II Chronicles 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.

2. And the king and his leaders, and all the congregation in Jerusalem, took counsel 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 sufficiently, nor had the people gathered to Jerusalem.

4. And the thing pleased the king and all the congregation.

5. And they established a decree to send a notice throughout all Israel, from Beersheba 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 in large numbers as it was written.

6. Then the runners went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, “O children of Israel, turn again to the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and He will return to the remnant of you who have escaped out of the hands of the king of Assyria.

7. And do not be like your fathers and like your brethren who sinned against the LORD God of their fathers, and He therefore gave them up to desolation, as you see.

8. And do not be stiff-necked like your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the LORD and enter into His sanctuary which He has sanctified forever. And serve the LORD your God so that the fierceness of His wrath may turn away from you,

9. For if you turn again to the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before those who lead them captive so that they shall come again into this land, for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him.”

10. So the runners passed from city to city in the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, even to Zebulun. But they laughed them to scorn and mocked them.

11. Nevertheless, various men from Asher and Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.

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.

13. And many people gathered at Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month, a very great congregation.

14. And they arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for incense to other gods they took away, and cast them into the Brook Kidron.

15. And 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.

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 from the hand of the Levites,

17. For many in the congregation were not sanctified. And the Levites were over the killing of the Passover lambs for everyone who was unclean, in order to sanctify them unto the LORD,

18. For many of the people, many from Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, but ate the Passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the good LORD pardon everyone

19. Who prepares his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.”

20. Then the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah and healed the people.

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 with loud instruments to the LORD.

22. And Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who taught the good knowledge of the LORD. And they ate the appointed things seven days, offering peace offerings and making confession to the LORD God of their fathers.

23. And the whole assembly took counsel to keep another seven days. And they kept another seven days with gladness,

24. For Hezekiah king of Judah gave to the congregation a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep. And the princes gave to the congregation a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep. And a great number of priests sanctified themselves.

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 out of the land of Israel, and who lived in Judah, rejoiced.

26. And there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon the son of David, the king of Israel, there was nothing like this in Jerusalem.

27. Then the priests, the Levites, arose and blessed the people. And their voice was heard, and their prayer came to His holy dwelling place, even unto heaven.