1Hezekiah sent messengers throughout all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, inviting them to come to Yahweh's temple in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover to Yahweh, the God of Israel.
2The king and all the people in Jerusalem had decided to celebrate the Passover in the second month.
3They couldn't celebrate it at the usual time because not enough priests had purified themselves, and the people had not gathered in Jerusalem.
4The king and all the people agreed that this was the right thing to do.
5So they issued a decree to announce throughout all Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, that everyone should come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover to Yahweh, the God of Israel, because they had not celebrated it in the large numbers as required.
6So messengers, carrying letters from the king and his leaders, went throughout all Israel and Judah. According to the king's command, they said, "Children of Israel, return to Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that he may return to the few of you who have escaped from the power of the kings of Assyria.
7Do not be like your ancestors and your relatives, who were unfaithful to Yahweh, the God of their fathers, which is why he made them a desolate ruin, as you yourselves can see.
8Now, do not be stubborn, like your ancestors were. Instead, surrender to Yahweh, come into his holy place, which he has set apart forever, and serve Yahweh your God, so that his fierce anger may turn away from you.
9For if you return to Yahweh, your relatives and your children will find compassion from those who took them captive, and they will return to this land. For Yahweh your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn his face away from you if you return to him."
10So the messengers traveled from city to city through the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and even to Zebulun, but the people ridiculed and mocked them.
11Nevertheless, some people from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.
12Also, God's power came upon Judah, giving them one mind to obey the command of the king and the leaders, as Yahweh had intended.
13A large crowd gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month; it was a very big assembly.
14They got up and removed the altars in Jerusalem. They also took away all the altars used for burning incense and threw them into the Kidron Brook.
15Then, on the fourteenth day of the second month, they sacrificed the Passover lamb. The priests and Levites felt ashamed, purified themselves, and brought burnt offerings to Yahweh's house.
16They stood in their assigned places, following the law given by Moses, the man of God. The priests sprinkled the blood they received from the Levites.
17Many people in the assembly had not purified themselves. Because of this, the Levites were responsible for sacrificing the Passover lambs for everyone who was not ceremonially clean, to make them holy for Yahweh.
18A huge number of people, including many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover in a way that was not written in the Law. However, Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, "May the good Yahweh forgive everyone
19who sincerely tries to seek God, Yahweh, the God of their ancestors, even if they aren't clean according to the purification rules of the temple."
20Yahweh listened to Hezekiah and healed the people.
21The Israelites who were present in Jerusalem joyfully celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days. The Levites and priests praised Yahweh every day, singing with loud musical instruments.
22Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who were skilled in serving Yahweh. So, they ate throughout the seven-day feast, offering peace offerings and giving thanks to Yahweh, the God of their ancestors.
23The entire assembly decided to celebrate for another seven days, and they joyfully did so.
24King Hezekiah of Judah gave the assembly 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep for offerings. The leaders gave the assembly 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep. Many priests also purified themselves.
25Everyone in the assembly of Judah, along with the priests and Levites, all the people who had come from Israel, and the foreigners who had come from the land of Israel and were living in Judah, rejoiced.
26There was great joy in Jerusalem, because nothing like this had happened in Jerusalem since the time of Solomon, King David's son.
27Then the Levite priests stood up and blessed the people. Their voices were heard, and their prayer reached His holy dwelling place, even heaven itself.