2 Chronicles 30

1 Then Hezekiah [the faithful king] sent word throughout all Israel [the chosen people] and Judah [the tribe of praise], and he also wrote letters [official invitations] to Ephraim [doubly fruitful] and Manasseh [forgetting troubles] inviting them to come to the house [temple, dwelling place] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] in Jerusalem [city of peace] to keep the Passover [festival of liberation] of the LORD [the God of covenant], the God [Elohim, supreme ruler] of Israel [the descendants of Jacob]. word study 2 For the king [and his princes, ruler] and his officials [leaders, captains] and the whole assembly [congregation, group of people] in Jerusalem [the city of peace, capital of Palestine] had decided [taken counsel, made a plan] to keep [observe, celebrate] the Passover [the Jewish festival, a time of remembrance] in the second [another, next] month [a period of time, a lunar cycle], word study 3 since they had been unable [not having the power or ability] to observe it at the regular [appointed, designated] time, because not enough [a sufficient number, adequately] priests [spiritual leaders, mediators] had consecrated [sanctified, set apart] themselves and the people [the nation, community] had not been gathered [assembled, collected] in Jerusalem [the city of peace, capital of Israel]. word study 4 This proposal [seemed right] pleased the king [royal person, ruler] and the whole [entire, all] assembly [group of people, congregation, gathered crowd]. word study 5 So they established [made a decree, ordered] a decree to circulate [send out, proclaim] a proclamation throughout Israel [from the southernmost to the northernmost parts], from Beersheba [well of the sevenfold oath] to Dan, that the people should come to keep [celebrate, observe] the Passover [a festival commemorating the Israelites’ liberation] of the LORD [Yehovah], the God [Elohim, the supreme God] of Israel, in Jerusalem [the city of peace]. For they had not observed [kept, celebrated] it as a nation [in a unified manner] as prescribed [written, commanded]. word study 6 So the couriers [messengers, runners] went throughout Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, referring to his descendants] and Judah [the tribe descended from Judah, son of Jacob] with letters [written messages] from the king [royal person, ruler] and his officials [princes, leaders], which read: “Children of Israel [sons of Jacob, descendants of Israel], return [turn back, come back] to the LORD [Yehovah, the God of the covenant] [Isaac, and Israel], the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that He may return [turn back, come back] to those of you who remain [survivors, escaped ones], who have escaped [been delivered, spared] the grasp [hand, power] of the kings [rulers, monarchs] of Assyria [Asshur, the ancestor of the Assyrians]. word study 7 Do not be like your fathers [and brethren, who sinned against God] and brothers who were unfaithful [acted treacherously, were disloyal] to the LORD [Yehovah], the God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] of their fathers, so that He made them an object of horror [desolation, a cause of fear], as you can see [as is evident, as you behold]. word study 8 Now [at this time, in this moment] do not stiffen [harden, become stubborn] your necks [the back of the neck] as your fathers [ancestors, forefathers] did. Submit [yield, give yourselves] to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] and come to His sanctuary [holy place, consecrated space], which He has consecrated [set apart, made holy] forever [for all eternity, always]. Serve [work, worship] the LORD your God [Elohim, the supreme God], so that His fierce [burning, intense] anger [wrath, indignation] will turn away [be removed, withdrawn] from you. word study 9 For if you return [turn back, come back] to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], your brothers [relatives, close family members] and sons [children, descendants] will receive mercy [compassion, tender love] in the presence [face, sight] of their captors [those who led them captive] and will return [come back, turn back] to this land [the promised land, the earthly territory]. For the LORD your God [Elohim, the supreme God] is gracious [kind, merciful] and merciful [full of compassion, sympathetic]; He will not turn [remove, turn away] His face [presence, countenance] away from you if you return [come back, turn back] to Him [toward Him, to His presence].” word study 10 And the couriers [messengers, runners] traveled from city [town, settlement] to city through the land [country, territory] of Ephraim [doubly fruitful, a tribe of Israel] and Manasseh [a tribe of Israel, forgetful] as far as [until, up to] Zebulun [a tribe of Israel, exalted]; but the people scorned [laughed to scorn, ridiculed] and mocked [derided, made sport of] them. word study 11 Nevertheless, some [certain men, divers] from Asher [a tribe of Israel], Manasseh [a grandson of Jacob], and Zebulun [a son of Jacob] humbled [bent their knee, submitted] themselves and came [went, approached] to Jerusalem [the city of peace, the capital of Palestine]. word study 12 Moreover, the power [hand] of God [Elohim, the supreme Being] was on the people in Judah [the tribe descended from Judah] to give them one [united, single-minded] heart [the feelings, the will, the mind] to obey [to heed, to follow] the command [instruction, law] of the king [ruler, monarch] and his officials [princes, leaders] according to the word [message, decree] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]. word study 13 In the second [following the first, subsequent] month, a very great [large, abundant] assembly [congregation, gathering] gathered [came together, were assembled] in Jerusalem [the city of peace, capital of Israel] to celebrate [keep, observe] the Feast [festival, celebration] of Unleavened Bread [bread without yeast]. word study 14 They proceeded to remove [take away, destroy] the altars [places of sacrifice, worship] in Jerusalem [the city of peace, capital of Palestine] and to take away [remove, eliminate] the incense altars [vessels for burning perfumes, instruments of worship] and throw [cast, toss] them into the Kidron Valley [brook Kidron, a small river near Jerusalem]. word study 15 And on the fourteenth [second month’s full moon] day of the second [subsequent, following the first] month they slaughtered [killed, immolated] the Passover [memorial of God’s deliverance] lamb [young sheep]. The priests [spiritual leaders, mediators] and Levites [descendants of Levi, temple servants] were ashamed [humiliated, felt remorse], and they consecrated [set apart, sanctified] themselves and brought [offered, presented] burnt offerings [sacrifices, atonements] to the house [temple, dwelling place] of the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God]. word study 16 They stood [in their assigned positions] at their prescribed posts, according to the Law [instruction, guidance] of Moses [the Israelite leader, prophet] the man [a male person, human] of God [Elohim, the supreme God]. The priests [spiritual leaders, mediators] sprinkled [scattered, poured out] the blood [the liquid that flows through the body], which they received from the hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share] of the Levites [descendants of Levi, temple servants]. word study 17 Since there were many [a great number, a multitude] in the assembly [congregation, gathering] who had not consecrated [sanctified, set apart] themselves, the Levites [descendants of Levi, priests] were in charge of slaughtering [killing, putting to death] the Passover [Jewish festival, sacrifice] lambs for every unclean [not pure, ceremonially impure] person to consecrate [dedicate, set apart] the lambs to the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God]. word study 18 A large number [multitude, great amount] of the people—many [a great many, numerous] from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun—had not [failed to] purified [cleansed, made holy] themselves, yet they ate [partook of, devoured] the Passover [the Jewish festival, the animal sacrificed], contrary [otherwise, not in accordance] to what was written [inscribed, recorded]. But Hezekiah [the king of Judah, a righteous leader] interceded [prayed, made petition] for them, saying, “May the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God], who is [characterized as] good [pleasant, benevolent], provide [offer, grant] atonement [forgiveness, covering] for everyone [all people, every individual] word study 19 who sets [with determination and purpose] his heart [the innermost part of a person, including their mind, will, and emotions] on seeking [to ask, to worship, or to inquire] God [Elohim, the one supreme God]—the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], the God [the supreme Creator and Ruler] of his fathers [ancestors, or those who have gone before]—even if he is not cleansed [purified, or made holy] according to the purification rules [ceremonial laws, or sacred regulations] of the sanctuary [the Holy Place, a sacred or set-apart area].” word study 20 And the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] heard [listened to, gave attention to] Hezekiah [the king of Judah, a servant of God] and healed [mended, cured] the people [a nation, a group of individuals]. word study 21 The Israelites [children of Israel, descendants of Jacob] who were present in Jerusalem [the city of peace] celebrated the Feast [festival, sacred assembly] of Unleavened Bread [sweet bread made without yeast] for seven days with great [intense, abundant] joy [gladness, happiness], and the Levites [descendants of Levi, temple servants] and priests [spiritual leaders, mediators] praised the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] day after day, accompanied by loud [strong, powerful] instruments of praise [articles of music, utensils of worship] to the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God]. word study 22 And Hezekiah [spoke comfortably] encouraged all the Levites [who taught the good knowledge of the Lord, having good understanding] who performed skillfully [with good understanding, prudent] before the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]. For seven days they ate their assigned portion [the food that was appointed to them], sacrificing [offering, presenting] fellowship offerings [peace offerings, sacrifices of thanksgiving] and giving thanks [praising, making confession] to the LORD [Elohim], the God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] of their fathers [ancestors, forefathers]. word study 23 The whole [entire, all-inclusive] assembly [congregation, group of people] agreed [took counsel, came to a decision] to observe [keep, celebrate] seven more [additional, further] days, so they observed [kept, celebrated] seven [a week, a period of completion] days with [filled with, characterized by] joy [gladness, happiness]. word study 24 For Hezekiah [a righteous leader] king of Judah contributed [gave generously, provided abundantly] a thousand [a large multitude, numerous] bulls and seven thousand sheep for the assembly [a gathering of people, a congregation], and the officials [rulers, leaders] contributed [gave, provided] a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep for the assembly, and a great number [a large multitude, many] of priests [spiritual leaders, mediators] consecrated [set apart, sanctified] themselves. word study 25 Then the whole [entire, complete] assembly [congregation, group of people] of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah, the son of Jacob] rejoiced [were glad, celebrated with joy] along with the priests [those who serve God and lead others in worship] and Levites [descendants of Levi, one of Jacob’s 12 sons] and the whole [entire, complete] assembly [congregation, group of people] that had come [gone, approached] from Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, also referring to his descendants], including [also, with] the foreigners [sojourners, temporary residents] who had come [gone, approached] from Israel [the land, the country] and those who lived [dwelt, remained] in Judah [the region where the tribe of Judah settled]. word study 26 So there was great [tremendous, exceeding] rejoicing [joy, gladness] in Jerusalem [the city of peace], for nothing like this [such an event, a similar occasion] had happened there since the days [time, era] of Solomon [a king of Israel] son of David [the youngest son of Jesse, a king of Israel] king of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, referring to his descendants]. word study 27 Then the priests [Levitical ministers, spiritual leaders] and the Levites [descendants of Levi, temple servants] stood to bless [praise, honor, invoke divine favor] the people, and God [the Almighty, heavenly Father] heard [listened, heeded] their voice [sound, utterance], and their prayer [supplication, heartfelt request] came into His holy [set apart, sacred] dwelling place [holy habitation, heavenly sanctuary] in heaven [the sky, the spiritual realm]. word study