2Chronicles:30

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* And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah , and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh , that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem , to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel . * For the king had taken counsel with his princes and with all the congregation in Jerusalem , to keep the passover in the second month . * For they could not keep it at that time , because there were not enough priests sanctified , neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem . * And the thing pleased the king and all the congregation . * So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel , from Beersheba even to Dan , that they should come to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel at Jerusalem because for a long [time ] they had not done it as it is written . * So the posts went with the letters from the hand of the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah , and according to the commandment of the king , saying , Ye sons of Israel , return unto the LORD God of Abraham , Isaac , and Israel , and he will return to the remnant of you , that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria . * Do not be like your fathers , and like your brethren , who rebelled against the LORD God of their fathers and he gave them over to desolation , as ye see . * Therefore , do not be stiffnecked as your fathers [were ], [but ] yield yourselves unto the LORD and enter into his sanctuary , which he has sanctified for ever and serve the LORD your God , that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you . * For if ye return unto the LORD , your brethren and your children [shall find ] mercy before those that lead them captive , so that they shall come again into this land , for the LORD your God [is ] gracious and merciful and will not turn away [his ] face from you if ye return unto him . * So the posts passed from city to city through the land of Ephraim and Manasseh even unto Zebulun , but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them . * Nevertheless , [some ] men of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem . * Also in Judah the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes , according to the word of the LORD . * And many people assembled at Jerusalem to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month , a very great congregation . * And they arose and took away the altars that [were ] in Jerusalem , and they [also ] took away all the altars for incense and cast [them ] into the Brook Kidron . * Then they killed the passover on the fourteenth [day ] of the second month , and the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves with shame and brought in the burnt offerings into the house of the LORD . * And they put themselves in order according to the ordinance , according to the law of Moses , the man of God ; the priests sprinkled the blood , [which they received ] of the hands of the Levites . * For [there were ] yet many in the congregation that were not sanctified ; therefore , the Levites had the charge of the killing of the passovers for each one [that was ] not clean , to sanctify [them ] unto the LORD . * For a multitude of the people , [even ] many of Ephraim and Manasseh , Issachar , and Zebulun , had not cleansed themselves , and they ate the passover not as it was written . But Hezekiah prayed for them , saying , The good LORD pardon each one * [that ] has prepared his heart to seek God , the LORD God of his fathers , even though [he is ] not [cleansed ] according to the purification of the sanctuary . * And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah and healed the people . * Thus , the sons of Israel that were present at Jerusalem kept the solemnity of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness , and the Levites and the priests praised the LORD , day by day , with instruments of strength unto the LORD . * And Hezekiah spoke unto the heart of all the Levites that had good understanding to [serve ] the LORD , and they ate [the sacrifices ] of the feast for seven days , offering sacrifices of peace and giving thanks unto the LORD God of their fathers . * And the whole assembly took counsel to keep another seven days , and they kept [another ] seven days with gladness . * For Hezekiah , king of Judah , had given to the congregation a thousand bullocks and seven thousand sheep , and the princes gave to the congregation a thousand bullocks and ten thousand sheep , and a great number of priests sanctified themselves . * And all the congregation of Judah , with the priests and the Levites , and all the congregation that came out of Israel , and the strangers that came out of the land of Israel , and that dwelt in Judah , rejoiced . * So there was great joy in Jerusalem , for since the time of Solomon , the son of David , king of Israel [there was ] not the like in Jerusalem . * Then the priests , the Levites , arose and blessed the people , and their voice was heard , and their prayer came [up ] to the dwelling place of his sanctuary , unto heaven .:

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