2 Chronicles 30

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
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 Hezekiah sent a message to all Israel and Judah, and even wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh saying that they should come to the house of the LORD in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover in honor of 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,	2 The king, his princes, and the entire assembly in Jerusalem had agreed to celebrate the Passover during 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 they could not celebrate it at the time of the restoration: the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient numbers, and the people were not gathered at Jerusalem.
4 And since this arrangement seemed fitting to the king and the whole congregation,	4 When this proposal had been approved by the king and the entire assembly,
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 they issued a decree to be proclaimed throughout all Israel from Beer-sheba to Dan, that everyone should come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover in honor of the LORD, the God of Israel; for not many had kept it in the manner prescribed.
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 Accordingly the couriers, with the letters written by the king and his princes, traversed all Israel and Judah, and at the king's command they said: "Israelites, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that he may return to you, the remnant left from the hands of the Assyrian kings.
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 Be not like your fathers and your brethren who proved faithless to the LORD, the God of their fathers, so that he delivered them over to desolation, as you yourselves now see.
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 obstinate, as your fathers were; extend your hands to the LORD and come to his sanctuary that he has consecrated forever, and serve the LORD, your God, that he may turn away his burning anger from you.
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 For when you return to the LORD, your brethren and your children will find mercy with their captors and return to this land; for merciful and compassionate is the LORD, your God, and he will not turn away his face from you if you return to him."
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 So the couriers passed from city to city in the land of Ephraim and Manasseh and as far as Zebulun, but they were derided and scoffed at.
11 even so, some people from Asher and Manasseh and Zebulon were humble enough to come toJerusalem,	11 Nevertheless, some from Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.
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 In Judah, however, the power of God brought it about that the people were of one mind to carry out the command of the king and the princes in accordance with the word of the LORD.
13 A huge crowd assembled in Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of Unleavened Bread in the secondmonth. An immense crowd	13 Thus many people gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month; it was a very great assembly.
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 They proceeded to take down the altars that were in Jerusalem; also they removed all the altars of incense and cast them into the Kidron Valley.
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 They slaughtered the Passover on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and Levites, touched with shame, sanctified themselves and brought holocausts into the house of the LORD.
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 They stood in the places prescribed for them according to the law of Moses, the man of God. The priests sprinkled the blood given them by the Levites;
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 for many in the assembly had not sanctified themselves, and the Levites were in charge of slaughtering the Passover victims for all who were unclean and therefore could not consecrate them to the LORD.
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 The greater part of the people, in fact, chiefly from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves. Nevertheless they ate the Passover, contrary to the prescription; for Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, "May the LORD, who is good, grant pardon to
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 everyone who has resolved to seek God, the LORD, the God of his fathers, though he be not clean as holiness requires."
20 Yahweh listened to Hezekiah and left the people unharmed.	20 The LORD heard Hezekiah and spared the people.
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 Thus the Israelites who were in Jerusalem celebrated the feast of Unleavened Bread with great rejoicing for seven days, and the Levites and the priests sang the praises of the LORD day after day with all their strength.
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 Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who had shown themselves well skilled in the service of the LORD. And when they had completed the seven days of festival, slaying peace offerings and singing praises to the LORD, the God of their fathers,
23 the whole congregation decided to celebrate for a further seven days. So they joyful y celebrated foranother seven days,	23 the whole assembly agreed to celebrate another seven days. With joy, therefore, they continued the festivity seven days longer.
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 King Hezekiah of Judah had contributed a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep to the assembly, and the princes had contributed to the assembly a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep. The priests sanctified themselves in great numbers,
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 and the whole assembly of Judah rejoiced, together with the priests and Levites and the rest of the assembly that had come from Israel, as well as the sojourners from the land of Israel and those that lived in Judah.
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 There was great rejoicing in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel, there had not been the like in the city.
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 Then the levitical priests rose and blessed the people; their voice was heard and their prayer reached heaven, God's holy dwelling.