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¹ And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of Yahweh at Jerusalem, to keep the passover to Yahweh, the God of Israel.² For the king had taken counsel, and his princes, and all the assembly in Jerusalem, to keep the passover in the second month.³ For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.⁴ And the thing was right in the eyes of the king and of all the assembly.⁵ So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beer-sheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the passover to Yahweh, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem: for they had not kept it in great numbers in such sort as it is written.⁶ So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, You sons of Israel, turn again to Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that he may return to the remnant that have escaped of you out of the hand of the kings of Assyria.⁷ And don't be like your fathers, and like your brothers, who trespassed against Yahweh, the God of their fathers, so that he gave them up to desolation, as you see.⁸ Now don't be stiff-necked, as your fathers were; but yield yourselves to Yahweh, and enter into his sanctuary, which he has sanctified forever, and serve Yahweh your God, that his fierce anger may turn away from you.⁹ For if you turn again to Yahweh, your brothers and your sons shall find compassion before those that led them captive, and shall come again into this land: for Yahweh your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him.¹⁰ So the posts passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, even to Zebulun: but they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them.¹¹ Nevertheless certain men of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem.¹² Also on Judah came the hand of God to give them one heart, to do the commandment of the king and of the princes by the word of Yahweh.

¹³ And there assembled at Jerusalem many people to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great assembly.¹⁴ And they arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for incense they took away, and cast them into the brook Kidron.¹⁵ Then they killed the passover on the fourteenth [day] of the second month: and the priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought burnt-offerings into the house of Yahweh.¹⁶ And they stood in their place after their order, according to the law of Moses the man of God: the priests sprinkled the blood [which they received] of the hand of the Levites.¹⁷ For there were many in the assembly that had not sanctified themselves: therefore the Levites had the charge of killing the passovers for every one that wasn't clean, to sanctify them to Yahweh.¹⁸ For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the passover otherwise than it is written. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, The good Yahweh pardon every one¹⁹ that sets his heart to seek God, Yahweh, the God of his fathers, though [he is] not [cleansed] according to the purification of the sanctuary.²⁰ And Yahweh listened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.

²¹ And the sons of Israel that were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness; and the Levites and the priests praised Yahweh day by day, [singing] with loud instruments to Yahweh.²² And Hezekiah spoke comfortably to all the Levites that had good understanding [in the service] of Yahweh. So they ate throughout the feast for the seven days, offering sacrifices of peace-offerings, and making confession to Yahweh, the God of their fathers.²³ And the whole assembly took counsel to keep another seven days; and they kept [another] seven days with gladness.²⁴ For Hezekiah king of Judah gave to the assembly for offerings a thousand bullocks and seven thousand sheep; and the princes gave to the assembly a thousand bullocks and ten thousand sheep: and a great number of priests sanctified themselves.²⁵ And all the assembly of Judah, with the priests and the Levites, and all the assembly that came out of Israel, and the sojourners that came out of the land of Israel, and that dwelt in Judah, rejoiced.²⁶ So there was great joy in Jerusalem; for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was not the like in Jerusalem.²⁷ Then the Levitical priests arose and blessed the people: and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy habitation, even to heaven.