2 Chronicles 30

NEW JERUSALEM	STUTTGARTENSIA-DELITZSCH
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 וַיִּשְׁלַח יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ עַל־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וִיהוּדָה וְגַם־אִגְּרֹות כָּתַב עַל־אֶפְרַיִם וּמְנַשֶּׁה לָבֹוא לְבֵית־יְהוָה בִּירוּשָׁלִָם לַעֲשֹׂות פֶּסַח לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל
2 For the king and his officials and the whole congregation in Jerusalem had agreed to celebrate thePassover in the second month,	2 וַיִּוָּעַץ הַמֶּלֶךְ וְשָׂרָיו וְכָל־הַקָּהָל בִּירוּשָׁלִָם לַעֲשֹׂות הַפֶּסַח בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי
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 כִּי לֹא יָכְלוּ לַעֲשֹׂתֹו בָּעֵת הַהִיא כִּי הַכֹּהֲנִים לֹא־הִתְקַדְּשׁוּ לְמַדַּי וְהָעָם לֹא־נֶאֶסְפוּ לִירוּשָׁלִָם
4 And since this arrangement seemed fitting to the king and the whole congregation,	4 וַיִּישַׁר הַדָּבָר בְּעֵינֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וּבְעֵינֵי כָּל־הַקָּהָל
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 וַיַּעֲמִידוּ דָבָר לְהַעֲבִיר קֹול בְּכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל מִבְּאֵר־שֶׁבַע וְעַד־דָּן לָבֹוא לַעֲשֹׂות פֶּסַח לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּירוּשָׁלִָם כִּי לֹא לָרֹב עָשׂוּ כַּכָּתוּב
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 וַיֵּלְכוּ הָרָצִים בָּאִגְּרֹות מִיַּד הַמֶּלֶךְ וְשָׂרָיו בְּכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וִיהוּדָה וּכְמִצְוַת הַמֶּלֶךְ לֵאמֹר בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שׁוּבוּ אֶל־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיִשְׂרָאֵל וְיָשֹׁב אֶל־הַפְּלֵיטָה הַנִּשְׁאֶרֶת לָכֶם מִכַּף מַלְכֵי אַשּׁוּר
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 וְאַל־תִּהְיוּ כַּאֲבֹותֵיכֶם וְכַאֲחֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר מָעֲלוּ בַּיהוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹותֵיהֶם וַיִּתְּנֵם לְשַׁמָּה כַּאֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם רֹאִים
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 עַתָּה אַל־תַּקְשׁוּ עָרְפְּכֶם כַּאֲבֹותֵיכֶם תְּנוּ־יָד לַיהוָה וּבֹאוּ לְמִקְדָּשֹׁו אֲשֶׁר הִקְדִּישׁ לְעֹולָם וְעִבְדוּ אֶת־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם וְיָשֹׁב מִכֶּם חֲרֹון אַפֹּו
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 כִּי בְשׁוּבְכֶם עַל־יְהוָה אֲחֵיכֶם וּבְנֵיכֶם לְרַחֲמִים לִפְנֵי שֹׁובֵיהֶם וְלָשׁוּב לָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת כִּי־חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם וְלֹא־יָסִיר פָּנִים מִכֶּם אִם־תָּשׁוּבוּ אֵלָיו׃ פ
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 וַיִּהְיוּ הָרָצִים עֹבְרִים מֵעִיר ׀ לָעִיר בְּאֶרֶץ־אֶפְרַיִם וּמְנַשֶּׁה וְעַד־זְבֻלוּן וַיִּהְיוּ מַשְׂחִיקִים עֲלֵיהֶם וּמַלְעִגִים בָּם
11 even so, some people from Asher and Manasseh and Zebulon were humble enough to come toJerusalem,	11 אַךְ־אֲנָשִׁים מֵאָשֵׁר וּמְנַשֶּׁה וּמִזְּבֻלוּן נִכְנְעוּ וַיָּבֹאוּ לִירוּשָׁלִָם
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 גַּם בִּיהוּדָה הָיְתָה יַד הָאֱלֹהִים לָתֵת לָהֶם לֵב אֶחָד לַעֲשֹׂות מִצְוַת הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהַשָּׂרִים בִּדְבַר יְהוָה
13 A huge crowd assembled in Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of Unleavened Bread in the secondmonth. An immense crowd	13 וַיֵּאָסְפוּ יְרוּשָׁלִַם עַם־רָב לַעֲשֹׂות אֶת־חַג הַמַּצֹּות בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי קָהָל לָרֹב מְאֹד
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 וַיָּקֻמוּ וַיָּסִירוּ אֶת־הַמִּזְבְּחֹות אֲשֶׁר בִּירוּשָׁלִָם וְאֵת כָּל־הַמְקַטְּרֹות הֵסִירוּ וַיַּשְׁלִיכוּ לְנַחַל קִדְרֹון
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 וַיִּשְׁחֲטוּ הַפֶּסַח בְּאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר לַחֹדֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי וְהַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם נִכְלְמוּ וַיִּתְקַדְּשׁוּ וַיָּבִיאוּ עֹלֹות בֵּית יְהוָה
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 וַיַּעַמְדוּ עַל־עָמְדָם כְּמִשְׁפָּטָם כְּתֹורַת מֹשֶׁה אִישׁ־הָאֱלֹהִים הַכֹּהֲנִים זֹרְקִים אֶת־הַדָּם מִיַּד הַלְוִיִּם
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 כִּי־רַבַּת בַּקָּהָל אֲשֶׁר לֹא־הִתְקַדָּשׁוּ וְהַלְוִיִּם עַל־שְׁחִיטַת הַפְּסָחִים לְכֹל לֹא טָהֹור לְהַקְדִּישׁ לַיהוָה
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 כִּי מַרְבִּית הָעָם רַבַּת מֵאֶפְרַיִם וּמְנַשֶּׁה יִשָּׂשכָר וּזְבֻלוּן לֹא הִטֶּהָרוּ כִּי־אָכְלוּ אֶת־הַפֶּסַח בְּלֹא כַכָּתוּב כִּי הִתְפַּלֵּל יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ עֲלֵיהֶם לֵאמֹר יְהוָה הַטֹּוב יְכַפֵּר בְּעַד
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 כָּל־לְבָבֹו הֵכִין לִדְרֹושׁ הָאֱלֹהִים ׀ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹותָיו וְלֹא כְּטָהֳרַת הַקֹּדֶשׁ׃ ס
20 Yahweh listened to Hezekiah and left the people unharmed.	20 וַיִּשְׁמַע יְהוָה אֶל־יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ וַיִּרְפָּא אֶת־הָעָם׃ ס
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 וַיַּעֲשׂוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל הַנִּמְצְאִים בִּירוּשָׁלִַם אֶת־חַג הַמַּצֹּות שִׁבְעַת יָמִים בְּשִׂמְחָה גְדֹולָה וּמְהַלְלִים לַיהוָה יֹום ׀ בְּיֹום הַלְוִיִּם וְהַכֹּהֲנִים בִּכְלֵי־עֹז לַיהוָה׃ ס
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 וַיְדַבֵּר יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ עַל־לֵב כָּל־הַלְוִיִּם הַמַּשְׂכִּילִים שֵׂכֶל־טֹוב לַיהוָה וַיֹּאכְלוּ אֶת־הַמֹּועֵד שִׁבְעַת הַיָּמִים מְזַבְּחִים זִבְחֵי שְׁלָמִים וּמִתְוַדִּים לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹותֵיהֶם׃ ס
23 the whole congregation decided to celebrate for a further seven days. So they joyful y celebrated foranother seven days,	23 וַיִּוָּעֲצוּ כָּל־הַקָּהָל לַעֲשֹׂות שִׁבְעַת יָמִים אֲחֵרִים וַיַּעֲשׂוּ שִׁבְעַת־יָמִים שִׂמְחָה
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 כִּי חִזְקִיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה הֵרִים לַקָּהָל אֶלֶף פָּרִים וְשִׁבְעַת אֲלָפִים צֹאן ס וְהַשָּׂרִים הֵרִימוּ לַקָּהָל פָּרִים אֶלֶף וְצֹאן עֲשֶׂרֶת אֲלָפִים וַיִּתְקַדְּשׁוּ כֹהֲנִים לָרֹב
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 וַיִּשְׂמְחוּ ׀ כָּל־קְהַל יְהוּדָה וְהַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם וְכָל־הַקָּהָל הַבָּאִים מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל וְהַגֵּרִים הַבָּאִים מֵאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהַיֹּושְׁבִים בִּיהוּדָה
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 וַתְּהִי שִׂמְחָה־גְדֹולָה בִּירוּשָׁלִָם כִּי מִימֵי שְׁלֹמֹה בֶן־דָּוִיד מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא כָזֹאת בִּירוּשָׁלִָם׃ ס
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 וַיָּקֻמוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים הַלְוִיִּם וַיְבָרֲכוּ אֶת־הָעָם וַיִּשָּׁמַע בְּקֹולָם וַתָּבֹוא תְפִלָּתָם לִמְעֹון קָדְשֹׁו לַשָּׁמָיִם׃ פ