1 Ezequias começou a reinar quando tinha vinte e cinco anos de idade, e reinou vinte e nove anos em Jerusalém. Sua mãe chamava-se Abia, filha de Zacarias.2 Ele fez o que era reto aos olhos de Jeová, conforme tudo o que tinha feito Davi, seu pai.3 No primeiro ano do seu reinado, no primeiro mês, abriu as portas da casa de Jeová, e as reparou.4 Fez vir os sacerdotes e os levitas, e ajuntou-os na praça do oriente,5 e disse-lhes: Ouvi-me levitas; santificai-vos agora, e santificai a casa de Jeová, Deus de vossos pais, e tirai do santo lugar toda a imundícia.6 Pois nossos pais transgrediram e fizeram o mal, à vista de Jeová nosso Deus, e, deixando-o, apartaram os seus rostos da habitação de Jeová, e lhe deram as costas.7 Também fecharam as portas do pórtico, apagaram as lâmpadas e não queimaram incenso e não ofereceram holocaustos no santo lugar ao Deus de Israel.8 Pelo que a ira de Jeová veio sobre Judá e sobre Jerusalém, entregando-os para servirem de terror, admiração e vaias, como vós o estais vendo com os vossos olhos.9 Eis que nossos pais caíram à espada, e por isso nossas filhas e nossas mulheres estão em cativeiro.10 Agora estou resolvido a fazer uma aliança com Jeová, Deus de Israel, para que se desvie de nós o furor da sua ira.11 Filhos meus, não sejais negligentes, porque Jeová vos escolheu para estardes diante dele a fim de o servir, e para lhe serdes ministros e 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 dos filhos de Elisafã: Sinri e Jeuel; e dos filhos de Asafe: Zacarias e Matanias;14 e dos de Hemã: Jeuel e Simei; e dos filhos de Jedutum: Semaías e Uziel.15 Congregaram a seus irmãos, e santificaram-se e entraram segundo a ordem que o rei deu pelas palavras de Jeová, para purificarem a casa de Jeová.16 Os sacerdotes entraram na parte anterior da casa de Jeová para a purificarem, e tiraram fora, para o átrio da casa de Jeová, toda a imundícia que acharam no templo de Jeová. Os levitas tomaram-na para a levarem fora à torrente de Cedrom.17 Ora começaram esta santificação no primeiro dia do primeiro mês, e ao oitavo dia do mês chegaram ao pórtico de Jeová, e em oito dias santificaram a casa de Jeová. No décimo sexto dia do mês acabaram.18 Então foram ter com o rei Ezequias dentro do palácio, e lhe disseram: Acabamos de purificar toda a casa de Jeová, e o altar do holocausto, juntamente com todos os seus vasos, e a mesa dos pães da proposição com todos os seus vasos.19 Também todos os vasos que o rei Acaz no seu reinado lançou fora quando transgrediu, temo-los preparado e santificado; e eis que estão diante do altar de Jeová.20 O rei Ezequias levantou-se cedo, ajuntou os príncipes da cidade, e subiu à casa de Jeová.21 Trouxeram sete novilhos, sete carneiros, sete cordeiros e sete bodes como oferta pelo pecado a favor do reino, do santuário e de Judá. Ordenou aos sacerdotes, filhos de Aarão, que os oferecessem sobre o altar de Jeová.22 Mortos os novilhos, os sacerdotes tomaram o sangue, e o aspergiram sobre o altar; mataram os carneiros e aspergiram o sangue sobre o altar e mataram os cordeiros e aspergiram o sangue sobre o altar.23 Trouxeram diante do rei e da congregação os bodes como oferta pelo pecado; e impuseram-lhes as mãos;24 os sacerdotes os mataram, e com o sangue fizeram uma oferta pelo pecado sobre o altar, para expiação de todo o Israel. Porque o rei ordenou que se fizesse o holocausto e a oferta pelo pecado por todo o Israel.25 Também estabeleceu os levitas na casa de Jeová, com címbalos, alaúdes e harpas segundo o mandamento do rei Davi, de Gade, vidente do rei, e do profeta Natã, pois o mandamento veio da parte de Jeová por meio dos seus profetas.26 Os levitas puseram-se em pé, tendo eles os instrumentos de Davi, e os sacerdotes as trombetas.27 Ezequias ordenou que se oferecesse o holocausto sobre o altar. Quando começou o holocausto, começou também o cântico de Jeová, ao som das trombetas e dos instrumentos de Davi, rei de Israel.28 Toda a congregação adorava, e os cantores cantavam, e as trombetas soavam; tudo isso continuou até se acabar o holocausto.29 Tendo eles acabado de fazer a oferta, o rei, e todos os que estavam com ele, prostraram-se e adoraram.30 Além disso Ezequias, o rei, e os príncipes ordenaram aos levitas que cantassem louvores a Jeová nas palavras de Davi, e do vidente Asafe. Eles cantaram louvores com alegria, e se prostraram e adoraram.31 Então Ezequias respondeu e disse: Agora que estais consagrados a Jeová; aproximai-vos e trazei sacrifícios e ofertas em ação de graças à casa de Jeová. A congregação trouxe sacrifícios e ofertas em ação de graças; e todos os que estavam de boa vontade, trouxeram holocaustos.32 O número dos holocaustos que a congregação trouxe, foi este: setenta novilhos, cem carneiros, e duzentos cordeiros, todos oferecidos em holocaustos a Jeová.33 As coisas consagradas foram seiscentos bois e três mil ovelhas.34 Os sacerdotes, porém, eram demasiado poucos, de sorte que não podiam esfolar todos os holocaustos. Os levitas, seus irmãos, ajudaram-nos até se acabar a obra, e até terem santificado os sacerdotes, porque estavam mais bem dispostos a se santificarem do que os sacerdotes.35 Além disso os holocaustos eram abundantes, juntamente com a gordura das ofertas pacíficas, e com as ofertas de libação para cada holocausto. Assim se estabeleceu o serviço da casa de Jeová.36 Regozijou-se Ezequias, e todo o povo, por causa daquilo que Deus tinha preparado para o povo. Isso se fez de improviso.

1 Hezekiah began to rule as king when he was twenty-five years old. He ruled for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother was Abijah, daughter of Zechariah.2 He did right in the eyes of Jehovah, as his ancestor David had done.3 In the first month of his first year as king, he opened the doors of Jehovah’s temple and repaired them.4 He assembled the priests and Levites in the square on the east side of the temple.5 He said: »Listen to me, Levites. Perform the ceremonies to make the temple of Jehovah the God of your ancestors holy. Remove anything that has been corrupted from the holy place.6 »Our ancestors were unfaithful and did what Jehovah our God considered evil. They deserted him. They turned away from Jehovah’s tent and turned their backs on him.7 »They also shut the doors of the temple’s entrance hall. They extinguished the lamps, and did not burn incense or sacrifice burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel.8 »Jehovah was angry with Judah and Jerusalem. He made them something that shocks and terrifies people and that people ridicule, as you can see with your own eyes.9 »Our fathers were killed in battle. Our sons, daughters, and wives are prisoners because of this.10 »Now I intend to make a pledge to Jehovah the God of Israel so that he may turn his burning anger away from us.11 »Do not be negligent, my sons. Jehovah has chosen you to stand in front of him, serve him, be his servants, and burn sacrifices.«12 So the Levites started to work. From Kohath’s descendants were Mahath, son of Amasai, and Joel, son of Azariah. From Merari’s descendants were Kish, son of Abdi, and Azariah, son of Jehallelel. From Gershon’s descendants were Joah, son of Zimmah, and Eden, son of Joah.13 From Elizaphan’s descendants were Shimri and Jeiel. From Asaph’s descendants were Zechariah and Mattaniah.14 From Heman’s descendants were Jehiel and Shimei. From Jeduthun’s descendants were Shemaiah and Uzziel.15 These men gathered their relatives and performed the ceremonies to make themselves holy. They obeyed the king’s order from Jehovah’s word and entered the Temple to make it clean.16 The priests entered Jehovah’s temple to make it clean. They carried into the courtyard every unclean thing that they found in Jehovah’s Temple. Then the Levites took the unclean items outside the city to the Kidron Brook.17 They started on the first day of the first month. On the eighth day they went into Jehovah’s entrance hall. For eight days they performed the ceremonies to make Jehovah’s Temple holy. They finished on the sixteenth day of the first month.18 Then they went to King Hezekiah. They said: »We have made Jehovah’s entire temple clean. This includes the altar for burnt offerings, all its utensils, the table for the rows of bread and all its utensils,19 and all the utensils King Ahaz refused to use during his reign when he was unfaithful. We have restored them and made them holy. They are in front of Jehovah’s altar.«20 Early in the morning Hezekiah assembled the leaders of the city and went to Jehovah’s Temple.21 They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats as an offering for sin for the kingdom, the holy place, and Judah. Hezekiah told the priests, Aaron’s descendants, to sacrifice the animals on Jehovah’s altar.22 So they slaughtered the bulls. The priests sprinkled the blood on the altar. Then they slaughtered the rams and sprinkled the blood on the altar. After that, they slaughtered the lambs and sprinkled the blood on the altar.23 Then they brought the male goats for the offering for sin in front of the king and the assembly, who laid their hands on them.24 The priests killed the goats and poured their blood on the altar as a sacrifice to take away the sin of all the people. The king commanded that burnt offerings and sin offerings be made for all Israel.25 The king followed the instructions Jehovah gave to King David through Gad, the king’s prophet, and through the prophet Nathan. He stationed Levites in the Temple, with harps and cymbals,26 and instruments like those that King David used. The priests also stood there with trumpets.27 Hezekiah gave the order for the burnt offering to be presented. The offering began and the people sang praise to Jehovah. The musicians began to play the trumpets and all the other instruments.28 Everyone there joined in worship. The singing and the rest of the music continued until all the sacrifices were burned.29 King Hezekiah and all the people knelt down and worshiped God.30 The king and the leaders of the nation told the Levites to sing to Jehovah the songs of praise that were written by David and by Asaph the prophet. So everyone sang with great joy as they knelt and worshiped God.31 Hezekiah said to the people: »Now that you are ritually clean, bring sacrifices as offerings of thanksgiving to Jehovah.« They obeyed, and some of them also voluntarily brought animals to be sacrificed as burnt offerings.32 They brought seventy bulls, one hundred sheep, and two hundred lambs as burnt offerings for Jehovah.33 They also brought six hundred bulls and three thousand sheep as sacrifices for the people to eat.34 Since there were not enough priests to kill all these animals, the Levites helped them until the work was finished. By then more priests had made themselves ritually clean. The Levites were more faithful in keeping ritually clean than the priests were.35 In addition to offering the sacrifices that were burned whole, the priests were responsible for burning the fat that was offered from the sacrifices the people ate, and for pouring out the wine that was presented with the burnt offerings. Thus worship in the Temple began again.36 King Hezekiah and the people were happy. For God helped them to do all this so quickly.