Thematic Bible: Irregularities in

He said to them, Have you not even read what David did when he was hungry, and those who accompanied him -- " How he went into the house of God and ate the loaves of the showbread -- "which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for the men who accompanied him, but for the priests only?

For the king and his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem took counsel to keep the Passover in the second month. For they could not keep it at the set time because not enough priests had sanctified themselves, neither had the people assembled in Jerusalem. The new time pleased the king and all the assembly. read more.
So they decreed to make a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, that the people should come to keep the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem. For they had not kept it collectively as prescribed for a long time.

For many were in the assembly who had not sanctified themselves [become clean and free from all sin]. So the Levites had to kill the Passover lambs for all who were not clean, in order to make them holy to the Lord. For a multitude of the people, many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover otherwise than Moses directed. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, May the good Lord pardon everyone Who sets his heart to seek and yearn for God -- "the Lord, the God of his fathers -- "even though not complying with the purification regulations of the sanctuary. read more.
And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah and healed the people.