2 Chronicles 30

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
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 Also, Hezekiah sent to all of Israel and Judah. And he wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, so that they would come to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, and so that they would keep the Passover 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,	2 Therefore, having taken counsel, the king and the rulers, and the entire assembly of Jerusalem, resolved that they would keep the Passover, 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 they had not been able to keep it at its proper time. For the priests, who were unable to suffice, had not been sanctified. And the people had not yet been gathered together in Jerusalem.
4 And since this arrangement seemed fitting to the king and the whole congregation,	4 And the word was pleasing to the king, and to the entire multitude.
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 they resolved that they would send messengers to all of Israel, from Beersheba even to Dan, so that they might come and keep the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem. For many had not kept it, just as it was prescribed by the law.
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 carriers traveled with the letters, by order of the king and his rulers, to all of Israel and Judah, proclaiming, in accord with what the king had ordered: “O sons of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Israel. And he will return to the remnant who escaped from the hand of the king of the Assyrians.
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 Do not choose to be like your fathers and brothers, who withdrew from the Lord, the God of their fathers. And so he delivered them over to destruction, as you yourselves discern.
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 Do not choose to harden your necks, as your fathers did. Surrender to the hands of the Lord. And go to his Sanctuary, which he has sanctified unto eternity. Serve the Lord, the God of your fathers, and the fury of his wrath will be turned away 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 if you will return to the Lord, your brothers and sons will find mercy before their masters, who led them away as captives, and they will be returned to this land. For the Lord your God is compassionate and lenient, and he will not avert his face from you, if you will 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 And so, the carriers were traveling quickly from city to city, throughout the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun, though they were ridiculing and mocking them.
11 even so, some people from Asher and Manasseh and Zebulon were humble enough to come toJerusalem,	11 Even so, certain men from Asher, and from Manasseh, and from Zebulun, acquiescing to this counsel, went 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 Truly, the hand of God was working in Judah, to give them one heart, so that they would accomplish the word of the Lord, according to the precept of the king and of the rulers.
13 A huge crowd assembled in Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of Unleavened Bread in the secondmonth. An immense crowd	13 And many people gathered together in Jerusalem, so that they could keep the solemnity of unleavened bread, in the second month.
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 rising up, they destroyed the altars which were in Jerusalem, and all the things in which incense was burned to idols. Overturning these things, they cast them into the torrent Kidron.
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 Then they immolated the Passover on the fourteenth day of the second month. Also, the priests and Levites, at length having been sanctified, offered the holocausts in 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 And they stood in their order, according to the disposition and law of Moses, the man of God. Yet truly, the priests took up the blood, which was to be poured out, from the hands of 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 because a great number were not sanctified. And therefore, the Levites immolated the Passover for those who had not been sanctified to the Lord in time.
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 And now a great portion of the people from Ephraim, and Manasseh, and Issachar, and Zebulun, who had not been sanctified, ate the Passover, which is not in accord with what was written. And Hezekiah prayed for them, saying: “The good Lord will be forgiving
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 to all who, with their whole heart, seek the Lord, the God of their fathers. And he will not impute it to them, though they have not been sanctified.”
20 Yahweh listened to Hezekiah and left the people unharmed.	20 And the Lord heeded him, and was reconciled to 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 And the sons of Israel who were found at Jerusalem kept the solemnity of unleavened bread for seven days with great rejoicing, praising the Lord throughout each day, with the Levites and the priests, accompanied by the musical instruments corresponding to their office.
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 Hezekiah spoke to the heart of all the Levites, who had a 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.
23 the whole congregation decided to celebrate for a further seven days. So they joyful y celebrated foranother seven days,	23 And it pleased the entire multitude that they should celebrate, even for another seven days. And they did this with enormous gladness.
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 For Hezekiah, the king of Judah, had offered to the multitude one thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep. Truly, the rulers had given the people one thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep. Then a great mulititude of priests was sanctified.
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 multitude of Judah, as much the priests and Levites as the entire crowd that had arrived from Israel, and also the converts from the land of Israel, and those with a habitation in Judah, was overflowing with cheerfulness.
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 there was a great celebration in Jerusalem, to such an extent as had not been in that city since the days of Solomon, the son of David, the king of Israel.
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 priests and Levites rose up and blessed the people. And their voice was heeded. And their prayer reached the holy habitation of heaven.