1And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel.
2For the king had taken counsel, and his princes, and all the congregation in Jerusalem, to keep the passover in the second month.
3For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.
4And the thing pleased the king and all the congregation.pleased�: Heb. was right in the eyes of the king
5So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel at Jerusalem: for they had not done it of a long time in such sort as it was written.
6So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, Ye children of Israel, turn again unto the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he will return to the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria.from: Heb. from the hand
7And be not ye like your fathers, and like your brethren, which trespassed against the LORD God of their fathers, who therefore gave them up to desolation, as ye see.
8Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the LORD your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you.be ye�: Heb. harden not your necksyield�: Heb. give the hand
9For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him.
10So the posts passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh even unto Zebulun: but they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them.
11Nevertheless divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem.
12Also in Judah the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes, by the word of the LORD.
13And there assembled at Jerusalem much people to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great congregation.
14And they arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for incense took they away, and cast them into the brook Kidron.
15Kemudian mereka menyembelih domba pelangkauan pada hari yang keempatbelas pada bulan yang kedua: dan para imam dan orang Lewi merasa malu, dan menguduskan diri mereka sendiri, dan membawa masuk persembahan-persembahan bakaran ke dalam rumah TUHAN.
16Dan mereka berdiri di tempat mereka menurut ragam mereka, menurut hukum Musa, hamba Allah itu: para imam memercikkan darah itu, yang telah mereka terima dari tangan orang Lewi.
17Sebab ada banyak di jemah yang belum lagi dikuduskan: maka orang Lewi ditugaskan untuk menyembelih domba-domba pelangkauan bagi setiap orang yang tidak tahir, untuk menguduskan mereka kepada TUHAN.
18Sebab banyak orang, yakni banyak dari Efraim, dan Manasye, Isakhar, dan Zebulon, tidak mentahirkan diri mereka, namun mereka makan domba pelangkauan melanggari apa yang telah tertulis. Tetapi Hizkia berdoa bagi mereka, dengan berkata, TUHAN yang baik itu kiranya mengampuni setiap orang
19Yang menyediakan hatinya untuk mencari Allah, TUHAN Allah bapa-bapa leluhurnya, walaupun dia tidak ditahirkan menurut pentahiran tempat kudus.
20Dan TUHAN mendengar Hizkia, lalu menyembuhkan umat itu.
21Dan orang Israel yang hadir di Yerusalem mengamalkan perayaan roti tidak beragi selama tujuh hari dengan kesukaan yang besar: dan orang Lewi dan para imam memuji TUHAN hari demi hari, menyanyi dengan alat muzik yang kuat kepada TUHAN.
22Dan Hizkia berbicara dengan bersenang kepada semua orang Lewi yang mengajar pengetahuan baik TUHAN: dan mereka makan sepanjang masa tujuh hari jamuan raya, sedang kala mempersembahkan persembahan pendamaian, dan membuat pengakuan kepada TUHAN Allah bapa leluhur mereka.
23Dan seluruh jemaah membuat pertimbangan untuk mengamalkannya tujuh hari lagi: dan mereka mengamalkan tujuh hari lagi dengan kegembiraan.
24Sebab Hizkia telah memberi kepada jemaah seribu ekor lembu, dan tujuh ribu ekor domba; dan para penguasa memberi kepada jemaah seribu ekor lembu dan sepuluh ribu ekor domba: dan sebahagian besar para imam menguduskan diri mereka.
25Dan seluruh jemaah Yehuda, dengan para imam dan orang Lewi, dan seluruh jemaah yang telah keluar dari Israel, dan para orang asing yang telah keluar dari tanah Israel, dan yang berdiam di Yehuda, bersukacita.
26Maka ada sukacita yang besar di Yerusalem: sebab sejak zaman Salomo, anak kepada Daud, raja Israel, tiada apa pun yang serupa dengannya di Yerusalem.
27Kemudian para orang imam dan orang Lewi bangkit dan memberkati umat itu: dan suara mereka didengarkan, dan doa-doa mereka naik ke kediaman kudusnya, yakni ke syurga.