King Hezekiah Celebrates the Passover
2 Chronicles 30Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of YHWH at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover to YHWH, the God of Israel. For the king had taken counsel with his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem to keep the Passover in the second month. For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, and the people had not gathered themselves together to Jerusalem. The proposal was right in the eyes of the king and of all the assembly. 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 YHWH, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem, for they had not kept it in great numbers in the way it is written.
So the couriers went with the letters from the king and his officials throughout all Israel and Judah, according to the commandment of the king, saying, “Children of Israel, y’all must turn again to YHWH, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that ʜᴇ may return to y’all who are left, who escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. Don’t be like y’all’s ancestors and siblings, who trespassed against YHWH, the God of their ancestors, so that ʜᴇ gave them up as an object of horror, as y’all see. Now y’all must not be stiff-necked like y’all’s ancestors were, but submit your* hand to YHWH. Y’all are to enter into ʜɪꜱ sanctuary, which ʜᴇ has sanctified forever, and serve YHWH y’all’s God, so that ʜɪꜱ burning anger may turn away from y’all. For if y’all turn back to YHWH, y’all’s siblings and children will find compassion with those who led them captive, and will come again into this land, because YHWH y’all’s God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn ʜɪꜱ face away from y’all if y’all return to ʜɪᴍ.”
So the couriers passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, even to Zebulun, but people ridiculed them and mocked them. Nevertheless some men of Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. Also the hand of God came on Judah to give them one heart, to do the commandment of the king and of the princes by the word of YHWH.
Many people assembled at Jerusalem to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great assembly. They arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and they took away all the altars for incense and threw them into the brook Kidron. Then they killed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought burnt offerings into the house of YHWH. 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 of the hand of the Levites. For there were many in the assembly who had not sanctified themselves; therefore the Levites were in charge of killing the Passovers for everyone who was not clean, to sanctify them to YHWH. For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover other than the way it is written. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, “May the good YHWH pardon everyone who sets his heart to seek God, YHWH, the God of his fathers, even if they aren’t clean according to the purification of the sanctuary.”
YHWH listened to Hezekiah, and healed the people. The children of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness. The Levites and the priests praised YHWH day by day, singing with loud instruments to YHWH. Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who had good understanding in the service of YHWH. So they ate throughout the feast for the seven days, offering sacrifices of peace offerings and making confession to YHWH, the God of their fathers.
The whole assembly took counsel to keep another seven days, and they kept another seven days with gladness. For Hezekiah king of Judah gave to the assembly for offerings one thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep; and the princes gave to the assembly a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep; and a great number of priests sanctified themselves. All the assembly of Judah, with the priests and the Levites, and all the assembly who came out of Israel, and the foreigners who came out of the land of Israel and who lived in Judah, rejoiced. So there was great joy in Jerusalem; for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was nothing like this in Jerusalem. Then the Levitical priests arose and blessed the people. Their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy habitation, even to heaven.