1 Jehisk¡a het, vyf en twintig jaar oud, koning geword en nege en twintig jaar in Jerusalem geregeer; en die naam van sy moeder was Ab¡a, die dogter van Sagar¡a.

2 En hy het gedoen wat reg was in die oë van die HERE net soos sy vader Dawid gedoen het.

3 Hy het in die eerste jaar van sy regering, in die eerste maand, die deure van die huis van die HERE oopgemaak en dit herstel,

4 en die priesters en die Leviete laat inkom en hulle versamel op die Oosplein

5 en vir hulle gesê: Luister na my, Leviete! Heilig julle nou, en heilig die huis van die HERE, die God van julle vaders, en bring die onreinheid uit die heiligdom uit;

6 want ons vaders het ontrou gehandel en gedoen wat verkeerd was in die oë van die HERE onse God, en hulle het Hom verlaat en hulle aangesig van die tabernakel van die HERE afgewend en dit die rug toegekeer.

7 Ook het hulle die deure van die voorportaal toegesluit en die lampe doodgeblaas en geen reukwerk aan die brand gesteek en geen brandoffer in die heiligdom aan die God van Israel gebring nie.

8 Daarom het 'n toorn van die HERE oor Juda en Jerusalem gekom, en Hy het hulle 'n skrikbeeld, 'n voorwerp van verbasing en van bespotting gemaak, soos julle met jul eie oë sien.

9 En kyk, hierom het ons vaders deur die swaard geval en is ons seuns en ons dogters en ons vroue in gevangenskap.

10 Nou is dit in my hart om 'n verbond te sluit met die HERE, die God van Israel, dat sy toorngloed van ons afgewend kan word.

11 My seuns, wees nou nie nalatig nie, want die HERE het julle verkies om voor sy aangesig te staan, om Hom te dien en sy dienaars te wees en offerrook te laat opgaan.

12 Die Leviete het hulle toe klaargemaak: Mahat, die seun van Am sai, en Joël, die seun van As rja, uit die kinders van die Kehatiete; en uit die kinders van Mer ri: Kis, die seun van Abdi, en As rja, die seun van Jeh llelel; en uit die Gersoniete: Joag, die seun van Simma, en Eden, die seun van Joag;

13 en uit die kinders van Elis fan: Simri en Je‹-el; en uit die kinders van Asaf: Sagar¡a en Matt nja;

14 en uit die kinders van Heman: J,hiël en S¡me‹; en uit die kinders van Jedutun: Sem ja en Ussiël.

15 En hulle het hul broers versamel en hulle geheilig en ingekom om volgens die bevel van die koning, ooreenkomstig die woorde van die HERE, die huis van die HERE te reinig.

16 En die priesters het binne-in die huis van die HERE ingegaan om dit te reinig en al die onreinheid wat hulle in die tempel van die HERE gevind het, uitgebring in die voorhof van die huis van die HERE, en die Leviete het dit in ontvangs geneem om dit uit te bring na buite, na die spruit Kidron.

17 En hulle het begin om te heilig op die eerste van die eerste maand en op die agtste dag van die maand by die voorportaal van die HERE gekom en die huis van die HERE binne agt dae geheilig; en op die sestiende dag van die eerste maand was hulle gereed.

18 Toe kom hulle by koning Hisk¡a in en sê: Ons het die hele huis van die HERE gereinig -- die brandofferaltaar met al sy gereedskap en die tafel vir die toonbrode met al sy gereedskap;

19 ook al die gereedskap wat koning Agas tydens sy regering deur sy ontrou ontheilig het, het ons weer reggesit en geheilig, en kyk, daar is dit voor die altaar van die HERE.

20 Daarop maak koning Jehisk¡a hom vroeg klaar en laat die owerstes van die stad bymekaarkom, en hy het opgegaan na die huis van die HERE.

21 En hulle het sewe bulle en sewe ramme en sewe lammers en sewe bokke as 'n sondoffer vir die koningskap en vir die heiligdom en vir Juda gebring; en hy het aan die seuns van A„ron, die priesters, gesê om dit op die altaar van die HERE te offer.

22 Toe het hulle die beeste geslag, en die priesters het die bloed opgevang en dit teen die altaar uitgegooi, en die ramme geslag en die bloed teen die altaar uitgegooi, en die lammers geslag en die bloed teen die altaar uitgegooi.

23 Daarna het hulle die sondofferbokke nader gebring voor die koning en die vergadering, en hulle het hul hande daarop gelê.

24 En die priesters het hulle geslag en die bloed daarvan as sondoffer teen die altaar uitgegooi om versoening te doen vir die hele Israel; want die koning het die brandoffer en die sondoffer vir die hele Israel beveel.

25 En hy het die Leviete opgestel by die huis van die HERE met simbale, met harpe en siters volgens die gebod van Dawid en van Gad, die siener van die koning, en van die profeet Natan; want die HERE het dit so beveel deur die diens van sy profete.

26 En die Leviete het gaan staan met die instrumente van Dawid, en die priesters met die trompette.

27 En Hisk¡a het bevel gegee om die brandoffer op die altaar te offer; en net toe die brandoffer begin, het ook die gesang tot eer van die HERE en die trompette begin, en dit onder begeleiding van die instrumente van Dawid, die koning van Israel.

28 En die hele vergadering het hulle neergebuig, en die gesang het weerklink en die trompette geblaas -- dit alles totdat die brandoffer verby was.

29 En toe hulle klaar was met offer, het die koning en almal wat by hom aanwesig was, gekniel en hulle neergebuig.

30 Daarop gee koning Jehisk¡a en die owerstes aan die Leviete bevel om die HERE te prys met die woorde van Dawid en van Asaf, die siener; en hulle het met blydskap die lofsang aangehef en gebuig en aanbid.

31 En Jehisk¡a het begin sê: Nou het julle jul aan die HERE gewy; kom aan en bring die slagoffers en die lofoffers na die huis van die HERE. Die vergadering het toe slagoffers en lofoffers gebring, en elkeen wat gewillig van hart was, brandoffers.

32 En die getal van die brandoffers wat die vergadering gebring het, was sewentig beeste, honderd ramme, twee honderd lammers; dit alles as 'n brandoffer aan die HERE.

33 En die heilige gawes was ses honderd beeste en drie duisend stuks kleinvee.

34 Net die priesters was te min en kon nie al die brandoffers afslag nie; maar hulle broers, die Leviete, het hulle ondersteun, totdat die werk klaar was en totdat die priesters hulleself geheilig het; want die Leviete was opregter van hart om hulleself te heilig as die priesters.

35 En ook was daar brandoffers in menigte, met die vetstukke van die dankoffers en met die drankoffers vir die brandoffer. So is dan die diens in die huis van die HERE gereël.

36 En Jehisk¡a en die hele volk was bly oor wat God vir die volk berei het; want dit het gou gegaan.

1 Hezekiah began to reign when he was five and twenty years old; and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. 2 And he did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, according to all that David his father had done. 3 He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of Jehovah, and repaired them. 4 And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the broad place on the east, 5 and said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites; now sanctify yourselves, and sanctify the house of Jehovah, the God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place. 6 For our fathers have trespassed, and done that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah our God, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of Jehovah, and turned their backs. 7 Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt-offerings in the holy place unto the God of Israel. 8 Wherefore the wrath of Jehovah was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to be tossed to and fro, to be an astonishment, and a hissing, as ye see with your eyes. 9 For, lo, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this. 10 Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with Jehovah, the God of Israel, that his fierce anger may turn away from us. 11 My sons, be not now negligent; for Jehovah hath chosen you to stand before him, to minister unto him, and that ye should be his ministers, and burn incense.

12 Then the Levites arose, Mahath, the son of Amasai, and Joel the son of Azariah, of the sons of the Kohathites; and of the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi, and Azariah the son of Jehallelel; and of the Gershonites, Joah the son of Zimmah, and Eden the son of Joah; 13 and of the sons of Elizaphan, Shimri and Jeuel; and of the sons of Asaph, Zechariah and Mattaniah; 14 and of the sons of Heman, Jehuel and Shimei; and of the sons of Jeduthun, Shemaiah and Uzziel. 15 And they gathered their brethren, and sanctified themselves, and went in, according to the commandment of the king by the words of Jehovah, to cleanse the house of Jehovah. 16 And the priests went in unto the inner part of the house of Jehovah, to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of Jehovah into the court of the house of Jehovah. And the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad to the brook Kidron. 17 Now they began on the first day of the first month to sanctify, and on the eighth day of the month came they to the porch of Jehovah; and they sanctified the house of Jehovah in eight days: and on the sixteenth day of the first month they made an end. 18 Then they went in to Hezekiah the king within the palace, and said, We have cleansed all the house of Jehovah, and the altar of burnt-offering, with all the vessels thereof, and the table of showbread, with all the vessels thereof. 19 Moreover all the vessels, which king Ahaz in his reign did cast away when he trespassed, have we prepared and sanctified; and, behold, they are before the altar of Jehovah.

20 Then Hezekiah the king arose early, and gathered the princes of the city, and went up to the house of Jehovah. 21 And they brought seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven he-goats, for a sin-offering for the kingdom and for the sanctuary and for Judah. And he commanded the priests the sons of Aaron to offer them on the altar of Jehovah. 22 So they killed the bullocks, and the priests received the blood, and sprinkled it on the altar: and they killed the rams, and sprinkled the blood upon the altar: they killed also the lambs, and sprinkled the blood upon the altar. 23 And they brought near the he-goats for the sin-offering before the king and the assembly; and they laid their hands upon them: 24 and the priests killed them, and they made a sin-offering with their blood upon the altar, to make atonement for all Israel; for the king commanded that the burnt-offering and the sin-offering should be made for all Israel.

25 And he set the Levites in the house of Jehovah with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king’s seer, and Nathan the prophet; for the commandment was of Jehovah by his prophets. 26 And the Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets. 27 And Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt-offering upon the altar. And when the burnt-offering began, the song of Jehovah began also, and the trumpets, together with the instruments of David king of Israel. 28 And all the assembly worshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded; all this continued until the burnt-offering was finished.

29 And when they had made an end of offering, the king and all that were present with him bowed themselves and worshipped. 30 Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praises unto Jehovah with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped.

31 Then Hezekiah answered and said, Now ye have consecrated yourselves unto Jehovah; come near and bring sacrifices and thank-offerings into the house of Jehovah. And the assembly brought in sacrifices and thank-offerings; and as many as were of a willing heart brought burnt-offerings. 32 And the number of the burnt-offerings which the assembly brought was threescore and ten bullocks, a hundred rams, and two hundred lambs: all these were for a burnt-offering to Jehovah. 33 And the consecrated things were six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep. 34 But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt-offerings: wherefore their brethren the Levites did help them, till the work was ended, and until the priests had sanctified themselves; for the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests. 35 And also the burnt-offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace-offerings, and with the drink-offerings for every burnt-offering. So the service of the house of Jehovah was set in order. 36 And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, because of that which God had prepared for the people: for the thing was done suddenly.