| 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 eyes of Jehovah, 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 Jehovah, and repaired them. 4 And he brought in the priests and
the Levites, and gathered them together into the broad place on the east,
5 and said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites; now sanctify yourselves, and
sanctify the house of Jehovah, the 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 sight of Jehovah our God, and have forsaken
him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of Jehovah, 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 Jehovah
was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to be tossed to and
fro, to be an astonishment, and a 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 my
heart to make a covenant with Jehovah, the God of Israel, that his fierce
anger may turn away from us. 11 My sons, be not now negligent; for Jehovah
hath chosen you to stand before him, to minister unto him, and that ye should
be his ministers, 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
Jehallelel; and of the Gershonites, Joah the son of Zimmah, and Eden the son
of Joah; 13 and of the sons of Elizaphan, Shimri and Jeuel; and of the
sons of Asaph, Zechariah and Mattaniah; 14 and of the sons of Heman,
Jehuel and Shimei; and of the sons of Jeduthun, Shemaiah and Uzziel.
15 And they gathered their brethren, and sanctified themselves, and went
in, according to the commandment of the king by the words of Jehovah, to
cleanse the house of Jehovah. 16 And the priests went in unto the inner
part of the house of Jehovah, to cleanse it, and brought out all the
uncleanness that they found in the temple of Jehovah into the court of the
house of Jehovah. And the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad to 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 Jehovah; and they sanctified the house of Jehovah in eight days: and on
the sixteenth day of the first month they made an end. 18 Then they went
in to Hezekiah the king within the palace, and said, We have cleansed
all the house of Jehovah, and the altar of burnt-offering, with all the
vessels thereof, and the table of showbread, with all the vessels thereof.
19 Moreover all the vessels, which king Ahaz in his reign did cast away
when he trespassed, have we prepared and sanctified; and, behold, they are
before the altar of Jehovah. 20 Then Hezekiah the king arose early, and
gathered the princes of the city, and went up to the house of Jehovah.
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 Jehovah. 22 So they killed the bullocks, and the priests
received the blood, and sprinkled it on the altar: and they killed the rams,
and sprinkled the blood upon the altar: they killed also the lambs, and
sprinkled the blood upon the altar. 23 And they brought near the he-goats
for the sin-offering before the king and the assembly; and they laid their
hands upon them: 24 and the priests killed them, and they made a
sin-offering with their blood upon the altar, to make 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 Jehovah 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 the commandment was of Jehovah 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 Jehovah began
also, and the trumpets, together with the instruments of David king of
Israel. 28 And all the assembly worshipped, and the singers sang, and the
trumpeters sounded; 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 praises unto
Jehovah 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 Jehovah; come near
and bring sacrifices and thank-offerings into the house of Jehovah. And the
assembly brought in sacrifices and thank-offerings; and as many as were of a
willing heart brought burnt-offerings. 32 And the number of the
burnt-offerings which the assembly brought was threescore and ten bullocks, a
hundred rams, and two hundred lambs: all these were for a burnt-offering to
Jehovah. 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 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 with the drink-offerings for every
burnt-offering. So the service of the house of Jehovah was set in order.
36 And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, because of that which God
had prepared for the people: for the thing was done suddenly.
Genesis - Public
Domain
| |
