Dual Panel1Hezekiah sent a message to all Israel and Judah and wrote letters to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. He invited them to come to the LORD’S temple in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover of the LORD God of Israel.
2The king, his officials, and the whole assembly in Jerusalem decided to celebrate the Passover in the second month.
3They couldn’t celebrate it at the regular time because not enough priests had performed the ceremonies to make themselves holy and the people hadn’t gathered in Jerusalem.
4The king and the whole assembly considered their plan to be the right thing to do.
5So they decided to send an announcement throughout Israel from Beersheba to Dan. They summoned everyone to come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover of the LORD God of Israel. These people had not celebrated it in large numbers as the written instructions said they should.
6Messengers took letters from the king and his officials throughout Israel and Judah. The king’s order said, "Israelites, return to the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. Then he will return to the few of you who escaped from the power of the kings of Assyria.
7Don’t be like your ancestors and your relatives who were unfaithful to the LORD God of their ancestors. He made them something that shocks people, as you have seen.
8Don’t be impossible to deal with like your ancestors. Reach out for the LORD. Come to his holy place that he made holy forever. Serve the LORD your God, and he will turn his burning anger away from you.
9When you return to the LORD, your relatives and children will find compassion from those who captured them. They will return to this land. The LORD your God is merciful and compassionate. He will not turn his face away from you if you return to him."
10So the messengers went from city to city in the territories of Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun. But the people ridiculed them.
11However, some people from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.
12Also, God guided the people of Judah so that they united to carry out the command which the king and the leaders gave from the LORD’S word.
13Many people gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread in the second month. They formed a large assembly.
14Then the people got rid of the idols’ altars in Jerusalem. They got rid of all the altars for incense by dumping them in the Kidron Valley.
15They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and Levites were ashamed, so they performed the ceremonies to make themselves holy. Then they brought burnt offerings to the LORD’S temple.
16They stood in their regular places as instructed by Moses’ Teachings. (Moses was a man of God.) The priests sprinkled the blood they received from the Levites.
17Many people in the assembly had not made themselves holy. So the Levites had to kill the Passover lambs for all who weren’t clean and couldn’t make their lambs holy for the LORD.
18Many people from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun had not made themselves clean. So they ate the Passover, but not in the way the written instructions said they should. Hezekiah prayed for them: "May the good LORD forgive
19those who have their hearts set on dedicating their lives to serving God. May the LORD God of their ancestors do this for those who are not clean as required for the holy place."
20The LORD listened to Hezekiah and healed the people.
21So the Israelites in Jerusalem celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy. Each day the Levites and priests praised the LORD in song. They played the LORD’S instruments loudly.
22Hezekiah spoke encouraging words to all the Levites who had the skills to serve the LORD. They ate the festival meals for seven days, sacrificed fellowship offerings, and confessed their sins to the LORD God of their ancestors.
23Then the whole assembly decided to celebrate the festival for seven more days. So they joyfully celebrated for seven more days.
24King Hezekiah of Judah provided 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep as sacrifices for the assembly. The leaders provided 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep for the assembly. So a large number of priests were able to perform the ceremonies to make themselves holy.
25The whole assembly from Judah, the priests, the Levites, the whole assembly from Israel, the foreigners who came from Israel, and those who lived in Judah rejoiced.
26The city of Jerusalem was filled with joy. Nothing like this had happened in Jerusalem since the days of King Solomon of Israel.
27Then the Levitical priests blessed the people. Their voices were heard, and their prayers went to God’s holy place in heaven.