Ezechias inviteth all Israel to celebrate the pasch; the solemnity is
kept fourteen days.
30:1. And Ezechias sent to all Israel and Juda: and he wrote letters to
Ephraim and Manasses, that they should come to the house of the Lord in
Jerusalem, and keep the phase to the Lord the God of Israel,
30:2. For the king, taking counsel, and the princes, and all the
assembly of Jerusalem, decreed to keep the phase the second month.
30:3. For they could not keep it in its time; because there were not
priests enough sanctified, and the people was not as yet gathered
together to Jerusalem.
The host of heaven.... The sun, moon, and stars.
30:4. And the thing pleased the king, and all the people.
30:5. And they decreed to send messengers to all Israel from Bersabee
even to Dan, that they should come, and keep the phase to the Lord the
God of Israel in Jerusalem: for many had not kept it as it is
prescribed by the law.
30:6. And the posts went with letters by commandment of the king, and
his princes, to all Israel and Juda, proclaiming according to the
king’s orders: Ye children of Israel, turn again to the Lord the God of
Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Israel: and he will return to the remnant
of you that have escaped the hand of the king of the Assyrians.
30:7. Be not like your fathers, and brethren, who departed from the
Lord the God of their fathers, and he hath given them up to
destruction, as you see.
30:8. Harden not your necks, as your fathers did: yield yourselves to
the Lord, and come to his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified forever:
serve the Lord the God of your fathers, and the wrath of his
indignation shall be turned away from you.
30:9. For if you turn again to the Lord, your brethren, and children
shall find mercy before their masters, that have led them away captive,
and they shall return into this land: for the Lord your God is
merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to
him.
30:10. So the posts went speedily from city to city, through the land
of Ephraim, and of Manasses, even to Zabulon, whilst they laughed at
them and mocked them.
30:11. Nevertheless some men of Aser, and of Manasses, and of Zabulon,
yielding to the counsel, came to Jerusalem.
30:12. But the hand of God was in Juda, to give them one heart to do
the word of the Lord, according to the commandment of the king, and of
the princes.
30:13. And much people were assembled to Jerusalem to celebrate the
solemnity of the unleavened bread in the second month:
30:14. And they arose and destroyed the altars that were in Jerusalem,
and took away all things in which incense was burnt to idols and cast
them into the torrent Cedron.
30:15. And they immolated the phase on the fourteenth day of the second
month. And the priests and the Levites being at length sanctified
offered holocausts in the house of the Lord.
30:16. And they stood in their order according to the disposition and
law of Moses the man of God: but the priests received the blood which
was to be poured out, from the hands of the Levites,
30:17. Because a great number was not sanctified: and therefore the
Levites immolated the phase for them that came not in time to be
sanctified to the Lord.
30:18. For a great part of the people from Ephraim, and Manasses, and
Issachar, and Zabulon, that had not been sanctified, ate the phase
otherwise than it is written: and Ezechias prayed for them, saying: The
Lord who is good will shew mercy,
30:19. To all them, who with their whole heart, seek the Lord the God
of their fathers: and will not impute it to them that they are not
sanctified.
30:20. And the Lord heard him, and was merciful to the people.
30:21. And the children of Israel, that were found at Jerusalem, kept
the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great joy, praising the
Lord every day, the Levites also, and the priests, with instruments
that agreed to their office.
30:22. And Ezechias spoke to the heart of all the Levites, that had
good understanding concerning the Lord: and they ate during the seven
days of the solemnity, immolating victims of peace offerings, and
praising the Lord the God of their fathers.
30:23. And it pleased the whole multitude to keep other seven days:
which they did with great joy.
30:24. For Ezechias the king of Juda had given to the multitude a
thousand bullocks, and seven thousand sheep: and the princes had given
the people a thousand bullocks, and ten thousand sheep: and a great
number of priests was sanctified.
30:25. And all the multitude of Juda with the priests and Levites, and
all the assembly, that came out of Israel; and the proselytes of the
land of Israel, and that dwelt in Juda were full of joy.
30:26. And there was a great solemnity in Jerusalem, such as had not
been in that city since the time of Solomon the son of David king of
Israel.
30:27. And the priests and the Levites rose up and blessed the people:
and their voice was heard: and their prayer came to the holy dwelling
place of heaven.