King Hezekiah of Judah
(2 Kings 18.1-3)1 Hezekiah was 25 years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled 29 years from Jerusalem. His mother was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. 2 Hezekiah obeyed the Lord by doing right, just as his ancestor David had done.
The Temple Is Purified
3 In the first month of the first year of Hezekiah's rule, he unlocked the doors to the Lord's temple and had them repaired. 4 Then he called the priests and Levites to the east courtyard of the temple 5 and said:
It's time to purify the temple of the Lord God of our ancestors. You Levites must first go through the ceremony to make yourselves clean, then go into the temple and bring out everything that is unclean and unacceptable to the Lord. 6 Some of our ancestors were unfaithful and disobeyed the Lord our God. Not only did they turn their backs on the Lord, but they also completely ignored his temple. 7 They locked the doors, then let the lamps go out and stopped burning incense and offering sacrifices to him. 8 The Lord became terribly angry with the people of Judah and Jerusalem, and everyone was shocked and horrified at what he did to punish them. Not only were 9 our ancestors killed in battle, but our own children and wives were taken captive.
10 So I have decided to renew our agreement with the Lord God of Israel. Maybe then he will stop being so angry with us. 11 Let's not waste any time, my friends. You are the ones who were chosen to be the Lord's priests and to offer him sacrifices.
12-14 When Hezekiah finished talking, the following Levite leaders went to work:
Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah from the Kohath clan; Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel from the Merari clan; Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah from the Gershon clan; Shimri and Jeuel from the Elizaphan clan; Zechariah and Mattaniah from the Asaph clan; Jehuel and Shimei from the Heman clan; Shemaiah and Uzziel from the Jeduthun clan.
15 These leaders gathered together the rest of the Levites, and they all went through the ceremony to make themselves clean. Then they began to purify the temple according to the Law of the Lord, just as Hezekiah had commanded.
16 The priests went into the temple and carried out everything that was unclean. They put these things in the courtyard, and from there, the Levites carried them outside the city to Kidron Valley.
17 The priests and Levites began their work on the first day of the first month. It took them one week to purify the courtyards of the temple and another week to purify the temple. So on the sixteenth day of that same month 18 they went back to Hezekiah and said:
Your Majesty, we have finished our work. The entire temple is now pure again, and so is the altar and its utensils, as well as the table for the sacred loaves of bread and its utensils. 19 And we have brought back all the things that King Ahaz took from the temple during the time he was unfaithful to God. We purified them and put them back in front of the altar.
Worship in the Temple
20 At once, Hezekiah called together the officials of Jerusalem, and they went to the temple. 21 They brought with them seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven goats as sacrifices to take away the sins of Hezekiah's family and of the people of Judah, as well as to purify the temple. Hezekiah told the priests, who were descendants of Aaron, to sacrifice these animals on the altar.
22 The priests killed the bulls, the rams, and the lambs, then splattered the blood on the altar. 23 They took the goats to Hezekiah and the worshipers, and they laid their hands on the animals. 24 The priests then killed the goats and splattered the blood on the altar as a sacrifice to take away the sins of everyone in Israel, because Hezekiah had commanded that these sacrifices be made for all the people of Israel.
25 Next, Hezekiah assigned the Levites to their places in the temple. He gave them cymbals, harps, and other stringed instruments, according to the instructions that the Lord had given King David and the two prophets, Gad and Nathan. 26 The Levites were ready to play the instruments that had belonged to David; the priests were ready to blow the trumpets.
27 As soon as Hezekiah gave the signal for the sacrifices to be burned on the altar, the musicians began singing praises to the Lord and playing their instruments, 28 and everyone worshiped the Lord. This continued until the last animal was sacrificed.
29 After that, Hezekiah and the crowd of worshipers bowed down and worshiped the Lord. 30 Then Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to sing the songs of praise that David and Asaph the prophet had written. And so they bowed down and joyfully sang praises to the Lord.
31 Hezekiah said to the crowd, “Now that you are once again acceptable to the Lord, bring sacrifices and offerings to give him thanks.”
The people did this, and some of them voluntarily brought animals to be offered as sacrifices. 32 Seventy bulls, 100 rams, and 200 lambs were brought as sacrifices to please the Lord; 33 600 bulls and 3,000 sheep were brought as sacrifices to ask the Lord's blessing. 34 There were not enough priests to skin all these animals, because many of the priests had not taken the time to go through the ceremony to make themselves clean. However, since all the Levites had made themselves clean, they helped the priests until the last animal was skinned. 35 Besides all the sacrifices that were burned on the altar, the fat from the other animal sacrifices was burned, and the offerings of wine were poured over the altar.
So the temple was once again used for worshiping the Lord. 36 Hezekiah and the people of Judah celebrated, because God had helped them make this happen so quickly.
Hizkijas valdīšana
(2Ķēn 18:1–3)1 Hizkija sāka valdīt divdesmit piecu gadu vecumā, viņš valdīja Jeruzālemē divdesmit deviņus gadus. Viņa mātes vārds bija Abija, Zeharjahu meita. 2 Viņš darīja to, kas tīkams Kungam, tāpat kā viņa tēvs Dāvids.
Tempļa šķīstīšana
3 Pirmā valdīšanas gada pirmajā mēnesī viņš atvēra Kunga nama durvis un tās salaboja. 4 Viņš sasauca priesterus, levītus, sapulcēja tos austrumu pagalmā 5 un sacīja tiem: “Klausieties, levīti! Svētieties paši un iesvētiet Kunga, jūsu tēvu Dieva, namu, izmēziet nešķīstību no svētvietas! 6 Mūsu tēvi bija nodevīgi un darīja to, kas netīkams Kungam, mūsu Dievam, tie viņu atmeta, novērsās no Kunga mājokļa un pagrieza tam muguru. 7 Tie aizdarīja lieveņa durvis, izdzēsa eļļas lukturīšus, nekvēpināja kvēpināmo un Israēla Dieva svētvietā neupurēja sadedzināmos upurus! 8 Tāpēc pār Jūdu un Jeruzālemi nāca Kunga dusmu versme, viņš nodeva tos šaušalām, šausmām un izsmieklam, kā tagad paši savām acīm redzat! 9 Redzi, tādēļ mūsu tēvi krita no zobena un mūsu dēli, meitas un sievas tika aizvestas gūstā! 10 Bet tagad es vēlos slēgt derību ar Kungu, Israēla Dievu, un novērst viņa dusmu kvēli no mums. 11 Tad nu, mani dēli, neesiet nolaidīgi, jo Kungs jūs ir izvēlējies, lai jūs stātos viņa priekšā un kalpotu, lai kļūtu viņa kalpi un kvēpinātu.”
12 Tad cēlās levīti: no kehātiešu dēliem Mahats, Amāsaja dēls, un Joēls, Azarjas dēls; no merāriešu dēliem Kīšs, Abdī dēls, un Azarja, Jehallelēla dēls; no geršoniešiem Joāhs, Zimmas dēls, un Ēdens, Joāha dēls; 13 no Elīcāfāna dēliem Šimrī un Jeiēls; no Āsāfa dēliem Zeharjahu un Matanjāhu; 14 no Hēmāna dēliem Jehiēls un Šimī; no Jedūtūna dēliem Šemaja un Uziēls. 15 Viņi sapulcināja savus brāļus, svētījās un nāca šķīstīt Kunga namu, kā ķēniņš Kunga vārdā bija pavēlējis. 16 Priesteri gāja šķīstīt Kunga namu. Viņi izmēza nešķīstību, kas atradās Kunga templī, Kunga nama pagalmā. Levīti to izmeta Kidronas ielejā. 17 Pirmā mēneša pirmajā dienā viņi sāka svētīt, un mēneša astotajā dienā viņi sanāca Kunga nama lievenī un svētīja Kunga namu astoņas dienas. Viņi beidza svētīt pirmā mēneša sešpadsmitajā dienā.
18 Tad viņi atnāca pie ķēniņa Hizkijas un sacīja: “Mēs šķīstījām visu Kunga namu: sadedzināmo upuru altāri un tā rīkus, galdu upurmaizēm un tā piederumus, 19 un mēs atjaunojām un iesvētījām visus traukus, ko ķēniņš Āhāzs savas nodevīgās valdīšanas laikā bija pametis novārtā, – redzi, viss ir Kunga altāra priekšā!”
Tempļa dievkalpošanas atjaunošana
20 Ķēniņš Hizkija cēlās agri, sapulcināja pilsētas augstmaņus un devās uz Kunga namu. 21 Tie veda septiņus vēršus, septiņus aunus, septiņus jērus un septiņus āžus grēka upurim – par valsti, par iesvētīšanu un par Jūdu. Viņš pavēlēja priesteriem, Ārona dēliem, un tie upurēja uz Kunga altāra. 22 Priesteri nokāva vēršus un slacīja to asinis pār altāri, tad kāva aunus un slacīja to asinis pār altāri, tad kāva jērus un slacīja to asinis pār altāri. 23 Viņi atveda grēka upura āžus ķēniņa un sapulcēto priekšā, viņi uzlika tiem rokas, 24 un tad priesteri tos nokāva un grēka upura asinis slacīja pār altāri, lai veiktu izlīgumu par visa Israēla grēkiem, jo ķēniņš bija pavēlējis par visu Israēlu pienest gan sadedzināmo upuri, gan grēka upuri. 25 Viņš lika levītiem nostāties Kunga namā ar cimbolēm, arfām un lirām, kā bija pavēlējis Dāvids, ķēniņa redzētājs Gāds un pravietis Nātāns, jo tāda bija Kunga pavēle, ko viņš devis saviem praviešiem. 26 Levīti nostājās ar Dāvida darinātajiem skaņu rīkiem un priesteri ar taurēm.
27 Hizkija pavēlēja pienest uz altāra sadedzināmo upuri. Kad sāka upurēt sadedzināmo upuri, tie sāka dziesmu Kungam, pūta taures un spēlēja Israēla ķēniņa Dāvida skaņu rīkus. 28 Visa sapulce pateicās, dziedātāji dziedāja un taurētāji taurēja, līdz upurēšana bija galā. 29 Kad upurēšana beidzās, ķēniņš un visi, kas bija kopā ar viņu, zemojās un pateicās. 30 Ķēniņš Hizkija lika augstmaņiem un levītiem slavēt Kungu Dāvida un redzētāja Āsāfa vārdiem, un tie slavēja ar prieku, zemojās un pateicās.
31 Tad Hizkija sacīja: “Nu jūs esat sevi veltījuši Kungam – tuvojieties un pienesiet pateicības upurus Kunga namā!” Un sapulcētie pienesa pateicības upurus un labprātīgos sadedzināmos upurus. 32 Sadedzināmo upuru skaits, ko pienesa sapulcētie, bija septiņdesmit vēršu, simts aunu un divi simti jēru – tāds bija sadedzināmais upuris Kungam. 33 Upurim tika nošķirti seši simti vēršu un trīs tūkstoši avju, 34 bet priesteru bija maz, un tie nespēja nodīrāt visus sadedzināmo upurus, viņiem palīdzēja viņu brāļi levīti, līdz darbs bija padarīts un priesteri bija svētījušies, jo levīti bija krietnāki par priesteriem, tie bija svētījušies jau iepriekš. 35 Liels bija sadedzināmo upuru skaits, un sadedzināmo upuri papildināja ar miera upuru taukiem un lejamo upuri. Tā tika atjaunota kalpošana Kunga namā. 36 Gan Hizkija, gan visa tauta priecājās par to, ko Dievs bija darījis tautai, – un viss pēkšņi notika!
