1And Ḥizqiyahu sent to all Yisra’ĕl and Yehuḏah, and he also wrote letters to Ephrayim and Menashsheh, to come to the House of יהוה at Yerushalayim, to perform the Passover to יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl.

2But the sovereign and his leaders and all the assembly in Yerushalayim had taken counsel to perform the Passover in the second month.

3For they were unable to perform it at its time, because not enough priests had set themselves apart, and the people had not gathered at Yerushalayim.

4And the matter was right in the eyes of the sovereign and in the eyes of all the assembly.

5And they settled the matter, to send a call to all Yisra’ĕl, from Be’ĕrsheḇa to Dan, to come to perform a Passover to יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl at Yerushalayim, since they had not done it for a long time, as it is written.

6And the runners went to all Yisra’ĕl and Yehuḏah with the letters from the sovereign and his leaders, and spoke according to the command of the sovereign, “Children of Yisra’ĕl, turn back to יהוה Elohim of Aḇraham, Yitsḥaq, and Yisra’ĕl, so that He returns to the remnant of you who have escaped from the hand of the sovereigns of Ashshur.

7“And do not be like your fathers and like your brothers, who trespassed against יהוה Elohim of their fathers, so that He gave them up to ruin, as you see.

8“Now do not stiffen your neck, like your fathers, stretch forth the hand to יהוה, and come to His set-apart place, which He has set apart forever, and serve יהוה your Elohim, so that His burning wrath turns away from you.

9“For if you turn back to יהוה, your brothers and your children shall be shown compassion by their captors, even to return to this land. For יהוה your Elohim shows favour and compassion, and does not turn His face from you if you turn back to Him.”

10And the runners passed from city to city throughout the land of Ephrayim and Menashsheh, as far as Zeḇulun. But they were laughing at them and mocking them.

11Some from Ashĕr and Menashsheh and from Zeḇulun, however, humbled themselves and came to Yerushalayim.

12Also the hand of Elohim was on Yehuḏah to give them one heart to do the command of the sovereign and the rulers, at the word of יהוה.

13And many people, a very great assembly, gathered at Yerushalayim to perform the Festival of Unleavened Bread in the second month.

14And they rose up and removed the altars that were in Yerushalayim, and they removed all the incense altars and threw them into the wadi Qiḏron.

15Then they slaughtered the Passover on the fourteenth day of the second month. And the priests and the Lĕwites were ashamed, and set themselves apart, and brought the burnt offerings to the House of יהוה.

16And they stood in their place according to their right-ruling. According to the Torah of Mosheh, the man of Elohim, the priests sprinkled the blood from the hand of the Lĕwites.

17For many in the assembly had not set themselves apart. Therefore the Lĕwites were over the slaughter of the Passover for everyone who was not clean, to set them apart to יהוה.

18For many of the people, many from Ephrayim and Menashsheh, Yissasḵar and Zeḇulun, had not been cleansed, yet they ate the Passover contrary to what was written. But Ḥizqiyahu prayed for them, saying, “יהוה who is good, provide atonement for everyone

19who has prepared his heart to seek Elohim, יהוה Elohim of his fathers, though he is not cleansed according to the cleansing of the set-apart place.”

20And יהוה listened to Ḥizqiyahu and healed the people.

21And the children of Yisra’ĕl who were in Yerushalayim performed the Festival of Unleavened Bread seven days with great joy. And the Lĕwites and the priests praised יהוה day by day, with instruments of praise before יהוה.

22And Ḥizqiyahu spoke to the heart of all the Lĕwites, those having good understanding concerning יהוה. So they ate what was appointed, seven days, slaughtering peace offerings and making confession to יהוה Elohim of their fathers.

23And all the assembly took counsel to perform another seven days, and they performed it another seven days with joy.

24For Ḥizqiyahu sovereign of Yehuḏah presented to the assembly a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep, and the rulers presented to the assembly a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep. And a great number of priests set themselves apart.

25And all the assembly of Yehuḏah rejoiced, and the priests and Lĕwites, and all the assembly who had come from Yisra’ĕl, and the sojourners who came from the land of Yisra’ĕl, and those who dwelt in Yehuḏah.

26And there came to be great joy in Yerushalayim, for since the days of Shelomoh son of Dawiḏ, the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl, the like of this had not been in Yerushalayim.

27And the priests, the Lĕwites, rose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard. And their prayer came up to His set-apart dwelling place, to heaven.