2 Chronicles 30
The Celebration of the
Passover |
1 |
And Hezeki'ah sent to all Israel and
Judah, and wrote letters also to E'phra-im and Manas'seh, that they
should come to the house of the LORD at
Jerusalem, to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel.
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2 |
For the king had taken counsel, and his
princes, and all the congregation in Jerusalem, to keep the passover
in the second month.
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3 |
For they could not keep it at that time,
because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently,
neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem. Num.
9.9-11
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4 |
And the thing pleased the king and all
the congregation.
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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 unto the LORD God of Israel at Jerusalem: for they had not done it of a long time in such sort as it was
written.
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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 unto the LORD God of
Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he will return to the remnant of
you, that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of
Assyria.
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7 |
And be not ye like your fathers, and like
your brethren, which trespassed against the LORD God of their fathers, who therefore gave
them up to desolation, as ye see.
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8 |
Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your
fathers were, but yield yourselves unto 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.
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9 |
For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall
find compassion before them that 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 away his face from you, if ye return unto him.
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10 |
So the posts passed from city to city,
through the country of E'phra-im and Manas'seh, even unto Zeb'ulun:
but they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them.
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11 |
Nevertheless, divers of Asher and
Manas'seh and of Zeb'ulun humbled themselves, and came to
Jerusalem.
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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.
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13 |
And there assembled at Jerusalem much
people to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a
very great congregation.
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14 |
And they arose and took away the altars
that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for incense took
they away, and cast them into the brook Kidron.
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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.
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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 of the hand of the
Levites.
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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 unto the LORD.
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18 |
For a multitude of the people, even many of E'phra-im and Manas'seh, Is'sachar and Zeb'ulun,
had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the passover otherwise
than it was written. But Hezeki'ah prayed for them, saying, The good
LORD pardon every one
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19 |
that prepareth his heart to seek
God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he
be not cleansed according to the purification of the
sanctuary.
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20 |
And the LORD hearkened to Hezeki'ah, and healed the people.
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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 unto the LORD.
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22 |
And Hezeki'ah spake comfortably unto all
the Levites that taught the good knowledge of the LORD: and they did eat throughout the feast seven
days, offering peace offerings, and making confession to the LORD God of their fathers.
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23 |
And the whole assembly took counsel to
keep other seven days: and they kept other seven days with
gladness.
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24 |
For Hezeki'ah king of Judah did give 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.
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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 that dwelt in Judah, rejoiced.
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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.
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27 |
Then the priests the Levites arose and
blessed the people: and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy dwelling place, even unto
heaven.
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