1 ¶ Then Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, to keep the passover to the LORD God of Israel.

2 For the king and his officials, and the whole assembly in Jerusalem, had taken counsel to keep the passover in the second month.

3 Because they could not keep it at the regular time, because not enough of the priests had sanctified themselves, nor had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.

4 And the decision pleased the king and the whole congregation.

5 So they decreed that a proclamation should be made throughout all Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, that they should come and keep the passover to the LORD God of Israel at Jerusalem: for they had not kept it in the prescribed way for a long time.

6 So runners took the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, giving the king’s order, saying, You children of Israel, turn again to the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he will return to those of you who remain, who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria.

7 And do not be like your fathers, and like your brethren, who trespassed against the LORD God of their fathers, who therefore gave them up to desolation, as you see.

8 Now do not be stiffnecked, 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, so that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you.

9 For if you return to the LORD, your brethren and your children will find compassion with those who lead them captive, so that they will return to this land: for 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 posts passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh even to Zebulun: but they laughed at them, and mocked them.

11 Nevertheless some from Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem.

12 Also the hand of God came upon Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and his officials commanded, by the word of the LORD.

13 ¶ And many people, a very great congregation, assembled at Jerusalem to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month.

14 And they arose and took away the altars to idols that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for incense, and threw them into the brook Kidron.

15 Then they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the second month: and the priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought burnt offerings into the house of the LORD.

16 And they stood in their place as it was assigned to them, according to the law of Moses the man of God: the priests sprinkled the blood, that they received from the hand of the Levites.

17 For there were many in the assembly who were not sanctified: so the Levites had the duty of the killing of the passover lambs for every one who was not clean, to sanctify them to the LORD.

18 For a large number of the people, many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the passover contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, May the good LORD pardon every one

19 Who prepares his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, even though he is not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.

20 And the LORD heard Hezekiah, and healed the people.

21 ¶ And the children of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread for seven days with great gladness: and the Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day, singing with loud instruments to the LORD.

22 And Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who performed skillfully before the LORD: so the people ate for seven days during the feast, offering peace offerings, and making confession to the LORD God of their fathers.

23 And the whole assembly decided to continue for another seven days: and they continued for seven more days with gladness.

24 For Hezekiah king of Judah gave the congregation a thousand bullocks and seven thousand sheep; and the officials gave the congregation a thousand bullocks and ten thousand sheep: and a great number of priests sanctified themselves.

25 And the whole assembly of Judah was happy, as were the priests the Levites, and the entire congregation that had came from Israel, and the strangers that came from the land of Israel, and were living in Judah.

26 So there was great joy in Jerusalem: for there was nothing like it in Jerusalem since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel.

27 Then the priests the Levites arose and blessed the people: and God heard their voice, and their prayer came up to his holy dwelling place, in heaven.