2 Chronicles 30
1 The king and his officials and all the other people who had gathered in Jerusalem wanted to celebrate the Passover Festival. But they were not able to celebrate it at the usual time, because many of the priests had still not performed the rituals to purify themselves; therefore they were not allowed to do serve in the festival. Also, everyone had still not come to Jerusalem [to celebrate the Passover]. So they decided to celebrate it one month later than usual.
And Ezechie sente to al Israel and to Juda, and he wroot pistlis to Effraym and to Manasses, that thei schulden come in to the hous of the Lord in Jerusalem, and make paske to the Lord God of Israel.
Therfor whanne counseil was takun of the kyng, and of princes, and of al the cumpeny of Jerusalem, thei demyden to make paske in the secounde moneth.
For thei demyden not to do in his tyme; for the preestis that myyten suffice weren not halewid, and the puple was not yit gaderid in to Jerusalem.
4 The king and all the other people who had gathered thought that was a good plan.
And the word pleside the king, and al the multitude.
5 So they decided to send messages to all the towns in Judah and in Israel, from Beersheba [in the far south] to Dan [in the far north], including towns in the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, to invite people to come to the temple in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover [Festival] to [honor] Yahweh, the God whom the Israeli people [worshiped/belonged to]. Many of the people had not previously celebrated that festival, even though it had been written [in the laws of Moses that they should do that].
And thei demyden to sende messangeris in to al Israel, fro Bersabee `til to Dan, that thei schulden come, and make pask to the Lord God of Israel in Jerusalem; for many men hadden not do, as it is bifor writun in the lawe.
6 Obeying what the king commanded, messengers went throughout Judah and Israel, taking messages that had been written by the king and his officials. This is what they wrote: “You Israeli people, you who survived after being slaves of the kings of Assyria, return to Yahweh, the God whom [our great ancestors] Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob [worshiped/belonged to], in order that he may return to you. Your fathers and brothers did not faithfully obey Yahweh, the God whom our ancestors [worshiped].
And corouris yeden forth with pistlis, bi comaundement of the kyng and of hise princis, in to al Israel and Juda, and prechiden bi that, that the kyng hadde comaundid, Sones of Israel, turne ye ayen to the Lord God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Israel; and he schal turne ayen to the residue men, that ascapiden the hondis of the kyng of Assiriens.
7 Do not act like they did, because what they did caused other people to become disgusted with them.
Nyle ye be maad as youre fadris and britheren, that yeden awei fro the Lord God of her fadris; and he yaue hem in to perischyng, as ye seen.
8 Do not be stubborn as our ancestors were. Do what Yahweh desires. Come [to Jerusalem] to the temple, which he has set apart forever. Do what pleases Yahweh our God, in order that he will no longer be angry with you.
Nyle ye make hard youre nollis, as youre fadris diden; yyue ye hondis to the Lord, and come ye to his seyntuarie, which he halewide withouten ende; serue ye the Lord God of youre fadris, and the ire of his strong veniaunce schal `be turned awey fro you.
9 If you return to Yahweh, the people who have captured our brothers [and sisters] and our children will be kind to them, and allow them to return to this land. Do not forget that Yahweh our God is kind and merciful. If you return to him, he will no longer reject you.”
For if ye turnen ayen to the Lord, youre britheren and youre sones schulen haue mercy, bifor her lordis that ledden hem prisoneris; and thei schulen turne ayen in to this lond. For `oure Lord God is pitouse, `ethir benygne, and merciful; and he schal not turne awey his face fro you, if ye turne ayen to hym.
10 The messengers went to all the towns in the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, as far [north] as the tribe of Zebulun, [and gave them this message, ] but most of the people there scorned them and ridiculed them.
Therfor the corours yeden swiftli fro cytee in to citee thorou the lond of Effraym and of Manasses `til to Zabulon, while thei scorniden and bimowiden hem.
11 But some of the people of [the tribes of] Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem.
Netheles sum men of Aser, and of Manasses, and of Zabulon, assentiden to the counsel, and camen in to Jerusalem.
12 Also in Judah God motivated the people to be united in wanting to do what Yahweh wanted them to do, which is what the king and his officials had told them to do in the message that they sent.
Forsothe the hond of the Lord was maad in Juda, that he yaf to hem oon herte, and that thei diden the word of the Lord, bi the comaundement of the kyng and of the princes.
13 So a huge crowd of people gathered in Jerusalem in May, to celebrate the Festival of Eating Unleavened Bread.
And many puplis weren gaderid in to Jerusalem, for to make the solempnyte of therf looues in the secounde monethe.
14 They removed the altars [of Baal] in Jerusalem and took away the altars for burning incense [to honor other gods, and burned them] in Kidron Valley.
And thei risiden, and destrieden the auteris, that weren in Jerusalem; and `thei destriynge alle thingis in whiche encense was brent to idols, castiden forth in to the stronde of Cedron.
15 They slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of that month. Some of the priests and the other descendants of Levi were ashamed [because they had not performed the rituals to cause them to be acceptable to work for Yahweh]. So they performed those rituals, and brought to the temple animals to be completely burned [on the altar].
Forsothe thei offriden pask in the fourtenthe dai of the secounde monethe; also the preestis and the dekenes weren halewid at the laste, and offriden brent sacrifices in the hows of the Lord.
16 Then they stood at the places where Moses had written in his laws that they should stand. Then the descendants of Levi gave to the priests [bowls containing blood of the animals that were being sacrificed], and the priests sprinkled [the altar] with some of the blood.
And thei stoden in her ordre, bi the ordynaunce and lawe of Moises, the man of God. Sothely the preestis token of the hondis of dekenes the blood to be sched out,
17 Many people in the crowd had not purified themselves, and therefore they were not able to kill the lambs [and dedicate them] to Yahweh. So it was necessary for the descendants of Levi to kill the lambs for them.
for myche cumpeny was not halewid; and therfor the dekenes offriden pask for hem, that myyten not be halewid to the Lord.
18 Although most of the people who had come from [the tribes of] Ephraim, Manasseh, and Issachar had not purified themselves, they ate the food of the Passover Festival anyway, ignoring the rules written [by Moses]. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying “Yahweh, you always do what is good; I pray that you will forgive everyone
Also a greet part of the puple of Effraym, and Manasses, and of Ysachar, and of Zabulon, that was not halewid, eet pask not bi that that is writun. And Ezechie preyde for hem, and seide, The good Lord schal do mercy to alle men,
19 who sincerely wants to honor you, the God whom our ancestors [worshiped], even if they have not purified themselves by obeying the sacred laws that you gave to us.”
that seken in al the herte the Lord God of her fadris; and it schal not be arettid to hem, that thei ben not halewid.
20 And Yahweh heard what Hezekiah prayed; he forgave the people, [and did not punish them].
And the Lord herde hym, and was plesid to the puple.
21 The Israeli people who were there in Jerusalem celebrated the Festival of Eating Unleavened Bread for seven days. They rejoiced greatly as they celebrated, while the priests and other descendants of Levi sang to Yahweh every day, and played musical instruments to [praise] God.
And the sones of Israel, that weren founden in Jerusalem, maden solempnyte of therf looues seuene daies in greet gladnesse, and herieden the Lord bi ech dai; and dekenes and preestis `preisiden the Lord bi orguns, that acordiden to her offices.
22 Hezekiah thanked all the descendants of Levi for doing this work for Yahweh, and for very skillfully leading the people who were worshiping. For those seven days the people ate the Passover food and brought offerings to maintain fellowship with Yahweh and praised Yahweh, the God whom their ancestors [belonged to/had worshiped].
And Ezechie spak to the herte of alle the dekenes, that hadden good vndurstondyng of the Lord; and thei eeten bi seuene daies of the solempnyte, offrynge sacrifices of pesible thingis, and heriynge the Lord God of her fadris.
23 Then the whole group decided to celebrate for seven more days, so they did: They celebrated joyfully for seven more days.
And it pleside al the multitude to halewe also othere seuene daies; which thing also thei diden with greet ioye.
24 King Hezekiah provided 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep to be slaughtered for the people [to eat during the festival], and the officials also gave them 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep and goats. Many priests consecrated themselves.
Forsothe Ezechie, kyng of Juda, yaf to the multitude a thousynde bolis, and seuene thousynde of scheep; sotheli the princes yauen to the puple a thousynde bolis, and ten thousynde scheep. Therfor ful greet multitude of preestis was halewid;
25 All the people of Judah rejoiced, including the priests and other descendants of Levi and all the people from Israel who had come, and including some from other countries who were living in Israel and some from other countries who were living in Judah.
and al the cumpany of Juda was fillid with gladnesse, as wel of preestis and dekenes, as of al the multitude, that camen fro Israel, and `of conuersis of the lond of Israel, and of dwelleris in Juda.
26 Everyone in Jerusalem was very joyful, because nothing like this had happened in Jerusalem since the time when David’s son Solomon was the king of Israel.
And greet solempnytee was maad in Jerusalem, which maner solempnyte was not in that citee fro the daies of Salomon, sone of Dauid, kyng of Israel.
27 The priests and the other descendants of Levi stood up to bless the people, and God heard them in heaven, the holy place where he lives.
Sotheli preestis and dekenes rysyden, and blessiden the puple; and the vois of hem was herd, and the preier cam in to the hooli dwelling place of heuene.
