conaniah the Levite. And Shimei his brother was second in rank. 13 And Jehiel, Azaziah, Nathan, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were chief officers under the hand of Conaniah and Shimei, his brother, by appointment of King Hezekiah. And Azaraiah was leader of the house of God. 14 Now Kore the son of Imlah, the Levite, the gatekeeper of the east gate was over the freewill offerings of God, to give offerings to Yahweh and the most holy things. 15 And at his hand were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah in the cities of the priests and entrusted[p] to give to their brothers by working groups, according to the eldest to the youngest, 16 besides their enrollment by genealogy, to males from three years old and upward, to all who came into the house of Yahweh, as each day required[q] for their service in their posts according to their working groups. 17 And the enrollment of the priests was according to the house of their fathers, and the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, according to their posts by their working groups. 18 And they were enrolled with all their little ones, their wives, their sons, and their daughters for the whole assembly because of their faithfulness. And they sanctified themselves in holiness. 19 And for the descendants[r] of Aaron, the priests, who were in the fields of the pasturelands of their cities, in each and every one of their cities[s] were men who were designated by name to give shares to every male among the priests and to everyone enrolled among the Levites.
20 And Hezekiah did according to this throughout all Judah. And he did what is good and what is right and what is faithful before Yahweh his God. 21 And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God or with respect to the law and the commandment to seek his God, he did with all his heart, and he prospered.
Accept One Another according to Christ’s Example
15 But we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each one of us please his neighbor for his good, for the purpose of edification. 3 For even Christ did not please himself, but just as it is written, “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”[a] 4 For whatever was written beforehand was written for our instruction, in order that through patient endurance and through the encouragement of the scriptures we may have hope. 5 Now may the God of patient endurance and of encouragement grant you to be in agreement[b] with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one mind you may glorify with one mouth the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore accept one another, just as Christ also has accepted you, to the glory of God.
8 For I say, Christ has become a servant of the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God, in order to confirm the promises to the fathers, 9 and that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, just as it is written,
“Because of this, I will praise you among the Gentiles,
and I will sing praise to your name.”[c]
10 And again it says,
“Rejoice, Gentiles, with his people.”[d]
11 And again,
“Praise the Lord, all the Gentiles,
and let all the peoples praise him.”[e]
12 And again Isaiah says,
“The root of Jesse will come,
even the one who rises to rule over the Gentiles;
in him the Gentiles will put their hope.”[f]
13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Paul’s Ministry to the Gentiles
14 Now I myself also am convinced about you, my brothers, that you yourselves also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to instruct one another. 15 But I have written to you more boldly on some points, so as to remind you again because of the grace that has been given to me by God, 16 with the result that I am a servant of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, serving the gospel of God as a priest, in order that the offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 Therefore I have a reason for boasting in Christ Jesus regarding the things concerning God. 18 For I will not dare to speak about anything except that which Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit,[g] so that from Jerusalem and traveling around as far as Illyricum I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. 20 And so, having as my ambition to proclaim the gospel where Christ has not been named, in order that I will not build on the foundation belonging to someone else, 21 but just as it is written,
“Those to whom it was not announced concerning him will see,
and those who have not heard will understand.”[h]
Paul’s Travel Plans
22 For this reason also I was hindered many times from coming to you,
A Prayer for Guidance, Deliverance, and Forgiveness
Of David.[a]
25 To you, O Yahweh, I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, I trust you; let me not be put to shame.
Do not let my enemies exult over me.
3 Indeed, none who wait for you should be put to shame.
Those who betray without cause should be put to shame.
4 Make me know your ways, O Yahweh.
Teach me your paths.
5 Cause me to walk in your truth and teach me,
because you are the God of my salvation.
I await you all day long.[b]
6 Remember your compassion, O Yahweh,
and your acts of loyal love,
because they are from of old.
7 Do not remember
the sins of my youth or my transgressions.
According to your loyal love remember me if you will,
for the sake of your goodness, O Yahweh.
8 Good and right is Yahweh;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
9 He causes the humble to walk in justice,
and teaches the humble his way.
10 All the paths of Yahweh are loyal love and faithfulness
for those who keep his covenant and statutes.[c]
11 Also, for the sake of your name, O Yahweh,
forgive my sin, because it is great.
12 Who is the man fearing Yahweh?
He will instruct him in the way he should choose.
13 His soul will lodge in prosperity,
and his offspring will possess the land.
14 Intimate fellowship with Yahweh is for those who fear him,
and he makes known his covenant to them.
15 My eyes are continually toward Yahweh,
because he will take my feet from the net.
13 Do not love sleep, lest you become poor;
open your eyes and have plenty bread.
14 “Bad, bad,” the buyer will say,
but when one goes to him, then he will boast.
15 There is gold and many costly stones,
but precious jewels are lips of knowledge.
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