2 Chronicles 30:2–15

²For the king and his officials and the entire congregation in Jerusalem decided to observe the Passover of the Lord in the second month, ^j3because they were not able to observe it at the appropriate time. Not enough of the priests had consecrated themselves ^kand the people hadn’t been gathered together in Jerusalem. ⁴The proposal pleased the king and the congregation, ⁵so they affirmed the proposal and spread the message throughout all Israel, from Beer-sheba to Dan, ^lto come to observe the Passover of Yahweh, the God of Israel in Jerusalem, for they hadn’t observed it often, ^mas prescribed. ⁿ

⁶So the couriers ^owent throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the hand of the king and his officials, and according to the king’s command, saying, “Israelites, return to Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel so that He may return to those of you who remain, who have escaped from the grasp of the kings of Assyria. ^p7Don’t be like your fathers and your brothers who were unfaithful to Yahweh, the God of their ancestors ^qso that He made them an object of horror ^ras you yourselves see. ⁸Don’t become obstinate ^stnow like your fathers did. Give your allegiance ^uto Yahweh, and come to His sanctuary that He has consecrated forever. Serve the Lord your God so that He may turn His burning anger away from you, ^v9for when you return to Yahweh, your brothers and your sons will receive mercy in the presence of their captors and will return to this land. ^wFor Yahweh your God is gracious and merciful; ^xHe will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him.”

¹⁰The couriers traveled from city to city in the land of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun, but the inhabitants ^ylaughed at them and mocked them. ^z11But some from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. ^a12Also, the power of God was at work in Judah to unite them ^bto carry out the command of the king and his officials by the word of the Lord.

¹³A very large assembly of people was gathered in Jerusalem to observe the Festival of Unleavened Bread in the second month. ¹⁴They proceeded to take away the altars that were in Jerusalem, ^cand they took away the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley. ^d15They slaughtered the Passover lamb ^eon the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and Levites were ashamed, and they consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the Lord’s temple.