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2 Chronicles 30

With the temple restored, Hezekiah invites all Israel, north and south, to keep a national Passover, sending couriers even to Ephraim and Manasseh. Because the priests weren't ready in time, they hold it in the second month rather than the first, a deliberate legal accommodation. Many northerners laugh the couriers to scorn, yet some from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humble themselves and come.

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2 Chronicles 30 (WEB)

1
Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the LORD’s house at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover to the LORD, the God of Israel.
2
For the king had taken counsel with his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem to keep the Passover in the second month.
3
For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, and the people had not gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.
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The thing was right in the eyes of the king and of all the assembly.
5
So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the Passover to the LORD, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem, for they had not kept it in great numbers in the way it is written.
6
So the couriers went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, according to the commandment of the king, saying, “You children of Israel, turn again to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that he may return to the remnant of you that have escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria.
7
Don’t be like your fathers and like your brothers, who trespassed against the LORD, the God of their fathers, so that he gave them up to desolation, as you see.
8
Now don’t be stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he has sanctified forever, and serve the LORD your God, that his fierce anger may turn away from you.
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For if you turn again to the LORD, your brothers and your children will find compassion with those who led them captive, and will come again into this land, because the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you if you return to him.”
10
So the couriers passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, even to Zebulun, but people ridiculed them and mocked them.
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Nevertheless some men of Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.
12
Also the hand of God came on Judah to give them one heart, to do the commandment of the king and of the princes by the LORD’s word.
13
Many people assembled at Jerusalem to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great assembly.
14
They arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and they took away all the altars for incense and threw them into the brook Kidron.
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Then they killed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought burnt offerings into the LORD’s house.
16
They stood in their place after their order, according to the law of Moses the man of God. The priests sprinkled the blood which they received of the hand of the Levites.
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For there were many in the assembly who had not sanctified themselves; therefore the Levites were in charge of killing the Passovers for everyone who was not clean, to sanctify them to the LORD.
18
For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover other than the way it is written. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, “May the good LORD pardon everyone
19
who sets his heart to seek God, the LORD, the God of his fathers, even if they aren’t clean according to the purification of the sanctuary.”
20
The LORD listened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.
21
The children of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness. The Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day, singing with loud instruments to the LORD.
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Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who had good understanding in the service of the LORD. So they ate throughout the feast for the seven days, offering sacrifices of peace offerings and making confession to the LORD, the God of their fathers.
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The whole assembly took counsel to keep another seven days, and they kept another seven days with gladness.
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For Hezekiah king of Judah gave to the assembly for offerings one thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep; and the princes gave to the assembly a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep; and a great number of priests sanctified themselves.
25
All the assembly of Judah, with the priests and the Levites, and all the assembly who came out of Israel, and the foreigners who came out of the land of Israel and who lived in Judah, rejoiced.
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So there was great joy in Jerusalem; for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was nothing like this in Jerusalem.
27
Then the Levitical priests arose and blessed the people. Their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy habitation, even to heaven.

2 Crónicas 30 (RV1909)

1
ENVIÓ también Ezechîas por todo Israel y Judá, y escribió letras á Ephraim y Manasés, que viniesen á Jerusalem á la casa de Jehová, para celebrar la pascua á Jehová Dios de Israel.
2
Y había el rey tomado consejo con sus príncipes, y con toda la congregación en Jerusalem, para celebrar la pascua en el mes segundo:
3
Porque entonces no la podían celebrar, por cuanto no había suficientes sacerdotes santificados, ni el pueblo estaba junto en Jerusalem.
4
Esto agradó al rey y á toda la multitud.
5
Y determinaron hacer pasar pregón por todo Israel, desde Beer-seba hasta Dan, para que viniesen á celebrar la pascua á Jehová Dios de Israel, en Jerusalem: porque en mucho tiempo no la habían celebrado al modo que está escrito.
6
Fueron pues correos con letras de mano del rey y de sus príncipes por todo Israel y Judá, como el rey lo había mandado, y decían: Hijos de Israel, volveos á Jehová el Dios de Abraham, de Isaac, y de Israel, y él se volverá á las reliquias que os han quedado de la mano de los reyes de Asiria.
7
No seáis como vuestros padres y como vuestros hermanos, que se rebelaron contra Jehová el Dios de sus padres, y él los entregó á desolación, como vosotros veis.
8
No endurezcáis pues ahora vuestra cerviz como vuestros padres: dad la mano á Jehová, y venid á su santuario, el cual él ha santificado para siempre; y servid á Jehová vuestro Dios, y la ira de su furor se apartará de vosotros.
9
Porque si os volviereis á Jehová, vuestros hermanos y vuestros hijos hallarán misericordia delante de los que los tienen cautivos, y volverán á esta tierra: porque Jehová vuestro Dios es clemente y misericordioso, y no volverá de vosotros su rostro, si vosotros os volviereis á él.
10
Pasaron pues los correos de ciudad en ciudad por la tierra de Ephraim y Manasés, hasta Zabulón: mas se reían y burlaban de ellos.
11
Con todo eso, algunos hombres de Aser, de Manasés, y de Zabulón, se humillaron, y vinieron á Jerusalem.
12
En Judá también fué la mano de Dios para darles un corazón para cumplir el mensaje del rey y de los príncipes, conforme á la palabra de Jehová.
13
Y juntóse en Jerusalem mucha gente para celebrar la solemnidad de los ázimos en el mes segundo; una vasta reunión.
14
Y levantándose, quitaron los altares que había en Jerusalem; quitaron también todos los altares de perfumes, y echáronlos en el torrente de Cedrón.
15
Entonces sacrificaron la pascua, á los catorce del mes segundo; y los sacerdotes y los Levitas se santificaron con vergüenza, y trajeron los holocaustos á la casa de Jehová.
16
Y pusiéronse en su orden conforme á su costumbre, conforme á la ley de Moisés varón de Dios; los sacerdotes esparcían la sangre que recibían de manos de los Levitas:
17
Porque había muchos en la congregación que no estaban santificados, y por eso los Levitas sacrificaban la pascua por todos los que no se habían limpiado, para santificarlos á Jehová.
18
Porque una gran multitud del pueblo de Ephraim y Manasés, y de Issachâr y Zabulón, no se habían purificado, y comieron la pascua no conforme á lo que está escrito. Mas Ezechîas oró por ellos, diciendo: Jehová, que es bueno, sea propicio á todo aquel que ha apercibido su corazón para buscar á Dios,
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A Jehová el Dios de sus padres, aunque no esté purificado según la purificación del santuario.
20
Y oyó Jehová á Ezechîas, y sanó al pueblo.
21
Así celebraron los hijos de Israel que se hallaron en Jerusalem, la solemnidad de los panes sin levadura por siete días con grande gozo: y alababan á Jehová todos los días los Levitas y los sacerdotes, cantando con instrumentos de fortaleza á Jehová.
22
Y habló Ezechîas al corazón de todos los Levitas que tenían buena inteligencia en el servicio de Jehová. Y comieron de lo sacrificado en la solemnidad por siete días, ofreciendo sacrificios pacíficos, y dando gracias á Jehová el Dios de sus padres.
23
Y toda aquella multitud determinó que celebrasen otros siete días; y celebraron otros siete días con alegría.
24
Porque Ezechîas rey de Judá había dado á la multitud mil novillos y siete mil ovejas; y también los príncipes dieron al pueblo mil novillos y diez mil ovejas: y muchos sacerdotes se santificaron.
25
Alegróse pues toda la congregación de Judá, como también los sacerdotes y Levitas, y toda la multitud que había venido de Israel; asimismo los extranjeros que habían venido de la tierra de Israel, y los que habitaban en Judá.
26
E hiciéronse grandes alegrías en Jerusalem: porque desde los días de Salomón hijo de David rey de Israel, no había habido cosa tal en Jerusalem.
27
Levantándose después los sacerdotes y Levitas, bendijeron al pueblo: y la voz de ellos fué oída, y su oración llegó á la habitación de su santuario, al cielo.

A prayer that bends the ritual rule

Crowds eat the Passover while ritually unclean, contrary to the law. Rather than turn them away, Hezekiah prays that the good LORD would pardon everyone who "sets his heart to seek God," even if not clean by sanctuary standards, and verse 20 says the LORD listened and healed the people.

The joy is so great the assembly spontaneously extends the feast another seven days, and the Chronicler measures it against Solomon: nothing like this had happened in Jerusalem since his time, closing Hezekiah's reforms on a note of unified worship.

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