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
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.
