2 Chronicles 30 - 31
Hezekiah Celebrates the Passover
30And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of Yahweh at Jerusalem to 1celebrate the Passover to Yahweh, the God of Israel. 2And the king and his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem had taken counsel ato celebrate the Passover in the second month, 3since they could not celebrate it aat that time, because the priests had not set themselves apart as holy in sufficient numbers, nor had the people been gathered to Jerusalem. 4Thus the thing was right in the eyes of the king and in the eyes of all the assembly. 5So they established a decree to make a 1proclamation pass throughout all Israel afrom Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to celebrate the Passover to Yahweh, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem. For they had not celebrated it in great numbers as it was written. 6aAnd the 1couriers went throughout all Israel and Judah with the letters from the hand of the king and his princes, even according to the commandment of the king, saying, “O sons of Israel, return to Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that He may return to those of you who escaped and remain from bthe 2hand of the kings of Assyria. 7“aNow do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who were unfaithful to Yahweh, the God of their fathers, so that bHe made them an object of horror, as you see. 8“Now do not astiffen your neck like your fathers, but give your hand to Yahweh and enter His sanctuary which He has set apart as holy forever, and serve Yahweh your God, bthat His burning anger may turn away from you. 9“For awhen you return to Yahweh, your brothers and your sons will find compassion before those who led them captive and will return to this land. bFor Yahweh your God is gracious and compassionate, and will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him.”
10So the 1couriers passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but athey were laughing at them to scorn and mocking them. 11Nevertheless asome men of Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. 12The ahand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of Yahweh.
13Now many people were gathered at Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread ain the second month, a very large assembly. 14And they arose and took away the altars which were in Jerusalem; they also atook away all the incense altars and bcast them into the brook Kidron. 15Then athey slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth of the second month. And bthe priests and Levites were ashamed of themselves, and set themselves apart as holy and brought burnt offerings to the house of Yahweh. 16aAnd they stood at their stations according to the legal judgment for them, according to the law of Moses the man of God; the priests splashed the blood which they received from the hand of the Levites. 17For there were many in the assembly who had not set themselves apart as holy; therefore, athe Levites were over the slaughter of the Passover lambs for everyone who was unclean, in order to set them apart as holy to Yahweh. 18For a multitude of the people, aeven many from Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, byet they ate the Passover cotherwise than what was written. For Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May Yahweh, who is good, atone 19afor everyone who prepares his heart to seek God, Yahweh, the God of his fathers, though not according to the rules of cleansing of the sanctuary.” 20So Yahweh heard Hezekiah and ahealed the people. 21And the sons of Israel present in Jerusalem acelebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great gladness, and the Levites and the priests praised Yahweh day after day with loud instruments to Yahweh. 22Then Hezekiah aspoke to the hearts of all the Levites who showed good insight in the things of Yahweh. So they ate for the appointed seven days, sacrificing peace offerings and bgiving thanks to Yahweh, the God of their fathers.
23Then the whole assembly atook counsel to determine to celebrate the feast another seven days, so they celebrated the seven days with gladness. 24For aHezekiah 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 ba large number of priests set themselves apart as holy. 25And all the assembly of Judah were glad, with the priests and the Levites and aall the assembly that came from Israel, both the sojourners who came from the land of Israel and those living in Judah. 26So there was great gladness in Jerusalem, because there was nothing like this in Jerusalem asince the days of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel. 27Then athe Levitical priests arose and bblessed the people; and their voice was heard and their prayer came to cHis holy habitation, to heaven.
31Now when all this was completed, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah, ashattered the pillars, cut the 1Asherim in pieces, and tore down the high places and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, until the destruction was completed. Then all the sons of Israel returned to their cities, each to his possession.
Hezekiah Sets Up Priests for Service
2And Hezekiah set up athe divisions of the priests and the Levites by their divisions, each according to his service, both the priests and the Levites, bfor burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister and to give thanks and to praise in the gates of the camp of Yahweh. 3He also appointed athe king’s portion of his goods for the burnt offerings, namely, for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the sabbaths and for the new moons and for the appointed times, bas it is written in the law of Yahweh. 4Also he said to the people who lived in Jerusalem to give athe portion due to the priests and the Levites, that they might be strong in bthe law of Yahweh. 5As soon as the word spread forth, the sons of Israel provided in abundance the first fruits of grain, new wine, oil, honey, and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly athe tithe of all. 6Now the sons of Israel and Judah who lived in the cities of Judah also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and athe tithe of the holy gifts which were made holy to Yahweh their God, and put them in heaps. 7In the third month they began to 1make the heaps, and completed them by the seventh month. 8Then Hezekiah and the rulers came and saw the heaps, and they blessed Yahweh and aHis people Israel. 9Then Hezekiah inquired of the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps. 10And Azariah the chief priest aof the house of Zadok said to 1him, “bSince the contributions began to be brought into the house of Yahweh, there has been much to eat and be satisfied with and have left over, for Yahweh has blessed His people, and this great quantity is left over.”
11Then Hezekiah ordered them to prepare arooms in the house of Yahweh, and they prepared them. 12And they faithfully brought in the contribution and the tithe and the holy things; and Conaniah the Levite was the officer over athem and his brother Shimei was second. 13Now Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers 1assisting at the hand of Conaniah and Shimei his brother by the appointment of King Hezekiah, and aAzariah was the chief officer of the house of God. 14And Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the keeper of the eastern gate, was over the freewill offerings of God, to distribute the contributions for Yahweh and the most holy things. 15Now assisting 1by his hand were aEden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah in bthe cities of the priests, to distribute faithfully their portions to their brothers by divisions, whether great or small, 16without regard to their genealogical record, to the males from 1,athirty years old and upward—everyone who entered the house of Yahweh bfor his daily obligations—for their service in their responsibilities according to their divisions; 17as well as the priests who were recorded genealogically according to their fathers’ households, and the Levites afrom twenty years old and upwards, by their responsibilities and their divisions. 18The genealogical record included 1all their little ones, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, for the whole assembly, for they set themselves apart 2faithfully in holiness. 19Also for the sons of Aaron the priests who were in athe pasture lands of their cities, or in each and every city, bthere were men who were designated by name to distribute portions to every male among the priests and to everyone genealogically recorded among the Levites.