Hezekiah Celebrates the Passover Feast
1Hezekiah sent a message to all the people of Israel and Judah. He also wrote letters to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. He invited everyone to come to the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem. He wanted them to celebrate the Passover Feast to honor the Lord. He is the God of Israel. 2The king, his officials and the whole community in Jerusalem decided to celebrate the Passover Feast in the second month. 3They hadn’t been able to celebrate it at the regular time. That’s because there weren’t enough priests who had set themselves apart to the Lord. Also, the people hadn’t gathered together in Jerusalem. 4The plan seemed good to the king and the whole community. 5They decided to send a message all through Israel. It was sent out from Beersheba all the way to Dan. The message invited the people to come to Jerusalem. It invited them to celebrate the Passover Feast to honor the Lord, the God of Israel. The Passover Feast hadn’t been celebrated by large numbers of people for a long time. It hadn’t been done in keeping with what was written in the law.
6Messengers went all through Israel and Judah. They carried letters from the king and his officials. The king had ordered them to do that. The letters said,
“People of Israel, return to the Lord. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel. Return to him. Then he will return to you who are left in the land. You have escaped from the power of the kings of Assyria. 7Don’t be like your parents and the rest of your people. They weren’t faithful to the Lord, the God of their people. That’s why he punished them. He made them look so bad that everyone was shocked when they saw them. You can see it for yourselves. 8Don’t be stubborn. Don’t be as your people were. Obey the Lord. Come to his temple. He has set it apart to himself forever. Serve the Lord your God. Then he’ll stop being angry with you. 9Suppose you return to the Lord. Then those who captured your relatives and children will be kind to them. In fact, your relatives and children will come back to this land. The Lord your God is kind and tender. He won’t turn away from you if you return to him.”
10The messengers went from town to town in Ephraim and Manasseh. They went all the way to Zebulun. But people laughed and made fun of them. 11In spite of that, some people from Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun made themselves humble. They went to Jerusalem. 12God helped the people of Judah. He helped them agree with one another. So they did what the king and his officials had ordered. They did what the Lord told them to do.
13A very large crowd of people gathered together in Jerusalem. They went there to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It took place in the second month. 14They removed the altars in Jerusalem. They cleared away the altars for burning incense. They threw all the altars into the Kidron Valley.
15They killed the Passover lamb on the 14th day of the second month. The priests and Levites were ashamed of how they had lived. They set themselves apart to the Lord. They brought burnt offerings to his temple. 16Then they did their regular tasks just as the Law of Moses, the man of God, required. The Levites gave the blood of the animals to the priests. The priests splashed it against the altar. 17Many people in the crowd hadn’t set themselves apart to the Lord. They weren’t “clean.” They couldn’t set apart their lambs to him. So the Levites had to kill the Passover lambs for all of them. 18Many people came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun. Most of them hadn’t made themselves pure and “clean.” But they still ate the Passover meal. That was against what was written in the law. But Hezekiah prayed for them. He said, “The Lord is good. May he forgive everyone 19who wants to worship God with all their heart. God is the Lord, the God of their people. May God forgive them even if they aren’t ‘clean’ in keeping with the rules of the temple.” 20The Lord answered Hezekiah’s prayer. He healed the people.
21The people of Israel who were in Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread. They celebrated for seven days with great joy. The Levites and priests praised the Lord every day. They praised the Lord with loud musical instruments. The instruments had been set apart to the Lord.
22Hezekiah spoke words that gave hope to all the Levites. They understood how to serve the Lord well. For the seven days of the feast they ate the share given to them. They also sacrificed friendship offerings. They praised the Lord, the God of their people.
23Then the whole community agreed to celebrate the feast for seven more days. So for another seven days they celebrated with joy. 24Hezekiah, the king of Judah, provided 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep and goats for the community. The officials provided 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep and goats for them. A large number of priests set themselves apart to the Lord. 25The entire community of Judah was filled with joy. So were the priests and Levites. And so were all the people who had gathered together from Israel. That included the outsiders who had come from Israel. It also included those who lived in Judah. 26There was great joy in Jerusalem. There hadn’t been anything like it in Israel since the days of Solomon, the son of David. Solomon had been king of Israel. 27The priests and Levites gave their blessing to the people. God heard them. Their prayer reached all the way to heaven. It’s the holy place where God lives.
Hesekia Yɛ Ahoboa Ma Twam Afahyɛ
1Afei, ɔhene Hesekia de nkra kɔɔ Israel ne Yuda nyinaa, na ɔtwerɛɛ krataa too nsa de frɛɛ Efraim ne Manase. Ɔka kyerɛɛ obiara sɛ ɔmmra Awurade Asɔredan no mu wɔ Yerusalem, na wɔnni Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn, Twam Afahyɛ no. 2Ɔhene no, ne mpanimfoɔ ne ɔmanfoɔ a wɔwɔ Yerusalem nyinaa yɛɛ adwene sɛ wɔbɛdi Twam Afahyɛ no wɔ bosome a ɛtɔ so mmienu no mu. 3Na anka wɔdi Twam Afahyɛ no bosome ansa na bosome a ɛtɔ so mmienu ahyɛ aseɛ, nanso na asɔfoɔ no bebree ntumi nnwiraa wɔn ho, na ɔmanfoɔ no nso, na wɔmmoaa wɔn ho ano wɔ Yerusalem. 4Adwene a wɔyɛeɛ sɛ wɔbɛdi Twam Afahyɛ no, na ɛyɛ ma ɔhene no ne ɔmanfoɔ no nyinaa. 5Enti, wɔbɔɔ no dawuro wɔ Israel nyinaa firi Beer-Seba a ɛwɔ anafoɔ fam kɔsi Dan a ɛwɔ atifi fam sɛ, obiara mmra Yerusalem mmɛdi Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn Twam Afahyɛ no bi. Na nnipa dodoɔ nni Twam Afahyɛ no sɛdeɛ mmara no kyerɛ.
6Ɔhene no hyɛ ma wɔsomaa abɔfoɔ kɔɔ Israel ne Yuda afanan nyinaa. Wɔmaa wɔn nkrataa a na emu nsɛm ka sɛ:
“Ao Israel manfoɔ, monsane mmra Awurade, Abraham, Isak ne Israel Onyankopɔn nkyɛn, sɛdeɛ ɔbɛsane aba yɛn mu, nnipa kakra a yɛanya yɛn tiri adidi mu wɔ Asiria ahemfo nkonim a wɔdii yɛn so no. 7Monnyɛ sɛ mo agyanom ne mo abusuafoɔ a wɔgyaa Awurade, wɔn agyanom Onyankopɔn, a wɔyɛɛ aseredeɛ sɛdeɛ mo ankasa mohunu yi. 8Monnyɛ asoɔden sɛdeɛ na wɔte no, na mmom, mommrɛ mo ho ase mma Awurade. Mommra nʼAsɔredan a wɔayi asi hɔ sɛ ade kronkron daa nyinaa. Monsom Awurade, mo Onyankopɔn, sɛdeɛ nʼabufuhyeɛ no bɛfiri mo so. 9Na sɛ mosane ba Awurade nkyɛn a, mo abusuafoɔ ne mo mma bɛnya ahummɔborɔ wɔ wɔn a wɔfaa wɔn nnommum no nsam, na wɔbɛtumi asane aba asase yi so. Ɛfiri sɛ, Awurade, mo Onyankopɔn yɛ ɔdɔ ne ahummɔborɔ. Sɛ mosane ba ne nkyɛn a, ɔrenyi nʼani mfiri mo so.”
Wɔdi Twam Afahyɛ No
10Abɔfoɔ no kyinii nkuro a ɛwɔ Efraim ne Manase kɔsi Sebulon so. Nanso, nnipa no mu bebree seree abɔfoɔ no, dii wɔn ho fɛw. 11Nanso, wɔn a wɔfiri Aser, Manase ne Sebulon mu bi brɛɛ wɔn ho ase, kɔɔ Yerusalem. 12Saa ɛberɛ korɔ no ara mu, na Onyankopɔn nsa wɔ nnipa a wɔwɔ Yuda so. Na ɛhyɛ wɔn sɛ wɔnyɛ baako, na wɔnyɛ ɔsetie mma Awurade asɛm a ɛfiri ɔhene ne ne mpanimfoɔ no nkyɛn.
13Enti, ɛdɔm kɛseɛ hyiaa wɔ Yerusalem bosome a ɛtɔ so mmienu no mu, sɛ wɔrebɛdi Twam Afahyɛ no ne Apiti Afahyɛ no. 14Wɔhyɛɛ aseɛ bubuu abosonsomfoɔ afɔrebukyia no nyinaa firii Yerusalem. Wɔyiyii nnuhwam afɔrebukyia nyinaa kɔto guu Kidron bɔnhwa mu.
15Ɛda a wɔahyɛ wɔ bosome a ɛtɔ so mmienu no duruiɛ no, ɔmanfoɔ no kunkumm wɔn Twam Afahyɛ nnwammaa. Na asɔfoɔ no ne Lewifoɔ no ani wuiɛ enti, wɔdwiraa wɔn ho, na wɔde ɔhyeɛ afɔdeɛ baa Awurade Asɔredan mu. 16Obiara kɔgyinaa nʼafa wɔ Asɔredan no mu, sɛdeɛ Mose a ɔyɛ Onyankopɔn onipa no mmara no kyerɛ no. Lewifoɔ no de mogya afɔrebɔdeɛ no brɛɛ asɔfoɔ no, maa wɔn nso pete guu afɔrebukyia no so. 17Esiane sɛ na ɔmanfoɔ no mu bebree nnwiraa wɔn ho enti, Lewifoɔ no na wɔkunkumm wɔn Twam Afahyɛ nnwammaa no maa wɔn, nam so tee ho maa Awurade. 18Na wɔn a wɔfiri Efraim, Manase, Isakar ne Sebulon no mu fa kɛseɛ no ara nnwiraa wɔn ho. Nanso, ɔhene Hesekia bɔɔ mpaeɛ maa wɔn, na wɔmaa wɔn ɛkwan maa wɔdii Twam Afahyɛ aduane no bi a na anka ɛtia Onyankopɔn mmara. Hesekia bɔɔ mpaeɛ sɛ, “Awurade a ɔyɛ mmɔborɔhunufoɔ no mfa nnipa a 19wɔasi wɔn adwene pi sɛ wɔbɛdi Awurade, wɔn agyanom Onyankopɔn akyi no bɔne nkyɛ wɔn, mpo, sɛ wɔnnwiraa wɔn ho yie mmaa afahyɛ no a.” 20Na Awurade tiee Hesekia na ɔsaa ɔmanfoɔ no yadeɛ.
21Enti, ɔmanfoɔ a wɔwɔ Yerusalem no de nnanson dii Apiti Afahyɛ no anigyeɛ so. Ɛda biara, Lewifoɔ ne asɔfoɔ no too nnwom maa Awurade de nnwontodeɛ a ano yɛ den gyegyee ho.
22Hesekia hyɛɛ Lewifoɔ no nkuran wɔ ɛkwan pa a wɔfa so som Awurade no ho. Na afahyɛ no kɔɔ so nnanson. Wɔbɔɔ asomdwoeɛ afɔdeɛ, na ɔmanfoɔ kaa wɔn bɔne kyerɛɛ Awurade, wɔn agyanom Onyankopɔn.
23Badwa no nyinaa yɛɛ wɔn adwene sɛ, wɔbɛtoa so adi afahyɛ no nnanson bio enti wɔde anigyeɛ toaa so nnawɔtwe. 24Ɔhene Hesekia maa ɔmanfoɔ no anantwinini apem ne nnwan mpem nson sɛ wɔmfa mmɔ afɔdeɛ, na mpanimfoɔ no nso maa anantwinini apem ne nnwan ɔpedu. Ɛberɛ korɔ no ara mu, asɔfoɔ no bebree dwiraa wɔn ho. 25Yuda badwa nyinaa a asɔfoɔ, Lewifoɔ ne wɔn a wɔfiri Israel asase so nyinaa, ananafoɔ a wɔbɛdii afahyɛ no ne wɔn a na wɔte Yuda nyinaa ani gyeeɛ. 26Anigyeɛ kɛseɛ baa kuropɔn no mu, ɛfiri sɛ, na Yerusalem nhunuu afahyɛ a ɛte sei bi da, ɛfiri Salomo ɔhene Dawid babarima berɛ so. 27Na asɔfoɔ no ne Lewifoɔ sɔre hyiraa ɔmanfoɔ no, na Onyankopɔn tiee wɔn firi ne soro atenaeɛ kronkronbea hɔ.
