2Ch 30 | NASB2020 | STEP | 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 celebrate the Passover to the Lord God of Israel .

2 Chronicles 30

All Israel Invited to the Passover

1 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 ^{▼▼Lit do, and so throughout the ch}celebrate the Passover to the Lord God of Israel. 2 For the king and his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem had decided ^bto celebrate the Passover in the second month, 3 since they could not celebrate it ^cat that time, because the priests had not consecrated themselves in sufficient numbers, nor had the people been gathered to Jerusalem. 4 So the ^{▼▼Lit word}decision was right in the sight of the king and all the assembly. 5 So they established a decree to circulate a ^{▼▼Lit voice}proclamation throughout Israel ^ffrom 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 ^gThe ^{▼▼Lit runners}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 ⁱthe ^{▼▼Lit palm}hand of the kings of Assyria. 7 ^kDo not be like your fathers and your brothers, who were untrue to the Lord God of their fathers, so that ^lHe made them an object of horror, just as you see. 8 Now do not ^mstiffen your neck like your fathers, but ^{▼▼Lit give a hand}yield to the Lord and enter His sanctuary which He has consecrated forever, and serve the Lord your God, ^othat His burning anger may turn away from you. 9 For ^pif 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. ^qFor 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 ^{▼▼Lit runners}couriers passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but ^sthey laughed at them with scorn and mocked them. 11 Nevertheless, ^tsome men of Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. 12 The ^uhand 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 ^vin the second month, a very large assembly. 14 They got up and removed the altars which were in Jerusalem; they also ^wremoved all the incense altars and ^xthrew them into the brook Kidron. 15 Then ^ythey slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth of the second month. And ^zthe priests and Levites were ashamed of themselves, and consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the house of the Lord. 16 ^aaThey 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, ^abthe 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, ^acmany from Ephraim and Manasseh, and Issachar and Zebulun, had not purified themselves, ^adyet they ate the Passover ^aecontrary to what was written. For Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the good Lord pardon 19 ^afeveryone 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 ^aghealed the people. 21 The sons of Israel present in Jerusalem ^ahcelebrated 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 ^aispoke ^{▼▼Lit to the heart of}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 ^akgiving thanks to the Lord God of their fathers.

23 Then the whole assembly ^aldecided to celebrate the feast another seven days, so they celebrated the seven days with joy. 24 For ^amHezekiah 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 ^ana large number of priests consecrated themselves. 25 All the assembly of Judah rejoiced, with the priests and the Levites and ^aoall 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 ^apsince the days of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel. 27 Then ^aqthe Levitical priests stood and ^arblessed the people; and their voice was heard and their prayer came to ^asHis holy dwelling place, to heaven.