Hezekiah proclaimeth a solemn Passover on the second month for Judah and Israel.

1 ¶ And Hezekiahº sentºª to² all² Israelº and Judah,º and wroteºª lettersº also² to² Ephraimº and Manasseh,º that they should comeºª to the houseº of the LORDº at Jerusalem,º to keepºª the passoverº unto the LORDº Godº of Israel.º 2 For the kingº had taken counsel,ºª and his princes,º and all² the congregationº in Jerusalem,º to keepºª the passoverº in the secondº month.º 3 For² they couldºª not² keepºª it at that² time,º because² the priestsº had not² sanctified¹ª themselves² sufficiently,ºª¹ neither² had the peopleº gathered themselves togetherºª to Jerusalem.º 4 And the thingº pleasedººª the kingº and all² the congregation.º 5 So they establishedºª a decreeº to make proclamationººª throughout all² Israel,º from Beershebaº² even to² Dan,º that they should comeºª to keepºª the passoverº unto the LORDº Godº of Israelº at Jerusalem:º for² they had not² doneºª [it] of a longº [time in such sort] as it was written.ºª 6 So the postsºª went¹ª² with the lettersº fromº² the kingº and his princesº throughout all² Israelº and Judah,º and according to the commandmentº of the king,º saying,ºª Ye childrenº of Israel,º turn againºª unto² the LORDº Godº of Abraham,º Isaac,º and Israel,º and he will returnºª to² the remnantºª of you, that are escapedº out of the handº² of the kingsº of Assyria.º 7 And be² not² ye like your fathers,º and like your brethren,º which² trespassedºª against the LORDº Godº of their fathers,º [who] therefore gave them upºª to desolation,º as² ye² see.ºª 8 Now² be ye not stiffnecked,ººª² as your fathersº [were, but] yieldºª² yourselves¹ unto the LORD,º and enterºª into his sanctuary,º which² he hath sanctifiedºª for ever:º and serveºª² the LORDº your God,º that the fiercenessº of his wrathº may turn awayºª from² you. 9 For² if ye turn againºª unto² the LORD,º your brethrenº and your childrenº [shall find] compassionº beforeº them that lead them captive,ºª so that they shall come againºª into this² land:º for² the LORDº your Godº [is] graciousº and merciful,º and will not² turn awayºª [his] faceº from² you, if² ye returnºª unto² him. 10 So the postsºª passedºª² from cityº² to cityº through the countryº of Ephraimº and Manassehº even unto² Zebulun:º but they laughed them to scorn,ºª²² and mockedºª them. 11 Nevertheless² divers¹² of Asherº² and Manassehº and of Zebulunº² humbled¹ª themselves,² and cameºª to Jerusalem.º 12 Also² in Judahº the handº of Godº was² to giveºª them oneº heartº to doºª the commandmentº of the kingº and of the princes,º by the wordº of the LORD.º

The assembly, having destroyed the altars of idolatry, keep their feast fourteen days.

13 ¶ And there assembledºª at Jerusalemº muchº peopleº to keepºª² the feastº of unleavened breadº in the secondº month,º a veryº greatº congregation.º 14 And they aroseºª and took awayºª² the altarsº that² [were] in Jerusalem,º and all² the altars for incenseº took they away,ºª and castºª [them] into the brookº Kidron.º 15 Then they killedºª the passoverº on the fourteenthºº [day] of the secondº month:º and the priestsº and the Levitesº were ashamed,ºª and sanctified¹ª themselves,² and brought inºª the burnt offeringsº into the houseº of the LORD.º 16 And they stoodºª in² their placeº after their manner,º according to the lawº of Mosesº the manº of God:º the priestsº sprinkledºª² the blood,º [which they received] of the handº² of the Levites.º 17 For² [there were] manyº in the congregationº that² were not² sanctified:ºª therefore the Levitesº had the charge of² the killingº of the passoversº for every one² [that was] not² clean,º to sanctifyºª [them] unto the LORD.º 18 For² a multitudeº of the people,º [even] manyº of Ephraim,º² and Manasseh,º Issachar,º and Zebulun,º had notº cleansed¹ª themselves,² yet² did they eatºª² the passoverº otherwise² than it was written.ºª But² Hezekiahº prayedºª for² them, saying,ºª The goodº LORDº pardonºª every one² 19 [That] preparethºª his heartº to seekºª God,º the LORDº Godº of his fathers,º though [he be] not² [cleansed] according to the purificationº of the sanctuary.º 20 And the LORDº hearkenedºª to² Hezekiah,º and healedºª² the people.º 21 And the childrenº of Israelº that were presentºª at Jerusalemº keptºª² the feastº of unleavened breadº sevenº daysº with greatº gladness:º and the Levitesº and the priestsº praisedºª the LORDº dayº by day,º [singing] with loudº instrumentsº unto the LORD.º 22 And Hezekiahº spakeºª comfortablyº² unto all² the Levitesº that taughtºª the goodº knowledgeº of the LORD:º and they did eatºª throughout² the feastº sevenº days,º offeringºª peaceº offerings,º and making confessionºª to the LORDº Godº of their fathers.º 23 And the whole² assemblyº took counselºª to keepºª otherº sevenº days:º and they keptºª [other] sevenº daysº with gladness.º 24 For² Hezekiahº kingº of Judahº did giveºª to the congregationº a thousandº bullocksº and sevenº thousandº sheep;º and the princesº gaveºª to the congregationº a thousandº bullocksº and tenº thousandº sheep:º and a great numberº of priestsº sanctified¹ª themselves.² 25 And all² the congregationº of Judah,º with the priestsº and the Levites,º and all² the congregationº that came² out¹ª of Israel,º² and the strangersº that came² out¹ª of the landº² of Israel,º and that dweltºª in Judah,º rejoiced.ºª 26 So there was² greatº joyº in Jerusalem:º for² since the timeº² of Solomonº the sonº of Davidº kingº of Israelº [there was] not² the like² in Jerusalem.º

The priests and Levites bless the people.

27 ¶ Then the priestsº the Levitesº aroseºª and blessedºª² the people:º and their voiceº was heard,ºª and their prayerº cameºª [up] to his holyº dwelling place,º [even] unto heaven.º