Dual Panel1Hezekiah <02396> sent <07971> messages throughout <03605> Israel <03478> and Judah <03063>; he even <01571> wrote <03789> letters <0107> to <05921> Ephraim <0669> and Manasseh <04519>, summoning them to come <0935> to the Lord’s <03068> temple <01004> in Jerusalem <03389> and observe <06213> a Passover celebration <06453> for the Lord <03068> God <0430> of Israel <03478>.
2The king <04428>, his officials <08269>, and the entire <03605> assembly <06951> in Jerusalem <03389> decided <03289> to observe <06213> the Passover <06453> in the second <08145> month <02320>.
3They were unable <03201> <03808> to observe <06213> it at the regular time <06256> because <03588> not <03808> enough <01767> priests <03548> had consecrated <06942> themselves and the people <05971> had not <03808> assembled <0622> in Jerusalem <03389>.
4The proposal <01697> seemed appropriate <03474> to the king <04428> and the entire <03605> assembly <06951>.
5So they sent <05975> an edict <06963> <05674> <01697> throughout <03605> Israel <03478> from Beer Sheba <0884> to <05704> Dan <01835>, summoning the people to come <0935> and observe <06213> a Passover <06453> for the Lord <03068> God <0430> of Israel <03478> in Jerusalem <03389>, for <03588> they had not <03808> observed <06213> it on a nationwide scale <07230> as prescribed <03789> in the law.
6Messengers <07323> <01980> delivered the letters <0107> from the king <04428> and his officials <08269> throughout <03605> Israel <03478> and Judah <03063>. This royal <04428> edict <04687> read <0559>: “O Israelites <03478> <01121>, return <07725> to <0413> the Lord <03068> God <0430> of Abraham <085>, Isaac <03327>, and Israel <03478>, so he may return <07725> to <0413> you who have been spared <06413> from the kings <04428> of Assyria <0804>.
7Don’t <0408> be <01961> like your fathers <01> and brothers <0251> who <0834> were unfaithful <04603> to the Lord <03068> God <0430> of their ancestors <01>, provoking <05414> him to destroy <08047> them, as <0834> you <0859> can see <07200>.
8Now <06258>, don’t <0408> be stubborn <06203> <07185> like your fathers <01>! Submit <05414> to the Lord <03068> and come <0935> to his sanctuary <04720> which <0834> he has permanently <05769> consecrated <06942>. Serve <05647> the Lord <03068> your God <0430> so that he might relent <07725> from <04480> his raging <02740> anger <0639>.
9For <03588> if you return <07725> to <05921> the Lord <03068>, your brothers <0251> and sons <01121> will be shown mercy <07356> by <06440> their captors <07617> and return <07725> to this <02063> land <0776>. The Lord <03068> your God <0430> is merciful <02587> and compassionate <07349>; he will not <03808> reject <05493> you if <0518> you return <07725> to <0413> him.”
10The messengers journeyed <07323> from city <05892> to city <05892> through <05674> the land <0776> of Ephraim <0669> and Manasseh <04519> as far <05704> as Zebulun <02074>, but people mocked <07832> and ridiculed <03932> them.
11But <0389> some men <0582> from Asher <0836>, Manasseh <04519>, and Zebulun <02074> humbled <03665> themselves and came <0935> to Jerusalem <03389>.
12In Judah <03063> God <0430> moved <05414> the people to unite <0259> <03820> and carry out <06213> the edict <04687> the king <04428> and the officers <08269> had issued at the Lord’s <03068> command <01697>.
13A huge <07227> crowd <05971> assembled <0622> in Jerusalem <03389> to observe <06213> the Feast <02282> of Unleavened Bread <04682> in the second <08145> month <02320>.
14They removed <05493> the altars <04196> in Jerusalem <03389>; they also removed <05493> all <03605> the incense altars <06999> and threw <07993> them into the Kidron <06939> Valley <05158>.
15They slaughtered <07819> the Passover lamb <06453> on the fourteenth <06240> <0702> day of the second <08145> month <02320>. The priests <03548> and Levites <03881> were ashamed <03637>, so they consecrated <06942> themselves and brought <0935> burnt sacrifices <05930> to the Lord’s <03068> temple <01004>.
16They stood <05975> at <05921> their posts <05977> according to the regulations <04941> outlined in the law <08451> of Moses <04872>, the man <0376> of God <0430>. The priests <03548> were splashing <02236> the blood <01818> as the Levites <03881> handed <03027> it to them.
17Because <03588> many <07227> in the assembly <06951> had not <03808> consecrated <06942> themselves, the Levites <03881> slaughtered <07821> the Passover lambs <06453> of all <03605> who were ceremonially unclean <02889> <03808> and could not consecrate <06942> their sacrifice to the Lord <03068>.
18The majority <04768> of the many <07227> people <05971> from Ephraim <0669>, Manasseh <04519>, Issachar <03485>, and Zebulun <02074> were ceremonially unclean <02891> <03808>, yet <03588> they ate <0398> the Passover <06453> in violation of what is prescribed <03789> in the law. For <03588> Hezekiah <02396> prayed <06419> for <05921> them, saying <0559>: “May the Lord <03068>, who is good <02896>, forgive <03722>
19everyone <03605> who has determined <03559> <03824> to follow <01875> God <0430>, the Lord <03068> God <0430> of his ancestors <01>, even if he is not <03808> ceremonially clean according to the standards <02893> of the temple <06944>.”
20The Lord <03068> responded favorably <08085> to <0413> Hezekiah <02396> and forgave <07495> the people <05971>.
21The Israelites <03478> <01121> who were in Jerusalem <03389> observed <04672> the Feast <02282> of Unleavened <04682> Bread for seven <07651> days <03117> with great <01419> joy <08057>. The Levites <03881> and priests <03548> were praising <01984> the Lord <03068> every <03117> day <03117> with all their might <05797>.
22Hezekiah <02396> expressed <01696> his appreciation <03820> to <05921> all <03605> the Levites <03881>, who demonstrated <07919> great <02896> skill <07919> skill in serving <07922> the Lord <03068>. They feasted <0398> for the seven <07651> days <03117> of the festival <04150>, and were making peace offerings <08002> and giving thanks <03034> to the Lord <03068> God <0430> of their ancestors <01>.
23The entire <03605> assembly <06951> then decided <03289> to celebrate <06213> for seven <07651> more <0312> days <03117>; so they joyfully <08057> celebrated <06213> for seven <07651> more days <03117>.
24King <04428> Hezekiah <02396> of Judah <03063> supplied <07311> 1,000 <0505> bulls <06499> and 7,000 <0505> <07651> sheep <06629> for the assembly <06951>, while the officials <08269> supplied <07311> them <06951> with 1,000 <0505> bulls <06499> and 10,000 <0505> <06235> sheep <06629>. Many <07230> priests <03548> consecrated <06942> themselves.
25The celebration <08055> included the entire <03605> assembly <06951> of Judah <03063>, the priests <03548>, the Levites <03881>, the entire <03605> assembly <06951> of those who came <0935> from Israel <03478>, the resident foreigners <01616> who came <0935> from the land <0776> of Israel <03478>, and the residents <03427> of Judah <03063>.
26There was <01961> a great <01419> celebration <08057> in Jerusalem <03389>, unlike <03808> anything that <02063> had occurred <02063> in Jerusalem <03389> since <03588> the time <03117> of King <04428> Solomon <08010> son <01121> of David <01732> of Israel <03478>.
27The priests <03548> and Levites <03881> got up <06965> and pronounced blessings <01288> on the people <05971>. The Lord responded <08085> favorably to them as their prayers <08605> reached <0935> his holy <06944> dwelling place <04583> in heaven <08064>.