1 GLT And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and also letters he wrote to Ephraim and Manasseh to come to the house of Yahweh in Jerusalem to do a Passover to Yahweh, the God of Israel. BSB BSB: Then Hezekiah sent word throughout all Israel and Judah, and he also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh inviting them to come to the house of the LORD in Jerusalem to keep the Passover of the LORD, the God of Israel.
2 GLT And the king consulted, and his chiefs, and all the assembly in Jerusalem, to do the Passover in the second month. BSB BSB: For the king and his officials and the whole assembly in Jerusalem had decided to keep the Passover in the second month,
3 GLT for they were not able to do it at that time because the priests had not consecrated themselves sufficiently, and the people had not assembled to Jerusalem. BSB BSB: since they had been unable to keep it at the regular time, because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not been gathered in Jerusalem.
4 GLT And the matter was right in the eyes of the king and in the eyes of all the assembly. BSB BSB: This plan pleased the king and the whole assembly.
5 GLT And they caused to stand a word to cause a voice to pass over among all Israel, from Beersheba and to Dan to come to do a Passover to Yahweh, the God of Israel, in Jerusalem; for they had not in abundance done as was written. BSB BSB: So they established a decree to circulate a proclamation throughout Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, that the people should come to keep the Passover of the LORD, the God of Israel, in Jerusalem. For they had not observed it in great numbers as prescribed.
6 GLT And runners went with letters from the hand of the king and his chiefs among all Israel and Judah and according to the command of the king, saying,“Sons of Israel, return to Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he will return to the escaped remaining of you all from the palm of the kings of Assyria. BSB BSB: At the command of the king, the couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and his officials, which read: “Children of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that He may return to those of you who remain, who have escaped the grasp of the kings of Assyria.
7 GLT And do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who acted unfaithfully against Yahweh, the God of their fathers. And he made them to be a horror, just as you all are seeing. BSB BSB: Do not be like your fathers and brothers who were unfaithful to the LORD, the God of their fathers, so that He made them an object of horror, as you can see.
8 GLT Now, do not harden your neck like your fathers; give hand to Yahweh and come to his sanctuary which he has consecrated forever, and serve Yahweh your God, that he may turn from you all his burning anger. BSB BSB: Now do not stiffen your necks as your fathers did. Submit to the LORD and come to His sanctuary, which He has consecrated forever. Serve the LORD your God, so that His fierce anger will turn away from you.
9 GLT For in your turning back to Yahweh, your brothers and your sons will have mercies before their captors and return this land. For gracious and compassionate is Yahweh your God, and he will not turn away his face from you all, if you return to him.” BSB BSB: For if you return to the LORD, your brothers and sons will receive mercy in the presence of their captors and will return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and merciful; He will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him.”
10 GLT And the runners were passing from city to city in the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and until Zebulun, but they were mocking them and ridiculing them. BSB BSB: And the couriers traveled from city to city through the land of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun, but the people scorned and mocked them.
11 GLT However, men from Asher and Manasseh and from Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. BSB BSB: Nevertheless, some from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.
12 GLT Also on Judah was the hand of God to give them one heart to do the command of the king and the chiefs by the word of Yahweh. BSB BSB: Moreover, the power of God was on the people in Judah to give them one heart to obey the command of the king and his officials according to the word of the LORD.
13 GLT And many people gathered in Jerusalem to do the Feast of the Unleavened Bread in the second month, a very abundant assembly. BSB BSB: In the second month, a very great assembly gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
14 GLT And they rose, and they took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the incense altars they took away, and they threw into the brook Kidron. BSB BSB: They proceeded to remove the altars in Jerusalem and to take away the incense altars and throw them into the Kidron Valley.
15 GLT And they slaughtered the Passover lambs on the 14 th of the second month. And the priests and the Levites were ashamed, and they consecrated themselves, and they brought in the burnt offerings to the house of Yahweh. BSB BSB: And on the fourteenth day of the second month they slaughtered the Passover lamb. The priests and Levites were ashamed, and they consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the house of the LORD.
16 GLT And they stood at their stations according to their judgment, according to the law of Moses, the man of God. The priests were scattering the blood from the hand of the Levites, BSB BSB: They stood at their prescribed posts, according to the Law of Moses the man of God. The priests splattered the blood, which they received from the hand of the Levites.
17 GLT for many were in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves. And the Levites were over the slaughtering of the Passover lambs for all were not clean to consecrate to Yahweh. BSB BSB: Since there were many in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves, the Levites were in charge of slaughtering the Passover lambs for every unclean person to consecrate the lambs to the LORD.
18 GLT For a multitude of the people, many from Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not purified themselves, but they ate the Passover, against what is written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying,“May Yahweh who is good atone for BSB BSB: A large number of the people—many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun—had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah interceded for them, saying, “May the LORD, who is good, provide atonement for everyone
19 GLT everyone who prepares his heart to seek God, Yahweh, the God of his fathers, but not according to the purifying of the holy place.” BSB BSB: who sets his heart on seeking God—the LORD, the God of his fathers—even if he is not cleansed according to the purification rules of the sanctuary.”
20 GLT And Yahweh listened to Hezekiah, and he healed the people. BSB BSB: And the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people.
21 GLT And the sons of Israel who were found in Jerusalem did the Feast of the Unleavened Bread seven days with great joy. And the Levites and the priests were praising Yahweh day by day, with instruments of might to Yahweh. BSB BSB: The Israelites who were present in Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy, and the Levites and priests praised the LORD day after day, accompanied by loud instruments of praise to the LORD.
22 GLT And Hezekiah spoke to the heart of all the Levites, who were insightful with good insight of Yahweh. And they ate the appointed seven days, sacrificing sacrifices of peace offerings and confessing to Yahweh, the God of their fathers. BSB BSB: And Hezekiah encouraged all the Levites who performed skillfully before the LORD. For seven days they ate their assigned portion, sacrificing peace offerings and giving thanks to the LORD, the God of their fathers.
23 GLT And all the assembly consulted to do seven days after them, and they did seven days joyfully. BSB BSB: The whole assembly agreed to observe seven more days, so they observed seven days with joy.
24 GLT For Hezekiah the king of Judah contributed to the assembly 1, 000 bulls and 7, 000 sheep; and the chiefs contributed to the assembly 1, 000 bulls and 10, 000 sheep. And many priests consecrated themselves. BSB BSB: For Hezekiah king of Judah contributed a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep for the assembly, and the officials contributed a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep for the assembly, and a great number of priests consecrated themselves.
25 GLT And they rejoiced, all the assembly of Judah and the priests and the Levites, and all the assembly who came from Israel, and the sojourners who came from the land of Israel and the inhabitants of Judah. BSB BSB: Then the whole assembly of Judah rejoiced along with the priests and Levites and the whole assembly that had come from Israel, including the foreigners who had come from Israel and those who lived in Judah.
26 GLT And there was great joy in Jerusalem, for from the days of Solomon the son of David, the king of Israel, there was not like this in Jerusalem. BSB BSB: So there was great rejoicing in Jerusalem, for nothing like this had happened there since the days of Solomon son of David king of Israel.
27 GLT And the priests, the Levites, rose, and they blessed the people. And their voice was heard, and their prayer came to his holy dwelling in the heavens. BSB BSB: Then the priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard their voice, and their prayer came into His holy dwelling place in heaven.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.