2 Chronicles 30

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 Hezekiah sent messengers to al Israel and Judah, and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh,bidding them come to the Temple of Yahweh in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover in honour of Yahweh, Godof Israel.	1 And Ezechias sent to all Israel and Juda: and he wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasses, that they should come to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, and keep the phase to the Lord the God of Israel.
2 For the king and his officials and the whole congregation in Jerusalem had agreed to celebrate thePassover in the second month,
3 having been unable to celebrate it at the proper time, since the priests had not purified themselves insufficient number, and the people were not assembled in Jerusalem.	3 For the king, taking counsel, and the princes, and all the assembly of Jerusalem, decreed to keep the phase the second month.
4 And since this arrangement seemed fitting to the king and the whole congregation,	4 For they could not keep it in its time; because there were not priests enough sanctified, and the people was not as yet gathered together to Jerusalem.
5 they resolved to send a proclamation throughout Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, cal ing on the peopleto come to Jerusalem and celebrate a Passover in honour of Yahweh, God of Israel, since they had notcelebrated it in a body as prescribed.	5 And the thing pleased the king, and all the people.
6 So, by order of the king, courtiers set out with letters from the king and his officials for every part ofIsrael and Judah, saying, 'Israelites, return to Yahweh, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, and he wil return tothose of you who are left and have escaped the grasp of the kings of Assyria.	6 And they decreed to send messengers to all Israel from Bersabee even to Dan, that they should come, and keep the phase to the Lord the God of Israel in Jerusalem: for many had not kept it as it is prescribed by the law.
7 Do not be like your fathers and brothers who were unfaithful to Yahweh, God of their ancestors; hebrought them to ruin, as you can see.	7 And the posts went with letters by commandment of the king, and his princes, to all Israel and Juda, proclaiming according to the king's orders: Ye children of Israel, turn again to the Lord the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Israel: and he will return to the remnant of you that have escaped the hand of the king of the Assyrians.
8 Do not be stubborn like your ancestors. Submit to Yahweh, come to his sanctuary which he hasconsecrated for ever, and serve Yahweh your God, so that his fierce anger may turn away from you.	8 Be not like your fathers, and brethren, who departed from the Lord the God of their fathers, and he hath given them up to destruction, as you see.
9 For if you return to Yahweh, your brothers and your sons wil be treated mercifully by their captors andbe al owed to return to this country; for Yahweh your God is gracious and merciful and wil not turn his face awayfrom you, if you return to him.'	9 Harden not your necks, as your fathers did: yield yourselves to the Lord, and come to his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: serve the Lord the God of your fathers, and the wrath of his indignation shall be turned away from you.
10 The courtiers went from town to town through the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh and as far asZebulon but the people laughed and scoffed at them;	10 For if you turn again to the Lord: your brethren, and children shall find mercy before their masters, that have led them away captive, and they shall return into this land: for the Lord your God is merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him.
11 even so, some people from Asher and Manasseh and Zebulon were humble enough to come toJerusalem,	11 So the posts went speedily from city to city, through the land of Ephraim, and of Manasses, even to ZabuloI
12 while in Judah the hand of God was also at work inspiring a unanimous desire to obey the order ofthe king and the officials in accordance with the word of Yahweh.	12 Nevertheless some men of Aser, and of Manasses, and of Zabulon, yielding to the counsel, came to Jerusalem.
13 A huge crowd assembled in Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of Unleavened Bread in the secondmonth. An immense crowd	13 But the hand of God was in Juda, to give them one heart to do the word of the Lord, according to the commandment of the king, and of the princes.
14 set to work removing the altars then in Jerusalem; they also removed al the incense altars and threwthem into the Kidron Val ey.	14 And much people were assembled to Jerusalem to celebrate the solemnity of the unleavened bread in the second month:
15 They then slaughtered the Passover victims on the fourteenth day of the second month. Ashamed ofthemselves, the priests and Levites had in the meanwhile sanctified themselves and brought burnt offerings tothe Temple of Yahweh,	15 And they arose and destroyed the altars that were in Jerusalem, and took sway all things in which incense was burnt to idols, and cast them into the torrent Cedron.
16 so they now stood in their positions prescribed in the Law of Moses man of God, the priestssprinkling the blood handed to them by the Levites.	16 And they immolated the phase on the fourteenth day of the second month. And the priests and the Levites being at length sanctified offered holocausts in the house of the Lord.
17 Since many people in the congregation had not sanctified themselves, the Levites took care of theslaughter of the Passover victims to consecrate them to Yahweh for al who were not clean.	17 And they stood in their order according to the disposition, and law of Moses the man of God: but the priests received the blood which was to be poured out, from the hands of the Levites,
18 For a great many people, especial y from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulon, had notpurified themselves, since they did not eat the Passover as prescribed. But Hezekiah prayed for them as fol ows,'May Yahweh in his goodness pardon	18 Because a great number was not sanctified: and therefore the Levites immolated the phase for them that came not in time to be sanctified to the Lord.
19 everyone whose heart is set on seeking God, Yahweh, God of his ancestors, even if he has not beenpurified as holy things demand.'	19 For a great part of the people from Ephraim, and Manasses, and Issachar, and Zabulon, that had not been sanctified, ate the phase otherwise than it is written: and Ezechias prayed for them, saying: The Lord who is good will shew mercy,
20 Yahweh listened to Hezekiah and left the people unharmed.	20 To all them, who with their whole heart, seek the Lord the God of their fathers: and will not impute it to them that they are not sanctified.
21 Amid great rejoicing, the Israelites present in Jerusalem celebrated the feast of Unleavened Breadfor seven days, while day after day the Levites and the priests praised Yahweh with al their might.	21 And the Lord heard him, and was merciful to the people.
22 Hezekiah then encouraged al the Levites who had such understanding of Yahweh. Having finishedthe seven-day festival, during which they sacrificed communion sacrifices and praised Yahweh, God of theirancestors,	22 And the children of Israel, that were found at Jerusalem, kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great joy, praising the Lord every day: the Levites also, and the priests, with instruments that agreed to their office.
23 the whole congregation decided to celebrate for a further seven days. So they joyful y celebrated foranother seven days,	23 And Ezechias spoke to the heart of all the Levites, that had good understanding concerning the Lord: and they ate during the seven days of the solemnity, immolating victims of peace offerings, and praising the Lord the God of their fathers.
24 Hezekiah king of Judah contributing a thousand bul s and seven thousand sheep for thecongregation, and the officials another thousand bul s and ten thousand sheep. And a large number of priestssanctified themselves.	24 And it pleased the whole multitude to keep other seven days: which they did with great joy.
25 The whole congregation of Judah, the priests, the Levites, the whole congregation coming fromIsrael and the foreigners coming from the territory of Israel as wel as those resident in Judah, rejoiced.	25 For Ezechias the king of Juda had given to the multitude a thousand bullocks, and seven thousand sheep: and the princes had given the people a thousand bullocks, and ten thousand sheep: and a great number of priests was sanctified.
26 There was great rejoicing in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon son of David, king of Israel,nothing comparable had ever occurred in Jerusalem.	26 And all the multitude of Juda with the priests and Levites, and all the assembly, that came out of Israel; and the proselytes of the land of Israel, and that dwelt in Juda were full of joy.
27 The levitical priests then stood up and blessed the people and their voice was heard, and their prayerreached his holy dwelling in heaven.	27 And there was a great solemnity in Jerusalem, such as had not been in that city since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel.