^30:1Hezekiah sent messages throughout Israel and Judah; he even wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, summoning them to come to the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem¹ and observe a Passover celebration for the Lord God of Israel. ^30:2The king, his officials, and the entire assembly in Jerusalem decided to observe the Passover in the second month. ^30:3They were unable to observe it at the regular² time because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not assembled in Jerusalem. ^30:4The proposal seemed appropriate to³ the king and the entire assembly. ^30:5So they sent an edict⁴ throughout Israel from Beer Sheba to Dan, summoning the people⁵ to come and observe a Passover for the Lord God of Israel in Jerusalem, for they had not observed it on a nationwide scale as prescribed in the law.⁶^30:6Messengers⁷ delivered the letters from the king and his officials throughout Israel and Judah.

This royal edict read:⁸ “O Israelites, return to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so he may return⁹ to you who have been spared from the kings of Assyria.¹⁰^30:7Don’t be like your fathers and brothers who were unfaithful to the Lord God of their ancestors,¹¹ provoking him to destroy them,¹² as you can see. ^30:8Now, don’t be stubborn¹³ like your fathers! Submit¹⁴ to the Lord and come to his sanctuary which he has permanently consecrated. Serve the Lord your God so that he might relent from his raging anger.¹⁵^30:9For if you return to the Lord, your brothers and sons will be shown mercy by their captors and return to this land. The Lord your God is merciful and compassionate; he will not reject you¹⁶ if you return to him.”

^30:10The messengers journeyed from city to city through the land of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun, but people mocked and ridiculed them.¹⁷^30:11But some men from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. ^30:12In Judah God moved the people to unite and carry out the edict the king and the officers had issued at the Lord’s command.¹⁸^30:13A huge crowd assembled in Jerusalem to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month.¹⁹^30:14They removed the altars in Jerusalem; they also removed all the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley.²⁰

^30:15They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and Levites were ashamed, so they consecrated themselves and brought burnt sacrifices to the Lord’s temple. ^30:16They stood at their posts according to the regulations outlined in the law of Moses, the man of God. The priests were splashing the blood as the Levites handed it to them.²¹^30:17Because many in the assembly had not consecrated themselves, the Levites slaughtered²² the Passover lambs of all who were ceremonially unclean and could not consecrate their sacrifice to the Lord.²³^30:18The majority of the many people from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun were ceremonially unclean, yet they ate the Passover in violation of what is prescribed in the law.²⁴ For Hezekiah prayed for them, saying: “May the Lord, who is good, forgive²⁵^30:19everyone who has determined to follow God,²⁶ the Lord God of his ancestors, even if he is not ceremonially clean according to the standards of the temple.”²⁷^30:20The Lord responded favorably²⁸ to Hezekiah and forgave²⁹ the people.

^30:21The Israelites who were in Jerusalem observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy. The Levites and priests were praising the Lord every day with all their might.³⁰^30:22Hezekiah expressed his appreciation to all the Levites,³¹ who demonstrated great skill in serving the Lord.³² They feasted for the seven days of the festival,³³ and were making peace offerings and giving thanks to the Lord God of their ancestors.

^30:23The entire assembly then decided to celebrate for seven more days; so they joyfully celebrated for seven more days. ^30:24King Hezekiah of Judah supplied 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep³⁴ for the assembly, while the officials supplied them³⁵ with 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep. Many priests consecrated themselves. ^30:25The celebration included³⁶ the entire assembly of Judah, the priests, the Levites, the entire assembly of those who came from Israel, the resident foreigners who came from the land of Israel, and the residents of Judah. ^30:26There was a great celebration in Jerusalem, unlike anything that had occurred in Jerusalem since the time of King Solomon son of David of Israel.³⁷^30:27The priests and Levites got up and pronounced blessings on the people. The Lord responded favorably to them³⁸ as their prayers reached his holy dwelling place in heaven.

^31:1When all this was over, the Israelites¹ who were in the cities of Judah went out and smashed the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherah poles, and demolished² all the high places and altars throughout Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh.³ Then all the Israelites returned to their own homes in their cities.⁴

The People Contribute to the Temple

^31:2Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and Levites to do their assigned tasks⁵—to offer burnt sacrifices and present offerings and to serve, give thanks, and offer praise in the gates of the Lord’s sanctuary.⁶

^31:3The king contributed⁷ some of what he owned for burnt sacrifices, including the morning and evening burnt sacrifices and the burnt sacrifices made on Sabbaths, new moon festivals, and at other appointed times prescribed⁸ in the law of the Lord. ^31:4He ordered⁹ the people living in Jerusalem¹⁰ to contribute the portion prescribed for the priests and Levites so they might be obedient¹¹ to the law of the Lord. ^31:5When the edict was issued,¹² the Israelites freely contributed¹³ the initial portion of their grain, wine, olive oil, honey, and all the produce of their fields. They brought a tenth of everything, which added up to a huge amount. ^31:6The Israelites and people of Judah¹⁴ who lived in the cities of Judah also contributed a tenth of their cattle and sheep, as well as a tenth of the holy items consecrated to the Lord their God. They brought them and placed them in many heaps.¹⁵^31:7In the third month they began piling their contributions in heaps¹⁶ and finished in the seventh month. ^31:8When Hezekiah and the officials came and saw the heaps, they praised the Lord and pronounced blessings on his people Israel.¹⁷

^31:9When Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the heaps, ^31:10Azariah, the head priest from the family of Zadok, said to him, “Since the contributions began arriving in the Lord’s temple, we have had plenty to eat and have a large quantity left over. For the Lord has blessed his people, and this large amount remains.” ^31:11Hezekiah ordered that storerooms be prepared in the Lord’s temple. When this was done,¹⁸^31:12they brought in the contributions, tithes,¹⁹ and consecrated items that had been offered.²⁰ Konaniah, a Levite, was in charge of all this, assisted by his brother Shimei. ^31:13Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismakiah, Mahath, and Benaiah worked under the supervision of Konaniah and his brother Shimei, as directed by King Hezekiah and Azariah, the supervisor of God’s temple.

^31:14Kore son of Imnah, a Levite and the guard on the east side, was in charge of the voluntary offerings made to God and disbursed the contributions made to the Lord and the consecrated items. ^31:15In the cities of the priests, Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah faithfully assisted him in making disbursements to their fellow priests²¹ according to their divisions, regardless of age.²²^31:16They made disbursements to all the males three years old and up who were listed in the genealogical records—to all who would enter the Lord’s temple to serve on a daily basis and fulfill their duties as assigned to their divisions.²³^31:17They made disbursements to the priests listed in the genealogical records by their families, and to the Levites twenty years old and up, according to their duties as assigned to their divisions, ^31:18and to all the infants, wives, sons, and daughters of the entire assembly listed in the genealogical records, for they faithfully consecrated themselves. ^31:19As for the descendants of Aaron, the priests who lived in the outskirts of all their cities,²⁴ men were assigned²⁵ to disburse portions to every male among the priests and to every Levite listed in the genealogical records.

^31:20This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah. He did what the Lord his God considered good and right and faithful. ^31:21He wholeheartedly and successfully reinstituted service in God’s temple and obedience to the law, in order to follow his God.²⁶

Sennacherib Invades Judah

^32:1After these faithful deeds were accomplished, King Sennacherib of Assyria invaded Judah. He besieged the fortified cities, intending to seize them.¹^32:2When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had invaded and intended to attack Jerusalem,²^32:3he consulted with his advisers and military officers about stopping up the springs³ outside the city, and they supported him. ^32:4A large number of people gathered together and stopped up all the springs and the stream that flowed through the district.⁴ They reasoned,⁵ “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find plenty of water?” ^32:5Hezekiah⁶ energetically rebuilt⁷ every broken wall. He erected towers and an outer wall,⁸ and fortified the terrace of the City of David.⁹ He made many weapons and shields.

^32:6He appointed military officers over the army¹⁰ and assembled them in the square at the city gate. He encouraged them,¹¹ saying, ^32:7“Be strong and brave! Don’t be afraid and don’t panic¹² because of the king of Assyria and this huge army that is with him! We have with us one who is stronger than those who are with him.¹³^32:8He has with him mere human strength,¹⁴ but the Lord our God is with us to help us and fight our battles!” The army¹⁵ was encouraged by the…

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Footnotes

1 For location see ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; .
2 Heb “at that time.”
3 Heb “and the thing was proper in the eyes of.”
4 Heb “and they caused to stand a word to cause a voice to pass through.”
5 The words “summoning the people” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
6 Heb “because not for abundance had they done as written.”
7 Heb “the runners.”
8 Heb “and according to the command of the king, saying.”
9 The jussive with vav conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
10 Heb “to the survivors who are left to you from the palm of the kings of Assyria.”
11 Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 19, 22).
12 Heb “and he made them a devastation” (or, perhaps, “an object of horror”).
13 Heb “don’t stiffen your neck” (a Hebrew idiom for being stubborn).
14 Heb “give a hand.” On the meaning of the idiom here, see I יָד 2.
15 Heb “so that the rage of his anger might turn from you.” The jussive with vav conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
16 Heb “turn [his] face from you.”
17 Heb “and they were mocking them and ridiculing them.”
18 Heb “also in Judah the hand of God was to give to them one heart to do the command of the king and the officials by the word of the Lord.”
19 The Hebrew text adds here, “a very large assembly.” This has not been translated to avoid redundancy with the expression “a huge crowd” at the beginning of the verse.
20 Heb “and they arose and removed the altars which were in Jerusalem, and all the incense altars they removed and threw into the Kidron Valley.”
21 Heb “from the hand of the Levites.”
22 Heb “were over the slaughter of.”
23 Heb “of everyone not pure to consecrate to the Lord.”
24 Heb “without what is written.”
25 Heb “make atonement for.”
26 Heb “everyone [who] has prepared his heart to seek God.”
27 Heb “and not according to the purification of the holy place.”
28 Heb “listened.”
29 Heb “healed.”
30 Heb “and they were praising the Lord day by day, the Levites and the priests with instruments of strength to the Lord.” The phrase בִּכְלֵי־עֹז (bikhley-’oz, “with instruments of strength”) might refer to loud sounding musical instruments ( “with loud instruments”; “with unrestrained fervour”). The present translation assumes an emendation to בְּכָל־עֹז (békhol-’oz, “with all strength”); see 1 Chr 13:8, as well as I עֹז and 739 עֹז).
31 Heb “and Hezekiah spoke to the heart of all the Levites.” On the meaning of the idiom “speak to the heart of” here, see II דבר 8.d.
32 Heb “who demonstrated skill [with] good skill for the Lord.”
33 Heb “and they ate [during] the appointed time [for] seven days.” מוֹעֵד (mo’ed, “appointed time”) is probably an adverbial accusative of time referring to the festival. However, some understand it as metonymically referring to the food eaten during the festival. See 417
34 The Hebrew term צֹאן (ts’on, translated “sheep” twice in this verse) denotes smaller livestock in general; depending on context it can refer to sheep only or goats only, but their is nothing in the immediate context here to specify one or the other.
35 Heb “the assembly.” The pronoun “them” has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy.
36 Heb “they rejoiced.”
37 Heb “and there was great joy in Jerusalem, for from the days of Solomon son of David, king of Israel, there was nothing like this in Jerusalem.”
38 Heb “and it was heard with their voice.” 1034 שָׁמַע Niph.4 interprets this to mean “hearing was granted to their voice.” It is possible that the name יְהוָה (yéhvah, “the Lord”) has been accidentally omitted.
1 Heb “all Israel.”
2 Or “tore down.”
3 Heb “the high places and the altars from all Judah and Benjamin and in Ephraim and in Manasseh until finished.”
4 Heb “and the sons of Israel returned, each to his possession to their cities.”
5 Heb “and Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites according to their divisions, each in accordance with his service for the priests and for the Levites.”
6 Heb “in the gates of the encampments of the Lord.”
7 Heb “the portion of the king [was].”
8 Heb “as written.”
9 Heb “said to.”
10 For location see ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; .
11 Heb “might hold firmly.”
12 Heb “and when the word spread out.”
13 Heb “the sons of Israel multiplied.”
14 Heb “and the sons of Israel and Judah.”
15 Heb “heaps, heaps.” Repetition of the noun draws attention to the large number of heaps.
16 Heb “they began the heaps, to establish.”
17 Heb “they blessed the Lord and his people Israel.”
18 Heb “and they prepared.”
19 Heb “tenth.”
20 Heb “and holy things in faithfulness.”
21 Heb “to their brothers.”
22 Heb “like great, like small” (i.e., old and young alike).
23 Heb “in addition enrolling them by males from a son of three years and upwards, to everyone who enters the house of the Lord for a matter of a day in its day, for their service by their duties according to their divisions.”
24 Heb “the priests in the fields of the pastureland of their cities in every city and city.”
25 Heb “designated by names.”
26 Heb “and in all the work which he began with regard to the service of the house of God and with respect to the law and with respect to the commandment, to seek his God; with all his heart he acted and he succeeded.”
1 Heb “and he said to break into them for himself.”
2 Heb “and his face was for war against Jerusalem.” For location see ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; .
3 Heb “the waters of the springs.”
4 Heb “and they closed up all the springs and the stream that flows in the midst of the land.” Here אָרֶץ (’arets, “land”) does not refer to the entire land, but to a smaller region like a district.
5 Heb “land, saying.”
6 Heb “he”; the referent (Hezekiah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
7 Heb “strengthened himself and built.”
8 Heb “and outside the wall another one.”
9 The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
10 Heb “and he placed officers of war over the people.”
11 Heb “he spoke to their heart[s].”
12 Or perhaps, “and don’t be discouraged.”
13 Heb “for with us [is] a greater [one] than with him.”
14 Heb “With him is an arm of flesh.”
15 Or “people.”