Hezekiah Prepares To Celebrate Passover
1-4 Passover wasn't celebrated in the first month, which was the usual time, because many of the priests were still unclean and unacceptable to serve, and because not everyone in Judah had come to Jerusalem for the festival. So Hezekiah, his officials, and the people agreed to celebrate Passover in the second month.
Hezekiah sent a message to everyone in Israel and Judah, including those in the territories of Ephraim and West Manasseh, inviting them to the temple in Jerusalem for the celebration of Passover in honor of the Lord God of Israel. 5 Everyone from Beersheba in the south to Dan in the north was invited. This was the largest crowd of people that had ever celebrated Passover, according to the official records.
6 Hezekiah's messengers went everywhere in Israel and Judah with the following letter:
People of Israel, now that you have survived the invasion of the Assyrian kings, it's time for you to turn back to the Lord God our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob worshiped. If you do this, he will stop being angry. 7 Don't follow the example of your ancestors and your Israelite relatives in the north. They were unfaithful to the Lord, and he punished them horribly. 8 Don't be stubborn like your ancestors. Decide now to obey the Lord our God! Come to Jerusalem and worship him in the temple that will belong to him forever. Then he will stop being angry, 9 and the enemies that have captured your families will show pity and send them back home. The Lord God is kind and merciful, and if you turn back to him, he will no longer turn his back on you.
10 The messengers went to every town in Ephraim and West Manasseh as far north as the territory of Zebulun, but people laughed and insulted them. 11 Only a few people from the tribes of Asher, West Manasseh, and Zebulun were humble and went to Jerusalem. 12 God also made everyone in Judah eager to do what Hezekiah and his officials had commanded.
Passover Is Celebrated
13 In the second month, a large crowd of people gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Festival of Thin Bread. 14 They took all the foreign altars and incense altars in Jerusalem and threw them into Kidron Valley.
15-17 Then, on the fourteenth day of that same month, the Levites began killing the lambs for Passover, because many of the worshipers were unclean and were not allowed to kill their own lambs. Meanwhile, some of the priests and Levites felt ashamed because they had not gone through the ceremony to make themselves clean. They immediately went through that ceremony and went to the temple, where they offered sacrifices to please the Lord. Then the priests and Levites took their positions, according to the Law of Moses, the servant of God.
As the Levites killed the lambs, they handed some of the blood to the priests, who splattered it on the altar.
18-19 Most of the people that came from Ephraim, West Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun had not made themselves clean, but they ignored God's Law and ate the Passover lambs anyway. Hezekiah found out what they had done and prayed, “Lord God, these people are unclean according to the laws of holiness. But they are worshiping you, just as their ancestors did. So, please be kind and forgive them.” 20 The Lord answered Hezekiah's prayer and did not punish them.
21 The worshipers in Jerusalem were very happy and celebrated the Festival for seven days. The Levites and priests sang praises to the Lord every day and played their instruments. 22 Hezekiah thanked the Levites for doing such a good job, leading the celebration.
The worshipers celebrated for seven days by offering sacrifices, by eating the sacred meals, and by praising the Lord God of their ancestors. 23 Everyone was so excited that they agreed to celebrate seven more days.
24 So Hezekiah gave the people 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep to be offered as sacrifices and to be used as food for the sacred meals. His officials gave 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep, and many more priests agreed to go through the ceremony to make themselves clean. 25 Everyone was very happy, including those from Judah and Israel, the priests and Levites, and the foreigners living in Judah and Israel. 26 It was the biggest celebration in Jerusalem since the days of King Solomon, the son of David. 27 The priests and Levites asked God to bless the people, and from his home in heaven, he did.
Pashas svētku svinēšana
1 Hizkija izziņoja visā Israēlā un Jūdā un rakstīja vēstules arī Efraimam un Manasem, lai nāk uz Kunga namu Jeruzālemē svinēt Kunga, Israēla Dieva, Pashas svētkus. 2 Ķēniņš ar saviem augstmaņiem un visu sapulci bija nosprieduši Pashas svētkus svinēt Jeruzālemē otrajā mēnesī. 3 Tie nebija paspējuši nosvinēt īstajā laikā, jo priesteri nebija līdz galam svētījušies, bet ļaudis vēl nebija sapulcējušies Jeruzālemē. 4 Ķēniņam un visai sapulcei šāds nodoms likās pareizs. 5 Tā viņi nolēma izsludināt visā Israēlā no Bēršebas līdz Dānam, lai visi nāk uz Jeruzālemi svinēt Kunga Pashas svētkus, jo tie vēl nekad nebija svinēti tik lielā skaitā, kā noteikts.
6 Skrējēji iznēsāja ķēniņa un augstmaņu vēstules visā Israēlā un Jūdā. Ķēniņš pavēlēja: “Israēla dēli, atgriezieties pie Kunga, Ābrahāma, Īzaka un Israēla Dieva, tad arī viņš atgriezīsies pie tiem, kas atlikuši, paglābušies no Asīrijas ķēniņa rokas. 7 Neesiet kā jūsu tēvi un brāļi, kas bija neuzticīgi Kungam, savu tēvu Dievam, – tagad jūs redzat, ka viņš tos nodeva postam. 8 Neesiet tik stūrgalvīgi kā jūsu tēvi, sniedziet roku Kungam, nāciet viņa svētumā – viņa svētums ir mūžīgs! – kalpojiet Kungam, savam Dievam, tad jūs novērsīsiet viņa kvēlās dusmas. 9 Ja jūs atgriezīsieties pie Kunga, tad gūstītāji būs līdzjūtīgi pret jūsu brāļiem un jūsu dēliem un tie varēs atgriezties šajā zemē, jo Kungs, jūsu Dievs, ir žēlīgs un līdzcietīgs, viņš jūs neatstums, ja jūs atgriezīsieties pie viņa!”
10 Skrējēji devās no pilsētas uz pilsētu pa Efraima un Manases zemi līdz pat Zebulūnam, bet viņus izsmēja un par viņiem ņirgājās, 11 un tikai daži vīri no Ašēra, Manases un Zebulūna bija pazemīgi un atnāca uz Jeruzālemi. 12 Bet pār Jūdu bija Dieva roka, viņš tiem deva vienprātību, un tie darīja, ko ķēniņš un augstmaņi bija pavēlējuši Kunga vārdā! 13 Jeruzālemē sapulcējās daudz ļaužu, lai otrajā mēnesī svinētu Neraudzētās maizes svētkus, – varen liels pulks! 14 Tie cēlās un nojauca altārus Jeruzālemē, aizvāca visus kvēpināmos un nometa tos Kidronas ielejā. 15 Otrā mēneša četrpadsmitajā dienā tie kāva jērus Pashas svētkiem. Priesteri un levīti tagad pratās kaunu, svētījās un pienesa sadedzināmo upuri Kunga namā, 16 nostājušies katrs savā noteiktajā vietā pēc Mozus, Dieva vīra, bauslības. Levīti upurēja un priesteri slacīja asinis, 17 jo daudzi no sapulces nebija šķīstījušies. Levīti kāva Pashas jērus visiem, kas nebija šķīsti, lai arī tie būtu svētīti Kungam. 18 Liels skaits ļaužu – daudzi no Efraima, Manases, Jisašhara un Zebulūna – nebija šķīstījušies, kā noteikts, kad ēda Pashas jēru. Hizkija lūdza par tiem: “Labais Kungs, piedod ikvienam, 19 kura sirds tiecas pēc Dieva Kunga, viņu tēvu Dieva, kaut arī tie nav šķīstījušies svētumā!” 20 Kungs uzklausīja Hizkiju un dziedināja ļaudis.
21 Israēla dēli Jeruzālemē septiņas dienas svinēja Neraudzētās maizes svētkus ar lielu prieku, slavēdami Kungu! Dienu no dienas levīti un priesteri no visa spēka spēlēja Kungam! 22 Hizkija runāja laipni ar visiem levītiem, kas bija mācīti un zinīgi Kunga lietās. Septiņas svētku dienas viņi ēda kaujamos upurus, miera upurus un pateicības upurus Kungam, savu tēvu Dievam.
23 Tad visa sapulce kopā nosprieda svinēt vēl septiņas dienas. Un tie ar prieku svinēja vēl septiņas dienas. 24 Jūdas ķēniņš Hizkija atvēlēja sapulcētajiem tūkstoti vēršu un septiņus tūkstošus avju, arī augstmaņi atvēlēja sapulcētajiem tūkstoti vēršu un desmit tūkstošus avju. Un daudzi priesteri svētījās. 25 Priecājās visa Jūdas sapulce – gan priesteri, gan levīti, gan visi, kas bija sanākuši no Israēla, tāpat arī svešinieki, kas bija nākuši no Israēla un dzīvoja Jūdā. 26 Tik liels prieks kā toreiz Jeruzālemē nav bijis kopš Israēla ķēniņa Sālamana, Dāvida dēla, laikiem!
27 Tad priesteri un levīti cēlās un svētīja ļaudis – Dievs uzklausīja viņu balsi no debesīm, sava svētā mājokļa!
