2Chronicles:30:1-31

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* And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah , and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh , that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem , to keep the Passover to the LORD God of Israel . * For the king and his leaders and all the assembly in Jerusalem had agreed to keep the Passover in the second month . * For they could not keep it at the regular time , because a sufficient number of priests had not consecrated themselves , nor had the people gathered together at Jerusalem . * And the matter pleased the king and all the assembly . * So they resolved to make a proclamation throughout all Israel , from Beersheba to Dan , that they should come to keep the Passover to the LORD God of Israel at Jerusalem , since they had not done it for a long time in the prescribed manner . * Then the runners went throughout all Israel and Judah with the letters from the king and his leaders , and spoke according to the command of the king : "Children of Israel , return to the LORD God of Abraham , Isaac , and Israel ; then He will return to the remnant of you who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria . * And do not be like your fathers and your brethren , who trespassed against the LORD God of their fathers , so that He gave them up to desolation , as you see . * Now do not be stiff-necked , as your fathers were , but yield yourselves to the LORD ; and enter His sanctuary , which He has sanctified forever , and serve the LORD your God , that the fierceness of His wrath may turn away from you . * For if you return to the LORD , your brethren and your children will be treated with compassion by those who lead them captive , so that they may come back to this land ; for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful , and will not turn His face from you if you return to Him ." * So the runners passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh , as far as Zebulun ; but they laughed at them and mocked them . * Nevertheless some from Asher , Manasseh , and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem . * Also the hand of God was on Judah to give them singleness of heart to obey the command of the king and the leaders , at the word of the LORD . * Now many people , a very great assembly , gathered at Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month . * They arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem , and they took away all the incense altars and cast them into the Brook Kidron . * Then they slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of the second month . The priests and the Levites were ashamed , and sanctified themselves , and brought the burnt offerings to the house of the LORD . * They stood in their place according to their custom , according to the Law of Moses the man of God ; the priests sprinkled the blood received from the hand of the Levites . * For there were many in the assembly who had not sanctified themselves ; therefore the Levites had charge of the slaughter of the Passover lambs for everyone who was not clean , to sanctify them to the LORD . * For a multitude of the people , many from Ephraim , Manasseh , Issachar , and Zebulun , had not cleansed themselves , yet they ate the Passover contrary to what was written . But Hezekiah prayed for them , saying , "May the good LORD provide atonement for everyone * who prepares his heart to seek God , the LORD God of his fathers , though he is not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary ." * And the LORD listened to Hezekiah and healed the people . * So the children of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great gladness ; and the Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day , singing to the LORD , accompanied by loud instruments . * And Hezekiah gave encouragement to all the Levites who taught the good knowledge of the LORD ; and they ate throughout the feast seven days , offering peace offerings and making confession to the LORD God of their fathers . * Then the whole assembly agreed to keep the feast another seven days , and they kept it another seven days with gladness . * For Hezekiah king of Judah gave to the assembly a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep , and the leaders gave to the assembly a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep ; and a great number of priests sanctified themselves . * The whole assembly of Judah rejoiced , also the priests and Levites , all the assembly that came from Israel , the sojourners who came from the land of Israel , and those who dwelt in Judah . * So there was great joy in Jerusalem , for since the time of Solomon the son of David , king of Israel , there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem . * Then the priests , the Levites , arose and blessed the people , and their voice was heard ; and their prayer came up to His holy dwelling place , to heaven .

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