of the LORD: and the Levites took it up, and carried it out into the brook Kidron.

And they began to sanctify themselves on the first day of the first month: and on the eighth day of the month they entered into the hall of the LORD, and sanctified the house of the LORD eight days, and finished it on the sixteenth day of the first month.

And they went in unto king Hezekiah, and said: We have cleansed all the house of the LORD, the altar of burnt offering, and all his vessels, the table of shewbread, and all his vessels.

And all the vessels which Ahaz the king, when he was king, cast away, when he sinned, we have prepared and sanctified; behold, they are before the altar of the LORD.

And king Hezekiah rose up early, and gathered the princes of the city together, and went up to the house of the LORD.

And they brought seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven kids of the goats, for a sin offering for the kingdom, and for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And he spake unto the priests the sons of Aaron, that they should offer upon the altar of the LORD.

And they slew the oxen, and the priests took the blood, and sprinkled it upon the altar; and
slew the rams, and sprinkled the blood upon the altar; and slew the lambs, and sprinkled the blood upon the altar.

And they brought the goats for a sin offering before the king and the congregation, and laid their hands upon them.

And the priests slew them, and purified their blood upon the altar, to make an atonement for all Israel. For the king had commanded to offer burnt offerings and sin offerings for all Israel.

And he set the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, and with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king’s tempter, and of Nathan the prophet: for it was the commandment of the LORD by his prophets.

And the Levites sat with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.

And Hezekiah commanded them to offer burnt offerings upon the altar. And it came to pass about the time that they began to offer the burnt offering, that the song of the LORD began, and the sound of the trumpets, and the sound of many strings of David king of Israel.

And all the congregation worshipped, and the singing of the singers, and the beating of the drums, continued all until the burnt offering was offered.

And when the burnt offering was made, the king bowed himself, and all that were with him, and worshipped.

And king Hezekiah and the princes commanded the Levites to praise the LORD with the song of David, and with the song of Assaph, the showman. And they praised with joy, and bowed themselves, and worshipped.

And Hezekiah answered and said, Now that ye have filled your hands unto the LORD, come near, and bring the sacrifices and the peace offerings unto the house of the LORD. And the congregation brought sacrifices and peace offerings, and every man a freewill offering of the heart.

And the number of the burnt offerings which the congregation offered was threescore and ten oxen, and an hundred rams, and two hundred lambs: all these were for a burnt offering unto the LORD.

And they sanctified six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep.

But the priests were few, and could not skin all the burnt offerings: therefore they took their brethren the Levites, until the work was finished, and the priests sanctified themselves. For the Levites are more easily sanctified than the priests.

And the burnt offerings were many, with the fat of the peace offerings, and the drink offerings with the burnt offerings. So the service of the house of the LORD was finished.

And Hezekiah rejoiced with all the people, because they were ready with God: for it was done speedily.
(2 Chronicles)
Chapter 30
Proclamation and keeping of the Passover.’

And Hezekiah sent unto all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters unto Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD to Jerusalem, to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel.

And the king took counsel with the princes thereof, and with all the congregation that were at Jerusalem, to keep the passover in the second month.

For they could not keep it that day, because the priests were not sanctified enough, and the people were not yet come in multitude to Jerusalem.

And it pleased the king well, and all the congregation,

And they commanded to be proclaimed throughout all Israel, from Beersheba even unto Dan, to come and keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel at Jerusalem: for it was not kept for a long time, as it is written.

And the runners went with the letters by the hand of the king and of his princes throughout all Israel and Judah out of the king’s commandment, saying: Ye children of Israel, turn ye unto the LORD God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Israel, and he will turn unto the remnant that are left of you out of the hand of the kings of Assyria.

And be not ye like your fathers and your brethren, which trespassed against the LORD God of their fathers, and he gave them up to desolation, as ye yourselves see.

Be not stiffnecked therefore, as your fathers were, but give your hand unto the LORD, and come unto his sanctuary, which he hath hallowed for ever, and serve the LORD your God: and the fury of his wrath shall be turned away from you.

For if ye turn unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall have mercy upon them that hold them captive, that they may come again into this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn his face from you, if ye turn unto him.

And the runners went from city to city in the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun: but they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them.

And some of Asher, and Manasseh, and Zebulun, humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem.

And the hand of God came upon Judah, to give them one heart to do according to the commandment of the king, and according to the commandment of the princes, from the word of the LORD.

And there came a great multitude to Jerusalem to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great congregation.

And they arose, and took down the altars that were in Jerusalem, and put away all the incense, and cast it into the brook Kidron.

And they slew the passover on the fourteenth day of the second month. And the priests and the Levites confessed their shame, and sanctified themselves, and brought the burnt offerings unto the house of the LORD.

And they kept their charge according to the law of Moses the man of God. And the priests sprinkled the blood from the hand of the Levites.

For there were many of them in the congregation that had not sanctified themselves: therefore the Levites slew the passover for them that were not clean, that they might be sanctified unto the LORD.

And there were many of the people of Ephraim, and Manasseh, and Issachar, and Zebulun, which were not clean, but did eat the passover, as it is written. For Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The LORD, which is good, will be gracious.

To all who send their hearts to seek God, the Lord, the God of their fathers, and not for the sake of holy purity.

And the LORD hearkened unto Hezekiah, and healed the people.

So the children of Israel that were found at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great joy. And the Levites and the priests praised the LORD all the days with strong singing of the LORD.

And Hezekiah spake heartily unto all the Levites, which had good understanding in the LORD. And they did eat the feast seven days, and offered peace offerings, and gave thanks unto the LORD God of their fathers.

And the whole congregation were counselled to keep seven days more: and they kept the seven days with joy.

For Hezekiah king of Judah gave a tribute for the congregation, a thousand bullocks, and seven thousand sheep. And the princes gave a tribute for the congregation, a thousand bullocks, and ten thousand sheep. So many priests sanctified themselves.

And all the congregation of Judah, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the congregation that were come out of Israel, and the strangers that were come out of the land of Israel, and that dwelt in Judah, rejoiced.

And there was great joy in Jerusalem. For not since the days of Solomon the son of David king of Israel had such things been in Jerusalem.

And the priests and the Levites arose, and blessed the people; and their voice was heard, and their prayer came in before his holy habitation which is in heaven.
(2 Chronicles)
Chapter 31
Abolition of idolatry, provision for the priests and Levites.

And when all these things were made ready, all the children of Israel that were found among the cities of Judah went out, and brake down the pillars, and cut down the groves, and brake down the high places and the altars out of all Judah, and Benjamin, and Ephraim, and Manasseh, until they had made them clean. And the children of Israel returned unto their possession unto their cities.

And Hezekiah set the priests and the Levites in their order, every man according to his service, both of the priests and the Levites, for