2 Chronicles 29

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he came to the throne and he reigned for twenty-nine yearsin Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah.	1 Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother was named Abia, daughter of Zechariah.
2 He did what Yahweh regards as right, just as his ancestor David had done.	2 He pleased the LORD just as his forefather David had done.
3 In the first month of the first year of his reign, he opened the doors of the Temple of Yahweh, havingrepaired them.	3 It was he who, in the first month of the first year of his reign, opened the doors of the LORD'S house and repaired them.
4 He then brought in the priests and the Levites, assembled them in the eastern square,	4 He summoned the priests and Levites, gathered them in the open space to the east,
5 and said to them, 'Listen to me, Levites! First sanctify yourselves, then sanctify the Temple ofYahweh, God of your ancestors, and remove the filth from the sanctuary.	5 and said to them: "Listen to me, you Levites! Sanctify yourselves now and sanctify the house of the LORD, the God of your fathers, and clean out the filth from the sanctuary.
6 Our ancestors were unfaithful, and did what is displeasing to Yahweh our God. They abandoned him,turned their faces away from Yahweh's home and turned their backs on him.	6 Our fathers acted faithlessly and did evil in the eyes of the LORD, our God. They abandoned him, turned away their faces from the LORD'S dwelling, and turned their backs on him.
7 They even closed the doors of the portico, put out the lamps and stopped burning incense and makingburnt offerings in the sanctuary of the God of Israel.	7 They also closed the doors of the vestibule, extinguished the lamps, and refused to burn incense and offer holocausts in the sanctuary to the honor of the God of Israel.
8 This was why Yahweh's anger fel on Judah and Jerusalem and he made them an object of terror,astonishment and derision, as you can see for yourselves.	8 Therefore the anger of the LORD has come upon Judah and Jerusalem; he has made them an object of terror, astonishment and mockery, as you see with your own eyes.
9 Yes, our ancestors were put to the sword, and our sons, our daughters and our wives were takencaptive because of this.	9 For our fathers, as you know, fell by the sword, and our sons, our daughters and our wives have been taken captive because of this.
10 I am now determined to make a covenant with Yahweh, God of Israel, so that his fierce anger mayturn away from us.	10 Now, I intend to make a covenant with the LORD, the God of Israel, that his burning anger may withdraw from us.
11 Now, my sons, do not be remiss, for Yahweh has chosen you to stand in his presence and serve himby conducting his worship and offering him incense.'	11 My sons, be not negligent any longer, for it is you whom the LORD has chosen to stand before him, to minister to him, to be his ministers and to offer incense."
12 The Levites set about it -- Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah, from the Kohathites; Kishson of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehal el, from the Merarites; Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah, from theGershonites;	12 Then the Levites arose: Mahath, son of Amasai, and Joel, son of Azariah, descendants of the Kohathites; of the sons of Merari: Kish, son of Abdi, and Azariah, son of Jehallel; of the Gershonites: Joah, son of Zimmah, and Eden, son of Joah;
13 Shimri and Jeuel, of the sons of Elizaphan; Zechariah and Mattaniah of the sons of Asaph;	13 of the sons of Elizaphan: Shimri and Jeuel; of the sons of Asaph: Zechariah and Mattaniah;
14 Jehiel and Shimei of the sons of Heman; Shemaiah and Uzziel of the sons of Jeduthun-	14 of the sons of Heman: Jehuel and Shimei; of the sons of Jeduthun: Shemiah and Uzziel.
15 and gathered their brothers together; they sanctified themselves, and in obedience to the king'sorder, in accordance with the words of Yahweh, they came to purify the Temple of Yahweh.	15 They gathered their brethren together and sanctified themselves; then they came as the king had ordered, to cleanse the LORD'S house in keeping with his words.
16 The priests went into the inner part of the Temple of Yahweh to purify it. They brought al the uncleanthings which they found in Yahweh's sanctuary, out into the court of the Temple of Yahweh, where the Levitescol ected them and took them out to the Kidron Val ey.	16 The priests entered the interior of the LORD'S house to cleanse it; and whatever they found in the LORD'S temple that was unclean they brought out to the court of the LORD'S house, where the Levites took it from them and carried it out to the Kidron Valley.
17 They began sanctifying on the first day of the first month, and by the eighth day of the month hadreached Yahweh's portico; thus they took eight days to sanctify the Temple of Yahweh, and by the sixteenth dayof the first month everything was finished.	17 They began the work of consecration on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they arrived at the vestibule of the LORD; they consecrated the LORD'S house during eight days, and on the sixteenth day of the first month, they had finished.
18 They then waited on King Hezekiah and said, 'We have purified the whole Temple of Yahweh, thealtar of burnt offering with al its equipment and the table for the loaves of permanent offering with al theirequipment.	18 Then they went inside to King Hezekiah and said: "We have cleansed the entire house of the LORD, the altar of holocausts with all its utensils, and the table for the showbread with all its utensils.
19 We have also got ready and sanctified al the equipment which King Ahaz in his infidelity hadremoved during his reign. It is al ready in front of Yahweh's altar.'	19 All the articles which King Ahaz during his reign had thrown away because of his apostasy, we have restored and consecrated, and they are now before the LORD'S altar."
20 King Hezekiah lost no time but cal ed the officials of the city together and went up to the Temple ofYahweh.	20 Then King Hezekiah hastened to convoke the princes of the city and went up to the LORD'S house.
21 They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs and seven goats as a sin sacrifice for the royalhouse, for the sanctuary and for Judah, and he ordered the Aaronite priests to offer them on Yahweh's altar.	21 Seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs and seven he-goats were brought for a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah, and he ordered the sons of Aaron, the priests, to offer them on the altar of the LORD.
22 So they slaughtered the bul s and the priests took the blood and sprinkled it over the altar. They thenslaughtered the rams and sprinkled the blood over the altar; and they slaughtered the lambs and sprinkled theblood over the altar.	22 They slaughtered the bulls, and the priests collected the blood and cast it on the altar. Then they slaughtered the rams and cast the blood on the altar; then they slaughtered the lambs and cast the blood on the altar.
23 Then they brought the goats, the sacrifice for sin, before the king and the assembly who laid theirhands on them.	23 Then the he-goats for the sin offering were led before the king and the assembly, who laid their hands upon them.
24 The priests slaughtered them and made a sacrifice for sin with their blood at the altar to expiate foral Israel, since the king had ordered the burnt offering and the sacrifice for sin on behalf of al Israel.	24 The priests then slaughtered them and offered their blood on the altar to atone for the sin of all Israel; for "The holocaust and the sin offering," the king had said, "is for all Israel."
25 He positioned the Levites in the Temple of Yahweh with cymbals, lyres and harps, in accordancewith the ordinance of David, of Gad the king's seer and of Nathan the prophet, for such was Yahweh's orderconveyed through his prophets.	25 He stationed the Levites in the LORD'S house with cymbals, harps and lyres according to the prescriptions of David, of Gad the king's seer, and of Nathan the prophet; for the prescriptions were from the LORD through his prophets.
26 When the Levites stood with David's musical instruments, and the priests with the trumpets,	26 The Levites were stationed with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.
27 Hezekiah ordered the burnt offering to be presented on the altar. And as the burnt offering began,the hymns of Yahweh began too, and the trumpets sounded, to the accompaniment of the instruments of Davidking of Israel,	27 Then Hezekiah ordered the holocaust to be sacrificed on the altar, and in the same instant that the holocaust began, they also began the song of the LORD, to the accompaniment of the trumpets and the instruments of David, king of Israel.
28 while the whole congregation worshipped, the singers singing and the trumpeters sounding thetrumpets, continuously until the burnt offering was over.	28 The entire assembly prostrated itself, and they continued to sing the song and to sound the trumpets until the holocaust had been completed.
29 When the burnt offering was finished, the king and al those present with him fell to their knees andworshipped.	29 As the holocaust was completed, the king and all who were with him knelt and prostrated themselves.
30 Then King Hezekiah and the officials told the Levites to sing praise to Yahweh in the words of Davidand Asaph the seer; and joyfully they sang their praises, then knelt in worship.	30 King Hezekiah and the princes then commanded the Levites to sing the praises of the LORD in the words of David and of Asaph the seer. They sang praises till their joy was full, then fell down and prostrated themselves.
31 Hezekiah spoke again, 'Now that you have consecrated yourselves to Yahweh, come forward andbring thanksgiving sacrifices to the Temple of Yahweh.' Then the congregation brought thanksgiving sacrificesand those who were generous brought burnt offerings.	31 Hezekiah now spoke out this command: "You have undertaken a work for the LORD. Approach, and bring forward the sacrifices and thank offerings for the house of the LORD." Then the assembly brought forward the sacrifices and thank offerings and all the holocausts which were free-will offerings.
32 The number of burnt offerings brought by the congregation was seventy bul s, a hundred rams andtwo hundred lambs, al as burnt offerings for Yahweh.	32 The number of holocausts that the assembly brought forward was seventy oxen, one hundred rams, and two hundred lambs: all of these as a holocaust to the LORD.
33 The consecrated gifts amounted to six hundred bul s and three thousand sheep.	33 As consecrated gifts there were six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep.
34 The priests were too few, however, and were unable to dismember al the burnt offerings, so theirbrothers, the Levites, helped them until the work was finished and the priests had sanctified themselves; for theLevites had been more conscientious about sanctifying themselves than the priests had.	34 Since the priests were too few in number to be able to skin all the victims for the holocausts, their brethren the Levites assisted them until the task was completed and the priests had sanctified themselves; the Levites, in fact, were more willing than the priests to sanctify themselves.
35 In addition to the abundance of burnt offerings, there were also the fatty pieces for communionsacrifices and the libations for the burnt offerings. And so the liturgy of Yahweh's Temple was restored,	35 Also, the holocausts were many, along with the fat of the peace offerings and the libations for the holocausts. Thus the service of the house of the LORD was reestablished.
36 and Hezekiah and al the people rejoiced over what God had provided for the people, sinceeverything had happened so suddenly.	36 Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced over what God had reestablished for the people, and at how suddenly this had been done.