2Chr 29
1
Hezekiah began to reign when he was five and twenty years old; and he reigned nine
and twenty years in Jerusalem: and his mother`s name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah.
2
And he did that which was right in the eyes of YHWH, according to all that David his
father had done.
3
He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house
of YHWH, and repaired them.
4
And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the
broad place on the east,
5
and said to them, Hear me, you Levites; now sanctify yourselves, and sanctify the
house of YHWH, the God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the
holy place.
6
For our fathers have trespassed, and done that which was evil in the sight of YHWH
our God, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation
of YHWH, and turned their backs.
7
Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not
burned incense nor offered burnt-offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel.
8
Wherefore the anger of YHWH was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he has delivered them
to be tossed to and fro, to be an astonishment, and a hissing, as you see with your
eyes.
9
For, behold, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters
and our wives are in captivity for this.
10
Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with YHWH, the God of Israel, that his fierce
anger may turn away from us.
11
My sons, be not now negligent; for YHWH has chosen you to stand before him, to minister
to him, and that you should be his ministers, and burn incense.
12
Then the Levites arose, Mahath, the son of Amasai, and Joel the son of Azariah, of
the sons of the Kohathites; and of the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi, and Azariah
the son of Jehallelel; and of the Gershonites, Joah the son of Zimmah, and Eden the
son of Joah;
13
and of the sons of Elizaphan, Shimri and Jeuel; and of the sons of Asaph, Zechariah
and Mattaniah;
14
and of the sons of Heman, Jehuel and Shimei; and of the sons of Jeduthun, Shemaiah
and Uzziel.
15
And they gathered their brethren, and sanctified themselves, and went in, according
to the commandment of the king by the words of YHWH, to cleanse the house of YHWH.
16
And the priests went in to the inner part of the house of YHWH, to cleanse it, and
brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of YHWH into the court
of the house of YHWH. And the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad to the brook
Kidron.
17
Now they began on the first [day] of the first month to sanctify, and on the eighth
day of the month came they to the porch of YHWH; and they sanctified the house of
YHWH in eight days: and on the sixteenth day of the first month they made an end.
18
Then they went in to Hezekiah the king within [the palace], and said, We have cleansed
all the house of YHWH, and the altar of burnt-offering, with all its vessels,
and the table of showbread, with all its vessels.
19
Moreover all the vessels, which king Ahaz in his reign did cast away when he trespassed,
have we prepared and sanctified; and, behold, they are before the altar of YHWH.
20
Then Hezekiah the king arose early, and gathered the princes of the city, and went
up to the house of YHWH.
21
And they brought seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven he-goats,
for a sin-offering for the kingdom and for the sanctuary and for Judah. And he commanded
the priests the sons of Aaron to offer them on the altar of YHWH.
22
So they killed the bullocks, and the priests received the blood, and sprinkled it
on the altar: and they killed the rams, and sprinkled the blood upon the altar: they
killed also the lambs, and sprinkled the blood upon the altar.
23
And they brought near the he-goats for the sin-offering before the king and the assembly;
and they laid their hands upon them:
24
and the priests killed them, and they made a sin-offering with their blood upon the
altar, to make atonement for all Israel; for the king commanded [that] the burnt-offering
and the sin-offering [should be made] for all Israel.
25
And he set the Levites in the house of YHWH with cymbals, with psalteries, and with
harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king`s seer, and Nathan
the prophet; for the commandment was of YHWH by his prophets.
26
And the Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.
27
And Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt-offering upon the altar. And when the burnt-offering
began, the song of YHWH began also, and the trumpets, together with the instruments
of David king of Israel.
28
And all the assembly worshiped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded;
all this [continued] until the burnt-offering was finished.
29
And when they had made an end of offering, the king and all that were present with
him bowed themselves and worshiped.
30
Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praises to
YHWH with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness,
and they bowed their heads and worshiped.
31
Then Hezekiah answered and said, Now you have consecrated yourselves to YHWH; come
near and bring sacrifices and thank-offerings into the house of YHWH. And the assembly
brought in sacrifices and thank-offerings; and as many as were of a willing heart
[brought] burnt-offerings.
32
And the number of the burnt-offerings which the assembly brought was threescore and
ten bullocks, a hundred rams, and two hundred lambs: all these were for a burnt-offering
to YHWH.
33
And the consecrated things were six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep.
34
But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt-offerings:
wherefore their brethren the Levites did help them, till the work was ended, and until
the priests had sanctified themselves; for the Levites were more upright in heart
to sanctify themselves than the priests.
35
And also the burnt-offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace-offerings,
and with the drink-offerings for every burnt-offering. So the service of the house
of YHWH was set in order.
36
And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, because of that which God had prepared
for the people: for the thing was done suddenly.