1 Now Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Loʀᴅ at Jerusalem to 1Lit do, so in vv 2, 3, 5, 13, 21, 23celebrate the Passover to the Loʀᴅ God of Israel. 2 For the king and his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem had decided ANum 9:10, 11; 2 Chr 30:13, 15to celebrate the Passover in the second month, 3 since they could not celebrate it A2 Chr 29:17, 34at that time, because the priests had not consecrated themselves in sufficient numbers, nor had the people been gathered to Jerusalem. 4 Thus the thing was right in the sight of the king and 1Lit in the sight of allall the assembly. 5 So they established a decree to circulate a 1Lit voiceproclamation throughout all Israel AJudg 20:1from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to celebrate the Passover to the Loʀᴅ God of Israel at Jerusalem. For they had not celebrated it in great numbers as it was 2Lit writtenprescribed. 6 AEsth 8:14; Job 9:25; Jer 51:31The 1Lit runnerscouriers went throughout all Israel and Judah with the letters from the hand of the king and his princes, even according to the command of the king, saying, “O sons of Israel, return to the Loʀᴅ God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that He may return to those of you who escaped and are left from B2 Chr 28:20the 2Lit palmhand of the kings of Assyria. 7  “AEzek 20:13Do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who were unfaithful to the Loʀᴅ God of their fathers, so that B2 Chr 29:8He made them a horror, as you see. 8  “Now do not AEx 32:9stiffen your neck like your fathers, but 1Lit give a handyield to the Loʀᴅ and enter His sanctuary which He has consecrated forever, and serve the Loʀᴅ your God, B2 Chr 29:10that His burning anger may turn away from you. 9  “For ADeut 30:2if you return to the Loʀᴅ, your brothers and your sons will find compassion before those who led them captive and will return to this land. BEx 34:6, 7; Mic 7:18For the Loʀᴅ your God is gracious and compassionate, and will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him.”

10 So the 1Lit runnerscouriers passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but A2 Chr 36:16they laughed them to scorn and mocked them. 11 Nevertheless A2 Chr 30:18, 21, 25some men of Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. 12 The A2 Cor 3:5; Phil 2:13; Heb 13:20, 21hand 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 Loʀᴅ.

13 Now many people were gathered at Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread A2 Chr 30:2in the second month, a very large assembly. 14 They arose and removed the altars which were in Jerusalem; they also A2 Chr 28:24removed all the incense altars and B2 Chr 29:16cast them into the brook Kidron. 15 Then A2 Chr 30:2, 3they slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth of the second month. And B2 Chr 29:34the priests and Levites were ashamed of themselves, and consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the house of the Loʀᴅ. 16 A2 Chr 35:10, 15They stood at their stations after 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, A2 Chr 29:34the Levites were over the slaughter of the Passover lambs for everyone who was unclean, in order to consecrate them to the Loʀᴅ. 18 For a multitude of the people, A2 Chr 30:11, 25even many from Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not purified themselves, BNum 9:10yet they ate the Passover CEx 12:43-49otherwise than 1Lit writtenprescribed. For Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the good Loʀᴅ pardon 19 A2 Chr 19:3everyone who prepares his heart to seek God, the Loʀᴅ God of his fathers, though not according to the purification rules of the sanctuary.” 20 So the Loʀᴅ heard Hezekiah and AJames 5:16healed the people. 21 The sons of Israel present in Jerusalem AEx 12:15; 13:6celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy, and the Levites and the priests praised the Loʀᴅ day after day with loud instruments to the Loʀᴅ. 22 Then Hezekiah A2 Chr 32:6spoke 1Lit to the heart ofencouragingly to all the Levites who showed good insight in the things of the Loʀᴅ. So they ate for the appointed seven days, sacrificing peace offerings and BEzra 10:11giving thanks to the Loʀᴅ God of their fathers.

23 Then the whole assembly A1 Kin 8:65decided to celebrate the feast another seven days, so they celebrated the seven days with joy. 24 For A2 Chr 35:7, 8Hezekiah king of Judah had contributed to the assembly 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep, and the princes had contributed to the assembly 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep; and B2 Chr 29:34; 30:3a large number of priests consecrated themselves. 25 All the assembly of Judah rejoiced, with the priests and the Levites and A2 Chr 30:11, 18all the assembly that came from Israel, both the sojourners 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 A2 Chr 7:8-10since the days of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel. 27 Then A2 Chr 23:18the Levitical priests arose and BNum 6:23blessed the people; and their voice was heard and their prayer came to CDeut 26:15; Ps 68:5His holy dwelling place, to heaven.