1Hezekiah sent word throughout all Israel and Judah and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, inviting them to come to the house of the LORD in Jerusalem to keep the Passover for the LORD, the God of Israel.2The king and his officials and all the assembly in Jerusalem took counsel to keep the Passover in the second month.3For they were not able to keep it at that time, because the priests had not consecrated themselves in sufficient number and the people had not assembled in Jerusalem.4The matter was pleasing in the eyes of the king and in the eyes of all the assembly.5They resolved to send a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, that the people should come to keep the Passover to the LORD, the God of Israel, in Jerusalem, for they had not kept it in such numbers as written.6Couriers carried letters from the king and his officials throughout Israel and Judah with the royal command: 'Return, O people of Israel, to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that he may return the remnant who remain among you from the hand of the kings of Assyria.'7Do not be like your fathers and your brothers who were unfaithful to the LORD, the God of their fathers, so that he made them an object of horror, as you now see.8Now do not harden your neck like your fathers; give your hand to the LORD, come to his sanctuary which he has consecrated forever, serve the LORD your God, and let his burning anger turn away from you.9For when you return to the LORD, your brothers and your sons will receive compassion before their captors and will return to this land, for the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate and will not turn his face from you if you return to him.10The runners passed from city to city in the land of Ephraim and Manasseh and as far as Zebulun, and they became objects of laughter and mockery to them.11Nevertheless, some men from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.12In Judah also the hand of God moved the people to give them one heart to carry out the command of the king and his officials according to the word of the LORD.13A very great assembly gathered in Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month.14They set to work and removed the altars in Jerusalem; they also took away all 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 they brought burnt offerings to the house of the LORD.16They stood at their post according to their custom, according to the instruction of Moses the man of God; the priests were sprinkling the blood from the hand of the Levites.17Many in the assembly had not consecrated themselves, so the Levites slaughtered the Passover lambs for everyone who was unclean, in order to consecrate them to the LORD.18For a great number of the people from Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover contrary to what is written; for Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, "May the good LORD make atonement for them."19Everyone whose heart was set to seek the LORD, the God of his fathers, even though not according to the purifying of the holiness.20The LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people.21The Israelites who were present in Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy, while the Levites and priests praised the LORD day after day with instruments of strength dedicated to the LORD.22Hezekiah spoke to the heart of all the Levites who showed good understanding for the LORD; they ate the appointed meeting for seven days, offering sacrifices of peace offerings and giving thanks to the LORD, the God of their fathers.23The whole assembly agreed to keep seven more days, and they observed seven days of rejoicing.24Hezekiah king of Judah contributed a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep for the assembly, and the officials contributed a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep; the priests consecrated themselves in great numbers.25All the assembly of Judah rejoiced, together with the priests and the Levites and all who had come from Israel, including the resident aliens who had come from the land of Israel and those living in Judah.26There was great joy in Jerusalem, for nothing like this had occurred in Jerusalem since the days of Solomon son of David, king of Israel.27Then the priests and the Levites arose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard, and their prayer came to his holy habitation in heaven.
Chapter 31
1When all this was finished, all the Israelites who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke down the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherah poles, and demolished the high places and the altars throughout Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the Israelites returned to their own towns and possessions.