1 And, Hezekiah, began to reign when he was twenty-five years old, and, twenty-nine years, reigned he in Jerusalem,and, the name of his mother, was Abijah, daughter of Zechariah.2 And he did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh,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 Yahweh, and repaired them.4 And he brought in the priests, and the Levites,and gathered them together in the broadway on the east;5 and said unto them, Hear me, O Levites! Now, hallow yourselves, and hallow the house of Yahweh, God of your fathers, and take forth the impure thing out of the holy place.6 For our fathers have acted unfaithfully and done the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh our God, and have forsaken him,-and have turned round their faces from the habitation of Yahweh, and have offered their backs.7 Moreover they have shut up the doors of the porch, and have quenched the lamps, and, incense, have they not burned,-and, ascending-sacrifice, have they not caused to go up in the holy place, unto the God of Israel.8 Thus hath it come to pass, that, the wrath of Yahweh, hath been upon Judah and Jerusalem,and he hath delivered them up as a terror and as an astonishment and as hissing, even as, ye, can see with your own eyes.9 And lo! our fathers have fallen by the sword, and, our sons and our daughters and our wives, are in captivity for this.10 Now, is it near my heart, to solemnise a covenant unto Yahweh, God of Israel,that he may turn from him the glow of his anger.11 My sons! now, do not be faulty,for, of you, hath Yahweh made choice, to stand before him, and to wait upon him, and to be his attendants and burners of incense.12 Then arose the LevitesMahath son of Amasai, and Joel son of Azariah, of the sons of the Kohathites, and, of the sons of Merari, Kish son of Abdi, and Azariah son of Jehallelel,and, of the Gershonites, Joah son of Zimmah, and Eden son of Joah;13 and, of the sons of Elizaphan, Shimri and Jeiel,and, of the sons of Asaph, Zechariah, and Mattaniah;14 and, of the sons of Heman, Jehiel and Shimei,and, of the sons of Jeduthun, Shemaiah, and Uzziel;15 and they gathered together their brethren, who hallowed themselves, and came in according to the command of the king, in the things of Yahweh,to purify the house of Yahweh.16 So the priests entered into the inner part of the house of Yahweh, to make purification, and they brought out every unclean thing which they found in the temple of Yahweh, into the court of the house of Yahweh,where the Levites received it, to carry it forth to the Kidron ravine outside.17 And they began, on the first of the first month, to hallow,and, on the eighth day of the month, they came to the porch of Yahweh, so they hallowed the house of Yahweh in eight days,and, on the sixteenth day of the first month, they finished.18 Then came they in unto Hezekiah the king, and said, We have purified all the house of Yahweh,the altar of ascending-sacrifice, and all the utensils thereof, and the table for setting in array, and all the utensils thereof.19 And, all the utensils which King Ahaz in his reign rejected when he acted unfaithfully, have we made ready and hallowed,and, there they are, before the altar of Yahweh.20 So Hezekiah the king rose up early, and gathered together the rulers of the city,and went up to the house of Yahweh.21 And they brought in seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven young sheep, and seven he-goats for bearing sin, for the kingdom and for the sanctuary and for Judah,and he bade the sons of Aaron, the priests, cause them to ascend upon the altar of Yahweh.22 So they slaughtered the bullocks, and the priests received the blood, and dashed it against the altar,and they slaughtered the rams, and dashed the blood against the altar, and slaughtered the young sheep, and dashed the blood against the altar.23 And they brought near the he-goats for bearing sin, before the king, and the convocation,and they leaned their hands upon them;24 and the priests slaughtered them, and sin-cleansed, with their blood, the altar, to put a propitiatory-covering over all Israel,-because, for all Israel, did the king appoint the ascending-sacrifice and the offering for bearing sin.25 And he caused the Levites to stand in the house of Yahweh, with cymbals and with harps and with lyres, by the commandment of David, and of Gad the seer of the king, and of Nathan the prophet,for, by the hand of Yahweh, came the commandment by the hand of his prophets.26 So the Levites took their stand, with the instruments of David, and the priests, with the trumpets.27 And Hezekiah gave word, to cause the ascending-sacrifice to go up on the altar,and, when the ascending-sacrifice began, the singing unto Yahweh began, and the trumpets, even under the direction of the instruments of David, king of Israel.28 And, all the convocation, were bowing themselves in prostration, and, the song, was resounding and the trumpets were blowing,-the whole, until the completing of the ascending-sacrifice.29 And, when the offering was complete, the king knelt down and all who were present with him, and bowed themselves in prostration.30 And Hezekiah the king and the rulers gave word to the Levites, to offer praise unto Yahweh, in the words of David, and of Asaph the seer,so they offered praise right joyfully, and bent their heads and bowed themselves in prostration.31 Then responded Hezekiah and saidNow, have ye consecrated yourselves unto Yahweh. Draw near, and bring in sacrifices and thank-offerings unto the house of Yahweh,-So the convocation brought sacrifices and thank-offerings, and, everyone of a willing heart, ascending-sacrifices.32 And it came to pass that, the number of ascending-sacrifices which the convocation brought, wasseventy bullocks, and a hundred rams, and two hundred young sheep,as an ascending-sacrifice unto Yahweh, all these.33 But, the hallowed beasts, were six hundred bullocks, and three thousand sheep.34 Only, the priests, were too few, and were unable to flay all the ascending-sacrifices,so their brethren the Levites strengthened them, until the work was complete and until the priests had hallowed themselves, for, the Levites, were more upright in heart to hallow themselves, than the priests.35 Moreover also, the ascending-sacrifices, were in abundance, with the fat portions of the peace-offerings, and with the drink-offerings to every ascending-sacrifice,-thus was established the service of the house of Yahweh.36 And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, because God had established it for the people,for, suddenly, had the thing come about.

1 Tinha Ezequias vinte e cinco anos de idade quando começou a reinar e reinou vinte e nove anos em Jerusalém; e era o nome de sua mãe Abia, filha de Zacarias. 2 E fez o que era reto aos olhos do Senhor, conforme tudo quanto fizera Davi, seu pai. 3 Ele, no ano primeiro do seu reinado, no mês primeiro, abriu as portas da Casa do Senhor e as reparou. 4 E trouxe os sacerdotes e os levitas, e os ajuntou na praça oriental, 5 e lhes disse: Ouvi-me, ó levitas! Santificai-vos, agora, e santificai a Casa do Senhor, Deus de vossos pais, e tirai do santuário a imundícia. 6 Porque nossos pais transgrediram, e fizeram o que era mal aos olhos do Senhor, nosso Deus, e o deixaram; e desviaram o rosto do tabernáculo do Senhor e lhe voltaram as costas. 7 Também fecharam as portas do alpendre, e apagaram as lâmpadas, e não queimaram incenso, nem ofereceram holocaustos no santuário ao Deus de Israel. 8 Pelo que veio grande ira do Senhor sobre Judá e Jerusalém, e os entregou à perturbação, à assolação, e ao assobio, como vós o estais vendo com os vossos olhos. 9 Porque eis que nossos pais caíram à espada, e nossos filhos, e nossas filhas, e nossas mulheres estiveram por isso em cativeiro. 10 Agora, me tem vindo ao coração que façamos um concerto com o Senhor, Deus de Israel; para que se desvie de nós o ardor na sua ira. 11 Agora, filhos meus, não sejais negligentes, pois o Senhor vos tem escolhido para estardes diante dele para os servirdes, e para serdes seus ministros, e para queimardes incenso.

12 Então, se levantaram os levitas Maate, filho de Amasai, e Joel, filho de Azarias, dos filhos dos coatitas; e, dos filhos de Merari, Quis, filho de Abdi, e Azarias, filho de Jealelel; e, dos gersonitas, Joá, filho de Zima, e Éden, filho de Joá; 13 e, dentre os filhos de Elisafã, Sinri e Jeiel; e, dentre os filhos de Asafe, Zacarias e Matanias; 14 e, dentre os filhos de Hemã, Jeiel e Simei; e, dentre os filhos de Jedutum, Semaías e Uziel. 15 E ajuntaram seus irmãos, e santificaram-se, e vieram conforme o mandado do rei, pelas palavras do Senhor, para purificarem a Casa do Senhor. 16 E os sacerdotes entraram dentro da Casa do Senhor, para a purificar, e tiraram para fora, ao pátio da Casa do Senhor, toda a imundícia que acharam no templo do Senhor; e os levitas a tomaram, para a levarem para fora, ao ribeiro de Cedrom. 17 Começaram, pois, a santificar ao primeiro do mês primeiro, e, ao oitavo dia do mês, vieram ao alpendre do Senhor e santificaram a Casa do Senhor em oito dias; e, no dia décimo sexto do primeiro mês, acabaram. 18 Então, entraram para dentro, ao rei Ezequias, e disseram: Já purificamos toda a Casa do Senhor, como também o altar do holocausto com todos os seus utensílios e a mesa da proposição com todos os seus objetos. 19 Também todos os objetos que o rei Acaz, no seu reinado, lançou fora, na sua transgressão, já preparamos e santificamos; e eis que estão diante do altar do Senhor.

20 Então, o rei Ezequias se levantou de madrugada, e ajuntou os maiorais da cidade, e subiu à Casa do Senhor. 21 E trouxeram sete novilhos, e sete carneiros, e sete cordeiros, e sete bodes, para sacrifício expiatório, pelo reino, e pelo santuário, e por Judá, e Ezequias disse aos filhos de Arão, os sacerdotes, que os oferecessem sobre o altar do Senhor. 22 E eles mataram os bois, e os sacerdotes tomaram o sangue e o aspergiram sobre o altar; também mataram os carneiros, e aspergiram o sangue sobre o altar; semelhantemente, mataram os cordeiros e aspergiram o sangue sobre o altar. 23 Então, trouxeram os bodes para sacrifício pelo pecado, perante o rei e a congregação, e lhes impuseram as mãos. 24 E os sacerdotes os mataram e, com o seu sangue, fizeram expiação do pecado sobre o altar, para reconciliar a todo o Israel, porque o rei tinha ordenado que se fizesse aquele holocausto e sacrifício pelo pecado por todo o Israel.

25 E pôs os levitas na Casa do Senhor com címbalos, com alaúdes e com harpas, conforme o mandado de Davi e de Gade, o vidente do rei, e do profeta Natã, porque este mandado veio do Senhor, por mão de seus profetas. 26 Estavam, pois, os levitas em pé com os instrumentos de Davi, e os sacerdotes, com as trombetas. 27 E deu ordem Ezequias que oferecessem o holocausto sobre o altar, e, ao tempo em que começou o holocausto, começou também o canto do Senhor, com as trombetas e com os instrumentos de Davi, rei de Israel. 28 E toda a congregação se prostrou quando cantavam o canto, e as trombetas tocavam; tudo isso, até o holocausto se acabar. 29 E, acabando de o oferecer, o rei e todos quantos com ele se acharam se prostraram e adoraram. 30 Então, o rei Ezequias e os maiorais disseram aos levitas que louvassem ao Senhor com as palavras de Davi e de Asafe, o vidente. E o louvaram com alegria, e se inclinaram, e adoraram.

31 E respondeu Ezequias e disse: Agora, vos consagrastes ao Senhor; chegai-vos e trazei sacrifícios e ofertas de louvor à Casa do Senhor. E a congregação trouxe sacrifícios e ofertas de louvor, e todo o que tinha essa vontade do coração trouxe holocaustos. 32 E o número dos holocaustos que a congregação trouxe foi de setenta bois, cem carneiros, duzentos cordeiros; tudo isso, em holocausto para o Senhor. 33 Houve também, de coisas consagradas, seiscentos bois e três mil ovelhas. 34 Eram, porém, os sacerdotes mui poucos e não podiam esfolar a todos os holocaustos; pelo que seus irmãos, os levitas, os ajudaram, até a obra se acabar e até que os outros sacerdotes se santificaram; porque os levitas foram mais retos de coração para se santificarem do que os sacerdotes. 35 E houve também holocaustos em abundância, com a gordura das ofertas pacíficas e com as ofertas de vinho para os holocaustos. Assim, se estabeleceu o ministério da Casa do Senhor. 36 E Ezequias e todo o povo se alegraram por causa daquilo que Deus tinha preparado para o povo; porque apressuradamente se fez esta obra.