2 Chronicles 29

1 Hezekiah (Chizkiyahu) began to reign when he was five and twenty years old, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem (Yerushalayim). His mother’s name was Aviyah, the daughter of Zechariah (Zekharyahu).

2 And he did that which was right in the sight of יהוה, according to all that Dawid his father had done.

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

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

5 And said unto them, “Hear me, you Levites (Lewiyim), sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of יהוה God (Elohim) 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 יהוה our God (Elohim), and have forsaken Him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of יהוה, 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 (Elohei Yisrael).

8 Wherefore the wrath of יהוה was upon Judah (Yehudah) and Yerushalayim, and He hath delivered them to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing, as you see with your eyes.

9 For, behold, 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 יהוה God of Israel (Elohei Yisrael), that His fierce wrath may turn away from us.

11 My sons, be not now negligent; for יהוה hath chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, and that you should minister unto Him, and burn incense.”

12 Then the Levites (Lewiyim) arose, Mahath the son of Amasai, and Yoel the son of Azaryahu, of the sons of the Kohathites; and of the sons of Merari: Kish the son of Avdi, and Azaryahu the son of Yehallelel; and of the Gershonites: Yoach the son of Zimmah, and Eden the son of Yoach;

13 And of the sons of Elizaphan: Shimri, and Yeiel; and of the sons of Asaph: Zechariah (Zekharyahu), and Mattanyah;

14 And of the sons of Heman: Yeiel, and Shimei; and of the sons of Yedutun: Shemayah, and Uzziel.

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

16 And the priests (kohanim) went into the inner part of the house of יהוה, to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of יהוה into the court of the house of יהוה. And the Levites (Lewiyim) 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 יהוה; so they sanctified the house of יהוה in eight days; and in the sixteenth day of the first month they made an end.

18 Then they went in to Hezekiah (Chizkiyahu) the king, and said, “We have cleansed all the house of יהוה, 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 Achaz in his reign did cast away in his transgression, have we prepared and sanctified, and, behold, they are before the altar of יהוה.”

20 Then Hezekiah (Chizkiyahu) the king rose early, and gathered the rulers of the city, and went up to the house of יהוה.

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 (Yehudah). And he commanded the priests (kohanim) the sons of Aaron (Aharon) to offer them on the altar of יהוה.

22 So they killed the bullocks, and the priests (kohanim) 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 (kohanim) killed them, and they made reconciliation with their blood upon the altar, to make an atonement for all Yisrael, for the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering should be made for all Yisrael.

25 And he set the Levites (Lewiyim) in the house of יהוה with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of Dawid, and of Gad the king’s seer, and Nathan the prophet; for so was the commandment of יהוה by His prophets.

26 And the Levites (Lewiyim) stood with the instruments of Dawid, and the priests (kohanim) with the trumpets.

27 And Hezekiah (Chizkiyahu) commanded to offer the burnt offering upon the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of יהוה began also with the trumpets, and with the instruments ordained by Dawid king of Yisrael.

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 (Chizkiyahu) the king and the princes commanded the Levites (Lewiyim) to sing praise unto יהוה with the words of Dawid, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped.

31 Then Hezekiah (Chizkiyahu) answered and said, “Now you have consecrated yourselves unto יהוה, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of יהוה.” 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, a hundred rams, and two hundred lambs; all these were for a burnt offering to יהוה.

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

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

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 יהוה was set in order.

36 And Hezekiah (Chizkiyahu) rejoiced, and all the people, that God (Elohim) had prepared the people; for the thing was done suddenly.