2 Chronicles 29

1 Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah.

2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done.

3 In the first month of the first year of his reign, Hezekiah opened and repaired the doors of the house of the LORD.

4 Then he brought in the priests and Levites and gathered them in the square on the east side.

5 “Listen to me, O Levites,” he said. “Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the house of the LORD, the God of your fathers. Remove from the Holy Place every impurity.

6 For our fathers were unfaithful and did evil in the sight of the LORD our God. They abandoned Him, turned their faces away from the dwelling place of the LORD, and turned their backs on Him.

7 They also shut the doors of the portico and extinguished the lamps. They did not burn incense or present burnt offerings in the Holy Place of the God of Israel.

8 Therefore, the wrath of the LORD has fallen upon Judah and Jerusalem, and He has made them an object of terror, horror, and scorn, as you can see with your own eyes.

9 For behold, this is why our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and daughters and wives are in captivity.

10 Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the LORD, the God of Israel, so that His fierce anger will turn away from us.

11 Now, my sons, do not be negligent, for the LORD has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, to minister before Him, and to burn incense.”

12 Then the Levites set to work: Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah from the Kohathites; Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel from the Merarites; Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah from the Gershonites;

13 Shimri and Jeuel from the Elizaphanites; Zechariah and Mattaniah from the Asaphites;

14 Jehiel and Shimei from the Hemanites; and Shemaiah and Uzziel from the Jeduthunites.

15 When they had assembled their brothers and consecrated themselves, they went in to cleanse the house of the LORD, according to the command of the king by the words of the LORD.

16 So the priests went inside the house of the LORD to cleanse it, and they brought out to the courtyard all the unclean things that they found in the temple of the LORD. Then the Levites took these things and carried them out to the Kidron Valley.

17 They began the consecration on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they reached the portico of the LORD. For eight more days they consecrated the house of the LORD itself, finishing on the sixteenth day of the first month.

18 Then they went in to King Hezekiah and reported, “We have cleansed the entire house of the LORD, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the table of the showbread with all its utensils.

19 Moreover, we have prepared and consecrated all the articles that King Ahaz in his unfaithfulness cast aside during his reign. They are now in front of the altar of the LORD.”

20 Early the next morning King Hezekiah gathered the city officials and went up to the house of the LORD.

21 They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And the king commanded the priests, the descendants of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the LORD.

22 So they slaughtered the bulls, and the priests took the blood and splattered it on the altar. They slaughtered the rams and splattered the blood on the altar. And they slaughtered the lambs and splattered the blood on the altar.

23 Then they brought the goats for the sin offering before the king and the assembly, who laid their hands on them.

24 And the priests slaughtered the goats and put their blood on the altar for a sin offering, to make atonement for all Israel, because the king had ordered the burnt offering and the sin offering for all Israel.

25 Hezekiah stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, harps, and lyres according to the command of David, of Gad the king’s seer, and of Nathan the prophet. For the command had come from the LORD through His prophets.

26 The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.

27 And Hezekiah ordered that the burnt offering be sacrificed on the altar. When the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD and the trumpets began as well, accompanied by the instruments of David king of Israel.

28 The whole assembly was worshiping, the singers were singing, and the trumpeters were playing. All this continued until the burnt offering was completed.

29 When the offerings were completed, the king and all those present with him bowed down and worshiped.

30 Then King Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to sing praises to the LORD in the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness and bowed down and worshiped.

31 Then Hezekiah said, “Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the LORD, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the house of the LORD.” So the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all whose hearts were willing brought burnt offerings.

32 The number of burnt offerings the assembly brought was seventy bulls, a hundred rams, and two hundred lambs; all these were for a burnt offering to the LORD.

33 And the consecrated offerings were six hundred bulls and three thousand sheep.

34 However, since there were not enough priests to skin all the burnt offerings, their Levite brothers helped them until the work was finished and until the priests had consecrated themselves. For the Levites had been more diligent in consecrating themselves than the priests had been.

35 Furthermore, the burnt offerings were abundant, along with the fat of the peace offerings and the drink offerings for the burnt offerings. So the service of the house of the LORD was established.

36 Then Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced at what God had prepared for the people, because everything had been accomplished so quickly.

1 ¶ Hezekiah began to reign [when he was] five and twenty years old, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name [was] Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah.

2 And he did [that which was] right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done.

3 He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the LORD, and repaired them.

4 And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east street,

5 And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy [place].

6 For our fathers have trespassed, and done [that which was] evil in the eyes of the LORD our God, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the LORD, and turned [their] backs.

7 Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy [place] unto the God of Israel.

8 Wherefore the wrath of the LORD was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing, as ye see with your eyes.

9 For, lo, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives [are] in captivity for this.

10 Now [it is] in mine heart to make a covenant with the LORD God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us.

11 My sons, be not now negligent: for the LORD hath chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that ye should minister unto him, and burn incense.

12 ¶ Then the Levites arose, Mahath the son of Amasai, and Joel the son of Azariah, of the sons of the Kohathites: and of the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi, and Azariah the son of Jehalelel: and of the Gershonites; Joah the son of Zimmah, and Eden the son of Joah:

13 And of the sons of Elizaphan; Shimri, and Jeiel: and of the sons of Asaph; Zechariah, and Mattaniah:

14 And of the sons of Heman; Jehiel, and Shimei: and of the sons of Jeduthun; Shemaiah, and Uzziel.

15 And they gathered their brethren, and sanctified themselves, and came, according to the commandment of the king, by the words of the LORD, to cleanse the house of the LORD.

16 And the priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD, to cleanse [it], and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the LORD into the court of the house of the LORD. And the Levites took [it], to carry [it] out abroad into the brook Kidron.

17 Now they began on the first [day] of the first month to sanctify, and on the eighth day of the month came they to the porch of the LORD: so they sanctified the house of the LORD in eight days; and in the sixteenth day of the first month they made an end.

18 Then they went in to Hezekiah the king, and said, We have cleansed all the house of the LORD, and the altar of burnt offering, with all the vessels thereof, and the shewbread table, with all the vessels thereof.

19 Moreover all the vessels, which king Ahaz in his reign did cast away in his transgression, have we prepared and sanctified, and, behold, they [are] before the altar of the LORD.

20 ¶ Then Hezekiah the king rose early, and gathered the rulers of the city, and went up to the house of the LORD.

21 And they brought seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven he goats, for a sin offering for the kingdom, and for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And he commanded the priests the sons of Aaron to offer [them] on the altar of the LORD.

22 So they killed the bullocks, and the priests received the blood, and sprinkled [it] on the altar: likewise, when they had killed the rams, they sprinkled the blood upon the altar: they killed also the lambs, and they sprinkled the blood upon the altar.

23 And they brought forth the he goats [for] the sin offering before the king and the congregation; and they laid their hands upon them:

24 And the priests killed them, and they made reconciliation with their blood upon the altar, to make an atonement for all Israel: for the king commanded [that] the burnt offering and the sin offering [should be made] for all Israel.

25 And he set the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king's seer, and Nathan the prophet: for [so was] the commandment of the LORD by his prophets.

26 And the Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.

27 And Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt offering upon the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD began [also] with the trumpets, and with the instruments [ordained] by David king of Israel.

28 And all the congregation worshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded: [and] all [this continued] until the burnt offering was finished.

29 And when they had made an end of offering, the king and all that were present with him bowed themselves, and worshipped.

30 Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the LORD with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped.

31 Then Hezekiah answered and said, Now ye have consecrated yourselves unto the LORD, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the LORD. And the congregation brought in sacrifices and thank offerings; and as many as were of a free heart burnt offerings.

32 And the number of the burnt offerings, which the congregation brought, was threescore and ten bullocks, an hundred rams, [and] two hundred lambs: all these [were] for a burnt offering to the LORD.

33 And the consecrated things [were] six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep.

34 But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt offerings: wherefore their brethren the Levites did help them, till the work was ended, and until the [other] priests had sanctified themselves: for the Levites [were] more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests.

35 And also the burnt offerings [were] in abundance, with the fat of the peace offerings, and the drink offerings for [every] burnt offering. So the service of the house of the LORD was set in order.

36 And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that God had prepared the people: for the thing was [done] suddenly.

1 Jehizkiah was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abijah, a daughter of Zechariah.

2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, as did David his father.

3 He opened the doors of the house of the LORD in the first month of the first year of his kingdom, and fastened them.

4 And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and assembled them in the broad street toward the east.

5 And said unto them: Hearken unto me, ye Levites. Sanctify yourselves therefore, that ye sanctify the house of the LORD your God's fathers, and put away the filth from off the sanctuary.

6 For our fathers have transgressed, and done evil in the sight of the LORD our God, and have forsaken him. For they have turned away their faces from the tabernacle of the LORD, and have turned their backs;

7 And they shut the door of the hall, and put out the lamps, and burned no incense, nor offered burnt offerings in the sanctuary unto the God of Israel.

8 Therefore the wrath of the LORD is come upon Judah and Jerusalem, and hath given them to be scattered, and to be desolate, to be whistled at, as ye see with your eyes.

9 For, behold, for this cause our fathers fell by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives were carried away.

10 Now it is in my mind to make a covenant with the LORD God of Israel, that his wrath and his fury may turn from us.

11 Now therefore, my sons, be not negligent: for the LORD hath chosen you to stand before him, and to be his ministers and incense burners.

12 And the Levites arose: Mahath the son of Amasai, and Joel the son of Azariah, of the children of the Kohathites: and of the children of Meran, Kish the son of Abdi, and Azariah the son of Jehaleleel: and of the children of the Gershonites, Joab the son of Shimmah, and Eden the son of Joah;

13 And of the sons of Elizaphan, Zimri and Jeiel; and of the sons of Asaph, Zechariah and Mathaniah;

14 And of the sons of Heman, Jehiel and Shimei: and of the sons of Jeduthun, Shemaiah and Uzziel.

15 And they gathered their brethren together, and sanctified themselves, and went in according to the king's commandment by the word of the LORD, to cleanse the house of the LORD.

16 And the priests went in within the house of the LORD to cleanse it, and put all the uncleanness that was found in the temple of the LORD into the court of the house of the LORD: and the Levites took it up, and carried it out into the brook Kidron.

17 And they began to sanctify themselves on the first day of the first month: and on the eighth day of the month they entered into the hall of the LORD, and sanctified the house of the LORD eight days, and finished it on the sixteenth day of the first month.

18 And they went in unto king Hezekiah, and said: We have cleansed all the house of the LORD, the altar of burnt offering, and all his vessels, the table of shewbread, and all his vessels.

19 And all the vessels which Ahaz the king, when he was king, cast away, when he sinned, we have prepared and sanctified; behold, they are before the altar of the LORD.

20 And king Hezekiah rose up early, and gathered the princes of the city together, and went up to the house of the LORD.

21 And they brought seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven kids of the goats, for a sin offering for the kingdom, and for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And he spake unto the priests the sons of Aaron, that they should offer upon the altar of the LORD.

22 And they slew the oxen, and the priests took the blood, and sprinkled it upon the altar; and slew the rams, and sprinkled the blood upon the altar; and slew the lambs, and sprinkled the blood upon the altar.

23 And they brought the goats for a sin offering before the king and the congregation, and laid their hands upon them.

24 And the priests slew them, and purified their blood upon the altar, to make an atonement for all Israel. For the king had commanded to offer burnt offerings and sin offerings for all Israel.

25 And he set the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, and with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king's tempter, and of Nathan the prophet: for it was the commandment of the LORD by his prophets.

26 And the Levites sat with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.

27 And Hezekiah commanded them to offer burnt offerings upon the altar. And it came to pass about the time that they began to offer the burnt offering, that the song of the LORD began, and the sound of the trumpets, and the sound of many strings of David king of Israel.

28 And all the congregation worshipped, and the singing of the singers, and the beating of the drums, continued all until the burnt offering was offered.

29 And when the burnt offering was made, the king bowed himself, and all that were with him, and worshipped.

30 And king Hezekiah and the princes commanded the Levites to praise the LORD with the song of David, and with the song of Assaph, the showman. And they praised with joy, and bowed themselves, and worshipped.

31 And Hezekiah answered and said, Now that ye have filled your hands unto the LORD, come near, and bring the sacrifices and the peace offerings unto the house of the LORD. And the congregation brought sacrifices and peace offerings, and every man a freewill offering of the heart.

32 And the number of the burnt offerings which the congregation offered was threescore and ten oxen, and an hundred rams, and two hundred lambs: all these were for a burnt offering unto the LORD.

33 And they sanctified six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep.

34 But the priests were few, and could not skin all the burnt offerings: therefore they took their brethren the Levites, until the work was finished, and the priests sanctified themselves. For the Levites are more easily sanctified than the priests.

35 And the burnt offerings were many, with the fat of the peace offerings, and the drink offerings with the burnt offerings. So the service of the house of the LORD was finished.

36 And Hezekiah rejoiced with all the people, because they were ready with God: for it was done speedily.