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 Jehovah at Jerusalem, to hold the passover to Jehovah the God of Israel.2 And the king took counsel, and his princes, and the whole congregation in Jerusalem, to hold the passover in the second month.3 For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not hallowed themselves in sufficient number, neither had the people been gathered together to Jerusalem.4 And the thing pleased the king and the whole congregation.5 So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout Israel from Beer-sheba even to Dan, that they should come to hold the passover to Jehovah the God of Israel, at Jerusalem; because they had not held it for a long time as it was written.6 And the couriers went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, Ye children of Israel, return to Jehovah the 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.7 And be not like your fathers and like your brethren, who transgressed against Jehovah the God of their fathers, so that he gave them up to desolation, as ye see.8 Now, harden not your necks, as your fathers; yield yourselves to Jehovah, and come to his sanctuary, which he has sanctified for ever; and serve Jehovah your God, that the fierceness of his anger may turn away from you.9 For if ye return to Jehovah, your brethren and your children shall find compassion with those that have carried them captive, so that they shall come again unto this land; for Jehovah your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return to him.10 And the couriers passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, even to Zebulun; but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them.11 Nevertheless certain of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.12 The hand of God was also upon Judah to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes, by the word of Jehovah.13 And there assembled at Jerusalem much people to hold the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great congregation.14 And they rose up and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem; and they took away all the incense-altars, and cast them into the torrent Kidron.15 And they slaughtered the passover on the fourteenth of the second month; and the priests and the Levites were ashamed, and hallowed themselves; and they brought the burnt-offerings into the house of Jehovah.16 And they stood in their place after their custom, according to the law of Moses the man of God: the priests sprinkled the blood {receiving it} from the hand of the Levites.17 For there were many in the congregation that were not hallowed; therefore the Levites had the charge of the slaughtering of the passover-lambs for every one not clean, to hallow them unto Jehovah.18 For a multitude of the people, many of Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, and they ate the passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them saying, Jehovah, who is good, forgive every one19 that has directed his heart to seek God, Jehovah the God of his fathers, although not according to the purification of the sanctuary.20 And Jehovah hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.21 And the children of Israel, that were present at Jerusalem, held the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness; and the Levites and the priests praised Jehovah day by day, with the instruments of praise to Jehovah.22 And Hezekiah spoke consolingly to all the Levites that had understanding in the good knowledge of Jehovah; and they ate the feast-offerings the seven days, sacrificing peace-offerings, and extolling Jehovah the God of their fathers.23 And the whole congregation took counsel to observe other seven days; and they observed the seven days with gladness.24 For Hezekiah king of Judah gave to the congregation as heave-offering: 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 hallowed themselves.25 And the whole 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.26 And there was great joy in Jerusalem; for since the time of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, there had not been the like in Jerusalem.27 And the priests the Levites arose and blessed the people; and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy habitation, to the heavens.

1 Daarna het Jehisk¡a gestuur na die hele Israel en Juda, en ook briewe geskrywe aan Efraim en Manasse om te kom na die huis van die HERE in Jerusalem, om die pasga tot eer van die HERE, die God van Israel, te hou.2 En die koning en sy owerstes en die hele vergadering het in Jerusalem besluit om die pasga in die tweede maand te hou,3 want hulle kon dit op sy tyd nie hou nie, omdat die priesters hulle nie voldoende geheilig en die volk in Jerusalem nie saamgekom het nie.4 En die saak was reg in die oë van die koning en in die oë van die hele vergadering.5 En hulle het dit vasgestel om 'n oproep deur die hele Israel, van Bers,ba tot Dan, te laat gaan dat hulle moes kom om die pasga tot eer van die HERE, die God van Israel, in Jerusalem te hou; want hulle het dit nie as 'n menigte gehou soos voorgeskrywe was nie.6 Die hardlopers gaan toe met die briewe uit die hand van die koning en sy owerstes deur die hele Israel en Juda, en volgens die gebod van die koning, om te sê: Kinders van Israel, bekeer julle tot die HERE, die God van Abraham, Isak en Israel, dat Hy Hom mag wend tot die vrygeraaktes wat vir julle oorgebly het uit die hand van die konings van Assirië.7 En wees nie soos julle vaders en julle broers wat ontrou teen die HERE, die God van hulle vaders, gehandel het nie, sodat Hy hulle 'n voorwerp van verbasing gemaak het soos julle self sien.8 Verhard nou nie julle nek soos julle vaders nie, gee aan die HERE die hand en kom na sy heiligdom wat Hy vir ewig geheilig het, en dien die HERE julle God, dat sy toorngloed van julle afgewend kan word.9 Want as julle jul tot die HERE bekeer, sal julle broers en julle kinders barmhartigheid vind voor die wat hulle as gevangenes weggevoer het, sodat hulle na hierdie land kan terugkom; want die HERE julle God is genadig en barmhartig, en Hy sal die aangesig van julle nie afwend nie as julle jul tot Hom bekeer.10 Maar toe die hardlopers van stad tot stad die land Efraim en Manasse deurgaan tot by S,bulon, het hulle hul uitgelag en met hul gespot.11 Maar manne uit Aser en Manasse en S,bulon het hulle verootmoedig en na Jerusalem gekom.12 Ook was die hand van God in Juda, sodat Hy hulle 'n eensgesinde hart gegee het om die gebod van die koning en van die owerstes volgens die woord van die HERE uit te voer.13 En baie mense het in Jerusalem byeengekom om die fees van die ongesuurde brode in die tweede maand te hou, 'n baie groot vergadering.14 En hulle het hul gereedgemaak en die altare verwyder wat in Jerusalem was; ook al die wierookaltare het hulle verwyder en in die spruit Kidron gegooi.15 Toe het hulle die pasga geslag op die veertiende van die tweede maand; en die priesters en die Leviete het hulle geskaam en hulle geheilig en die brandoffers in die huis van die HERE gebring.16 En hulle het op hul plek gaan staan, ooreenkomstig hulle verordening volgens die wet van Moses, die man van God, onderwyl die priesters besig was om die bloed uit te gooi wat hulle uit die hand van die Leviete geneem het;17 want daar was baie in die vergadering wat hulle nie geheilig het nie, daarom moes die Leviete die paasoffers slag vir elkeen wat nie rein was nie, om hulle aan die HERE te heilig.18 Want die meerderheid van die volk, 'n menigte uit Efraim en Manasse, Issaskar en S,bulon, het hulle nie gereinig nie, maar die pasga geëet soos dit nie voorgeskrywe was nie. Maar Jehisk¡a het vir hulle gebid en gesê: Mag die HERE wat goed is, versoening doen19 vir elkeen wat sy hart daarop gerig het om God die HERE, die God van sy vaders, te soek, al was dit nie volgens die reinheid van die heiligdom nie.20 En die HERE het Jehisk¡a verhoor en die volk genees.21 So het dan die kinders van Israel wat in Jerusalem aanwesig was, die fees van die ongesuurde brode sewe dae lank met groot blydskap gevier, terwyl die Leviete en die priesters die HERE dag vir dag geprys het met kragtige instrumente tot eer van die HERE.22 En Jehisk¡a het na die hart van al die Leviete gespreek wat deeglik kennis geopenbaar het in die saak van die HERE; en hulle het die feesoffer sewe dae lank geëet, terwyl hulle dankoffers geslag en die HERE, die God van hulle vaders, geloof het.23 En toe die hele vergadering besluit om nog sewe dae fees te hou, het hulle dit met blydskap sewe dae lank gevier,24 want Hisk¡a, die koning van Juda, het aan die vergadering duisend bulle en sewe duisend stuks kleinvee afgegee, en die owerstes het aan die vergadering duisend bulle en tien duisend stuks kleinvee afgegee; en die priesters het hulleself in menigte geheilig.25 En die hele vergadering van Juda was bly, ook die priesters en die Leviete, en die hele vergadering van die wat uit Israel gekom het; ook die vreemdelinge wat uit die land van Israel gekom het, en die wat in Juda woonagtig was.26 En daar was groot blydskap in Jerusalem; want sedert die dae van Salomo, die seun van Dawid, die koning van Israel, het so iets in Jerusalem nie voorgekom nie.27 Toe staan die Levitiese priesters op en seën die volk; en hulle stem is verhoor, en hulle gebed het gekom tot in sy heilige woning, tot in die hemel.