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 LORD at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover to LORD, the God of Israel.
2 For the king had taken counsel, and his rulers, and all the assembly in Jerusalem, to keep the Passover in the second month.
3 For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.
4 And the thing was right in the eyes of the king and of all the assembly.
5 So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the Passover to LORD, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem. For they had not kept it in great numbers in
6 So the posts went with the letters from the king and his rulers throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, Ye sons of Israel, turn again to LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, th
7 And be ye not like your fathers, and like your brothers, who trespassed against LORD, the God of their fathers, so that he gave them up to desolation, as ye see.
8 Now be ye not stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he has sanctified forever, and serve LORD your God, that his fierce anger may turn away from you.
9 For if ye turn again to LORD, your brothers and your sons shall find compassion before those who led them captive, and shall come again into this land. For LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face fro
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.
11 Nevertheless certain men of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem.
12 Also the hand of God came upon Judah to give them one heart, to do the commandment of the king and of the rulers by the word of LORD.
13 And many people assembled at Jerusalem to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great assembly.
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.
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 burnt-offerings into the house of LORD.
16 And they stood in their place after their order, according to the law of Moses the man of God; the priests sprinkled the blood [which they received] from the hand of the Levites.
17 For there were many in the assembly who had not sanctified themselves. Therefore the Levites had charge of killing the Passovers for everyone who was not clean, to sanctify them to LORD.
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 is written. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pa
19 who sets his heart to seek God, LORD, the God of his fathers, though [he be] not according to the purification of the sanctuary.
20 And LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.
21 And the sons of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness. And the Levites and the priests praised LORD day by day, with loud instruments to LORD.
22 And Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who had good understanding [in the service] of LORD. So they ate throughout the feast for the seven days, offering sacrifices of peace-offerings, and making confession to LORD, th
23 And the whole assembly took counsel to keep another seven days. And they kept [those] seven days with gladness.
24 For Hezekiah king of Judah gave to the assembly for offerings a thousand bullocks and seven thousand sheep. And the rulers gave to the assembly a thousand bullocks and ten thousand sheep. And a great number of priests sanctified th
25 And all the assembly of Judah, with the priests and the Levites, and all the assembly that came out of Israel, and the sojourners who came out of the land of Israel, and who dwelt in Judah, rejoiced.
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.