Hezekiah Celebrates the Passover
1Hezekiah sent word to all Israel and Judah and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, inviting them to come to the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel. 2The king and his officials and the whole assembly in Jerusalem decided to celebrate the Passover in the second month. 3They had not been able to celebrate it at the regular time because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not assembled in Jerusalem. 4The plan seemed right both to the king and to the whole assembly. 5They decided to send a proclamation throughout Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, calling the people to come to Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel. It had not been celebrated in large numbers according to what was written.
6At the king’s command, couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and from his officials, which read:
“People of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that he may return to you who are left, who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. 7Do not be like your parents and your fellow Israelites, who were unfaithful to the Lord, the God of their ancestors, so that he made them an object of horror, as you see. 8Do not be stiff-necked, as your ancestors were; submit to the Lord. Come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever. Serve the Lord your God, so that his fierce anger will turn away from you. 9If you return to the Lord, then your fellow Israelites and your children will be shown compassion by their captors and will return to this land, for the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.”
10The couriers went from town to town in Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun, but people scorned and ridiculed them. 11Nevertheless, some from Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem. 12Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to give them unity of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had ordered, following the word of the Lord.
13A very large crowd of people assembled in Jerusalem to celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread in the second month. 14They removed the altars in Jerusalem and cleared away the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley.
15They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed and consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the temple of the Lord. 16Then they took up their regular positions as prescribed in the Law of Moses the man of God. The priests splashed against the altar the blood handed to them by the Levites. 17Since many in the crowd had not consecrated themselves, the Levites had to kill the Passover lambs for all those who were not ceremonially clean and could not consecrate their lambs30:17 Or consecrate themselves to the Lord. 18Although most of the many people who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the Lord, who is good, pardon everyone 19who sets their heart on seeking God—the Lord, the God of their ancestors—even if they are not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary.” 20And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people.
21The Israelites who were present in Jerusalem celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great rejoicing, while the Levites and priests praised the Lord every day with resounding instruments dedicated to the Lord.30:21 Or priests sang to the Lord every day, accompanied by the Lord’s instruments of praise
22Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites, who showed good understanding of the service of the Lord. For the seven days they ate their assigned portion and offered fellowship offerings and praised30:22 Or and confessed their sins to the Lord, the God of their ancestors.
23The whole assembly then agreed to celebrate the festival seven more days; so for another seven days they celebrated joyfully. 24Hezekiah king of Judah provided a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep and goats for the assembly, and the officials provided them with a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep and goats. A great number of priests consecrated themselves. 25The entire assembly of Judah rejoiced, along with the priests and Levites and all who had assembled from Israel, including the foreigners who had come from Israel and also those who resided in Judah. 26There was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. 27The priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard them, for their prayer reached heaven, his holy dwelling place.
Hesekia Yɛ Ahoboa Ma Twam Afahyɛ
1Ɔhene Hesekia de nkra kɔɔ Israel ne Yuda nyinaa, na ɔkyerɛw krataa too nsa de frɛɛ Efraim ne Manase. Ɔka kyerɛɛ obiara se ɔmmra Awurade Asɔredan no mu wɔ Yerusalem, na wonni Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn, Twam Afahyɛ no. 2Ɔhene no, ne mpanyimfo ne ɔmanfo a wɔwɔ Yerusalem nyinaa yɛɛ adwene sɛ wobedi Twam no ɔsram a ɛto so abien no mu. 3Na anka wodi Twam no ɔsram ansa na ɔsram a ɛto so abien no afi ase, nanso na asɔfo no bebree ntumi nnwiraa wɔn ho, na ɔmanfo no nso mmoaa wɔn ho ano wɔ Yerusalem ɛ. 4Adwene a wɔyɛɛ sɛ wobedi Twam no, na eye ma ɔhene no ne ɔmanfo no nyinaa. 5Enti wɔbɔɔ no dawuru wɔ Israel nyinaa fi Beer-Seba a ɛwɔ anafo fam kosi Dan a ɛwɔ atifi fam sɛ, obiara mmra Yerusalem mmedi Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn Twam no bi. Na nnipa dodow nni Twam no sɛnea mmara no kyerɛ.
6Ɔhene no hyɛ ma wɔsomaa abɔfo kɔɔ Israel ne Yuda mmaa nyinaa. Wɔmaa wɔn nkrataa a na emu nsɛm ka se:
“Israel manfo, monsan mmra Awurade, Abraham, Isak ne Israel Nyankopɔn nkyɛn, sɛnea ɔbɛsan aba mo, nnipa kakra a moaka, mo a moatumi aguan afi Asiria ahemfo nsam no nkyɛn. 7Monnyɛ sɛ mo agyanom ne mo abusuafo a wogyaw Awurade, wɔn agyanom Nyankopɔn, a wɔyɛɛ aserewde sɛnea mo ankasa muhu yi. 8Monnyɛ asoɔden sɛnea na wɔte no, na mmom, mommrɛ mo ho ase mma Awurade. Mommra nʼAsɔredan a wɔayi asi hɔ sɛ ade kronkron no mu daa nyinaa. Monsom Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn, sɛnea nʼabufuwhyew no befi mo so. 9Na sɛ mosan ba Awurade nkyɛn a, mo abusuafo ne mo mma benya ahummɔbɔ wɔ wɔn a wɔfaa wɔn nnommum no nsam, na wobetumi asan aba asase yi so. Efisɛ Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn yɛ ɔdɔ ne ahummɔbɔ. Sɛ mosan ba ne nkyɛn a, ɔrenyi nʼani mfi mo so.”
Wodi Twam Afahyɛ No
10Abɔfo no kyinii nkurow a ɛwɔ Efraim ne Manase kosi Sebulon so. Nanso nnipa no mu bebree serew abɔfo no, dii wɔn ho fɛw. 11Nanso wɔn a wofi Aser, Manase ne Sebulon mu bi brɛɛ wɔn ho ase, kɔɔ Yerusalem. 12Saa bere koro no ara mu, na Onyankopɔn nsa wɔ nnipa a wɔwɔ Yuda no so. Na ɛhyɛ wɔn sɛ wɔnyɛ baako, na wɔnyɛ osetie mma Awurade asɛm a efi ɔhene ne ne mpanyimfo no nkyɛn no.
13Enti dɔm kɛse hyiaa wɔ Yerusalem ɔsram a ɛto so abien no mu, sɛ wɔrebedi Twam no ne Apiti Afahyɛ no. 14Wofii ase bubuu abosonsomfo afɔremuka no nyinaa fii Yerusalem. Woyiyii nnuhuam afɔremuka nyinaa kɔtow guu Kidron bon mu.
15Da a wɔahyɛ wɔ ɔsram a ɛto so abien no dui no, ɔmanfo no kunkum wɔn Twam nguantenmma. Na asɔfo no ne Lewifo no ani wui nti, wodwiraa wɔn ho, na wɔde ɔhyew afɔre baa Awurade Asɔredan mu. 16Obiara kogyinaa nʼafa wɔ Asɔredan no mu, sɛnea Mose a ɔyɛ Onyankopɔn nipa no mmara no kyerɛ no. Lewifo no de mogya afɔrebɔde no brɛɛ asɔfo no, maa wɔn nso pete guu afɔremuka no so. 17Esiane sɛ na ɔmanfo no mu bebree nnwiraa wɔn ho nti, Lewifo no na wokunkum wɔn Twam nguantenmma no maa wɔn, nam so tew ho maa Awurade. 18Na wɔn a wofi Efraim, Manase, Isakar ne Sebulon no mu fa kɛse no ara nnwira wɔn ho de, nanso ɔhene Hesekia bɔɔ mpae maa wɔn, na wɔmaa wɔn kwan ma wodii Twam aduan no bi a na anka etia Onyankopɔn mmara. Hesekia bɔɔ mpae se, “Awurade a ɔyɛ mmɔborɔhunufo no mfa nnipa a 19wɔasi wɔn adwene pi sɛ wobedi Awurade, wɔn agyanom Nyankopɔn akyi no bɔne nkyɛ wɔn, mpo, sɛ wonnwiraa wɔn ho yiye mmaa afahyɛ no a.” 20Na Awurade tiee Hesekia na ɔsaa ɔmanfo no yare.
21Enti ɔmanfo a wɔwɔ Yerusalem no de nnanson dii Apiti Afahyɛ no anigye so. Da biara, Lewifo ne asɔfo no too nnwom maa Awurade de nnwontode a ano yɛ den memmaa ho.
22Hesekia hyɛɛ Lewifo no nkuran wɔ ɔkwan pa a wɔfa so som Awurade no ho. Na afahyɛ no kɔɔ so nnanson. Wɔbɔɔ asomdwoe afɔre, na ɔmanfo kaa wɔn bɔne kyerɛɛ Awurade, wɔn agyanom Nyankopɔn.
23Bagua no nyinaa yɛɛ wɔn adwene sɛ, wɔbɛtoa so adi afahyɛ no nnanson bio enti wɔde anigye toaa so nnaawɔtwe. 24Ɔhene Hesekia maa ɔmanfo no anantwinini apem ne nguan mpem ason sɛ wɔmfa mmɔ afɔre, na mpanyimfo no nso maa anantwinini apem ne nguan mpem du. Bere koro no ara mu, asɔfo no bebree dwiraa wɔn ho. 25Yuda bagua nyinaa a asɔfo, Lewifo ne wɔn a wofi Israel asase so nyinaa, ananafo a wobedii afahyɛ no ne wɔn a na wɔte Yuda nyinaa ani gyei. 26Anigye kɛse baa kuropɔn no mu, efisɛ na Yerusalem nhuu afahyɛ a ɛte sɛɛ bi da, efi Salomo ɔhene Dawid babarima no bere so. 27Na asɔfo no ne Lewifo no sɔre hyiraa ɔmanfo no, na Onyankopɔn tiee wɔn, efisɛ wɔn mpaebɔ duu ɔsoro, nʼatenae wɔ kronkronbea hɔ.
