2Chronicles:30:1-31

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* Then sent Hezekiah to all Israel and Judah , and he also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh , that they should come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem , to prepare the passover –sacrifice unto the Lord the God of Israel . * And the king held a consultation , as also his princes , and all the assembly in Jerusalem , to prepare the passover –sacrifice in the second month . * For they were not able to prepare it at that time ; because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently , nor had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem . * And the thing seemed right in the eyes of the king and in the eyes of all the assembly . * So they established a decree to cause a proclamation to be made throughout all Israel , from Beer –sheba ’ even as far as Dan , that they should come to prepare the passover –sacrifice unto thy Lord the God of Israel at Jerusalem ; because for a long time past they had not prepared it as it was written , * So the runners went with the letters from the hand of the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah , and according to the command of the king , saying , O children of Israel , return unto the Lord the God of Abraham , of Isaac , and of Israel , and he will return to the remnant of you , that are escaped out of the power of the kings of Assyria . * And be net like your fathers , and like your brethren , who acted faithlessly against the Lord the God of their fathers , wherefore he gave them up to become an astonishment , as ye see . * Now do ye not harden your necks , like your fathers : hold out your hand unto the Lord , and come unto his sanctuary , which he hath sanctified for ever , and serve the Lord your God , and so will he turn away from you the fierceness of his wrath . * For If ye return unto the Lord , your brethren and your children will find mercy in the presence of their captors , so that they may return to this land ; for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful , and will not turn away his countenance from you , if ye return unto him . * And as the runners were passing from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Menasseh and as far as Zebulun , they were laughing them to scorn , and mocking at them . * Nevertheless some men of Asher and Menasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves , and came to Jerusalem . * Also over Judah came the hand of God to give unto them one heart to do the command of the king and of the princes , by the word of the Lord . * And there was gathered together at Jerusalem a numerous people to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month , a very great assembly . * And they arose and removed the altars which were in Jerusalem , and all the vessels for burning incense did they take away , and they threw them into the brook Kidron . * And they slaughtered the passover –sacrifice on the fourteenth day of the second month : and the priests and the Levites were ashamed , and sanctified themselves , and brought burnt –offerings unto the house of the Lord . * And they stood on their station after their prescribed manner , according to the law of Moses the man of God , the priest sprinkling the blood , out of the hand of the Levites . * For there were many in the assembly that had not sanctified themselves : therefore the Levites had the charge of the slaughtering of the passover sacrifices for every one that was not clean , to sanctify unto the Lord . * For a large portion of the people , even many out of Ephraim , and Menasseh , Issachar , and Zebulun , had not cleansed themselves , but ate the passover not as it is written . However Hezekiah prayed for them , saying , The Lord who is good will grant pardon for this . * To every one that hath directed his heart to seek God , the Lord the God of his fathers ; though he be not according to the purification of the sanctuary . * And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah , and he healed the people . * And the children of Israel that were present at Jerusalem celebrated the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great joy ; and the Levites and the priests praised the Lord day by day , with loud instruments before the Lord . * And Hezekiah spoke comfortingly unto all the Levites that had good intelligence of the Lord : and they ate the festive –offerings during seven days , offering peace –offerings , and making confession to the Lord the God of their fathers . * And the whole assembly took counsel to celebrate other seven days : and they celebrated seven days with joy . * For Hezekiah king of Judah had provided for the assembly one thousand bullocks and seven thousand sheep ; and the princes had provided for the assembly one thousand bullocks and ten thousand sheep : and the priests sanctified themselves in great numbers . * And thus rejoiced all the assembly of Judah , and the priests and the Levites , and all the assembly that was come out of Israel , and the strangers that were come out of the land of Israel , and those that dwelt in Judah . * And there was great joy in Jerusalem : for since the time of Solomon the son of David the king of Israel had the like not been in Jerusalem . * Then arose the priests the Levites and blessed the people : and their voice was listened to , and their prayer came to His holy dwelling –place , even unto heaven .

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