30:1 And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote
letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to
the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, to keep the passover to the
LORD God of Israel.
30:2 For the king had taken counsel, and his princes, and all
the congregation in Jerusalem, to keep the passover in the
second month.
30:3 For they could not keep it at that time, because the
priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently, neither had
the people assembled themselves at Jerusalem.
30:4 And the thing pleased the king and all the congregation.
30:5 So they established a decree to make proclamation
throughout all Israel, from Beer-sheba even to Dan, that they
should come to keep the passover to the LORD God of Israel at
Jerusalem: for they had not done [it] of a long [time in the
manner] as it was written.
30:6 So the posts went with the letters from the king and his
princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the
commandment of the king, saying, Ye children of Israel, turn
again to the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he
will return to the remnant of you that have escaped from the
hand of the kings of Assyria.
30:7 And be not ye like your fathers, and like your brethren,
who trespassed against the LORD God of their fathers, [who]
therefore gave them up to desolation, as ye see.
30:8 Now be ye not stiff-necked, as your fathers [were], [but]
yield yourselves to the LORD, and enter into his sanctuary,
which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the LORD your God,
that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you.
30:9 For if ye turn again to the LORD, your brethren and your
children [will find] compassion before them that lead them
captive, so that they will return into this land: for the LORD
your God [is] gracious and merciful, and will not turn away
[his] face from you, if ye return to him.
30:10 So the posts passed from city to city through the country
of Ephraim and Manasseh even to Zebulun: but they laughed them
to scorn, and mocked them.
30:11 Nevertheless, divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun
humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem.
30:12 Also in Judah the hand of God was to give them one heart
to do the commandment of the king and of the princes, by the
word of the LORD.
30:13 And there assembled at Jerusalem many people to keep the
feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great
congregation.
30:14 And they arose and took away the altars that [were] in
Jerusalem, and all the altars for incense they took away, and
cast [them] into the brook Kidron.
30:15 Then they killed the passover on the fourteenth [day] of
the second month: and the priests and the Levites were ashamed,
and sanctified themselves, and brought in the burnt-offerings
into the house of the LORD.
30:16 And they stood in their place after their manner,
according to the law of Moses the man of God: the priests
sprinkled the blood, [which they received] from the hand of the
Levites.
30:17 For [there were] many in the congregation that were not
sanctified: therefore the Levites had the charge of the killing
of the passovers for every one [that was] not clean, to
sanctify [them] to the LORD.
30:18 For a multitude of the people, [even] many of Ephraim, and
Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves,
yet they ate the passover otherwise than it was written. But
Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pardon every
one,
30:19 [That] prepareth his heart to seek God, the LORD God of
his fathers, though [he is] not [cleansed] according to the
purification of the sanctuary.
30:20 And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.
30:21 And the children of Israel [that were] present at
Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with
great gladness: and the Levites and the priests praised the
LORD day by day, [singing] with loud instruments to the LORD.
30:22 And Hezekiah spoke comfortably to all the Levites that
taught the good knowledge of the LORD: and they ate throughout
the feast seven days, offering peace-offerings, and making
confession to the LORD God of their fathers.
30:23 And the whole assembly took counsel to keep other seven
days: and they kept [other] seven days with gladness.
30:24 For Hezekiah king of Judah gave to the congregation a
thousand bullocks and seven thousand sheep; and the princes
gave to the congregation a thousand bullocks and ten thousand
sheep: and a great number of priests sanctified themselves.
30:25 And all the congregation of Judah, with the priests and
the Levites, and all the congregation that came out of Israel,
and the strangers that came from the land of Israel, and that
dwelt in Judah, rejoiced.
30:26 So there was great joy in Jerusalem: for since the time of
Solomon the son of David king of Israel [there was] not the
like in Jerusalem.
30:27 Then the priests the Levites arose and blessed the people:
and their voice was heard, and their prayer ascended to his
holy dwelling-place, [even] to heaven.
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