2 Chronicles 30:9–20

9 If you returnb to the Lord, then your fellow Israelites and your children will be shown compassionc by their captors and will return to this land, for the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate.d He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.”

10 The couriers went from town to town in Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun, but people scorned and ridiculede them. 11 Nevertheless, some from Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbledf themselves and went to Jerusalem.g 12 Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to give them unityh of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had ordered, following the word of the Lord.

13 A very large crowd of people assembled in Jerusalem to celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Breadi in the second month. 14 They removed the altarsj in Jerusalem and cleared away the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley.k

15 They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed and consecratedl themselves and brought burnt offerings to the temple of the Lord. 16 Then they took up their regular positionsm as prescribed in the Law of Moses the man of God. The priests splashed against the altar the blood handed to them by the Levites. 17 Since many in the crowd had not consecrated themselves, the Levites had to killn the Passover lambs for all those who were not ceremonially clean and could not consecrate their lambsa to the Lord. 18 Although most of the many people who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not purified themselves,o yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the Lord, who is good, pardon everyone 19 who sets their heart on seeking God—the Lord, the God of their ancestors—even if they are not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary.” 20 And the Lord heardp Hezekiah and healedq the people.r