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.
Poi Ezechia inviò de’ messi a tutto Israele e a Giuda, e scrisse pure lettere ad Efraim ed a Manasse, perché venissero alla casa dell’Eterno a Gerusalemme, a celebrar la Pasqua in onore dell’Eterno, dell’Iddio d’Israele.
Il re, i suoi capi e tutta la raunanza, in un consiglio tenuto a Gerusalemme, avevano deciso di celebrare la Pasqua il secondo mese;
giacché non la potevan celebrare al tempo debito, perché i sacerdoti non s’erano santificati in numero sufficiente, e il popolo non s’era radunato in Gerusalemme.
4 The king and all the other people who had gathered thought that was a good plan.
La cosa piacque al re e a tutta la raunanza;
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].
e stabilirono di proclamare un bando per tutto Israele, da Beer-Sceba fino a Dan, perché la gente venisse a Gerusalemme a celebrar la Pasqua in onore dell’Eterno, dell’Iddio d’Israele; poiché per l’addietro essa non era stata celebrata in modo generale, secondo ch’è prescritto.
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].
I corrieri dunque andarono con le lettere del re e dei suoi capi per tutto Israele e Giuda; e, conformemente all’ordine del re, dissero: “Figliuoli d’Israele, tornate all’Eterno, all’Iddio d’Abrahamo, d’Isacco e d’Israele, ond’egli torni al residuo che di voi è scampato dalle mani dei re d’Assiria.
7 Do not act like they did, because what they did caused other people to become disgusted with them.
E non siate come i vostri padri e come i vostri fratelli, che sono stati infedeli all’Eterno, all’Iddio dei loro padri, in guisa ch’ei li ha dati in preda alla desolazione, come voi vedete.
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.
Ora non indurate le vostre cervici, come i padri vostri; date la mano all’Eterno, venite al suo santuario ch’egli ha santificato in perpetuo, e servite l’Eterno, il vostro Dio, onde l’ardente ira sua si ritiri da voi.
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.”
Poiché, se tornate all’Eterno, i vostri fratelli e i vostri figliuoli troveranno pietà in quelli che li hanno menati schiavi, e ritorneranno in questo paese; giacché l’Eterno, il vostro Dio, è clemente e misericordioso, e non volgerà la faccia lungi da voi, se a lui tornate”.
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.
Quei corrieri dunque passarono di città in città nel paese di Efraim e di Manasse, e fino a Zabulon; ma la gente si facea beffe di loro e li scherniva.
11 But some of the people of [the tribes of] Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem.
Nondimeno, alcuni uomini di Ascer, di Manasse e di Zabulon si umiliarono, e vennero a Gerusalemme.
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.
Anche in Giuda la mano di Dio operò in guisa da dar loro un medesimo cuore per mettere ad effetto l’ordine del re e dei capi, secondo la parola del l’Eterno.
13 So a huge crowd of people gathered in Jerusalem in May, to celebrate the Festival of Eating Unleavened Bread.
Un gran popolo si riunì a Gerusalemme per celebrare la festa degli azzimi, il secondo mese: fu una raunanza immensa.
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.
Si levarono e tolsero via gli altari sui quali si offrivan sacrifizi a Gerusalemme, tolsero via tutti gli altari sui quali si offrivan profumi, e li gettarono nel torrente Kidron.
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].
Poi immolarono l’agnello pasquale, il quattordicesimo giorno del secondo mese. I sacerdoti e i Leviti, i quali, presi da vergogna, s’eran santificati, offrirono olocausti nella casa dell’Eterno;
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.
e occuparono il posto assegnato loro dalla legge di Mosè, uomo di Dio. I sacerdoti facevano l’aspersione del sangue, che ricevevano dalle mani de’ Leviti.
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.
Siccome ve n’erano molti, nella raunanza, che non s’erano santificati, i Leviti aveano l’incarico d’immolare gli agnelli pasquali, consacrandoli all’Eterno, per tutti quelli che non eran puri.
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
Poiché una gran parte del popolo, molti d’Efraim, di Manasse, d’Issacar e di Zabulon non s’erano purificati, e mangiarono la Pasqua, senza conformarsi a quello ch’è scritto. Ma Ezechia pregò per loro, dicendo:
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.”
“L’Eterno, che è buono, perdoni a chiunque ha disposto il proprio cuore alla ricerca di Dio, dell’Eterno, ch’è l’Iddio de’ suoi padri, anche senz’avere la purificazione richiesta dal santuario”.
20 And Yahweh heard what Hezekiah prayed; he forgave the people, [and did not punish them].
E l’Eterno esaudì Ezechia, e perdonò al popolo.
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.
Così i figliuoli d’Israele che si trovarono a Gerusalemme, celebrarono la festa degli azzimi per sette giorni con grande allegrezza; e ogni giorno i Leviti e i sacerdoti celebravano l’Eterno con gli strumenti consacrati ad accompagnar le sue lodi.
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].
Ezechia parlò al cuore di tutti i Leviti che mostravano grande intelligenza nel servizio dell’Eterno; e si fecero i pasti della festa durante i sette giorni, offrendo sacrifizi di azioni di grazie, e lodando l’Eterno, l’Iddio dei loro padri.
23 Then the whole group decided to celebrate for seven more days, so they did: They celebrated joyfully for seven more days.
E tutta la raunanza deliberò di celebrare la festa per altri sette giorni; e la celebrarono con allegrezza durante questi sette giorni;
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.
poiché Ezechia, re di Giuda, avea donato alla raunanza mille giovenchi e settemila pecore, e i capi pure avean donato alla raunanza mille tori e diecimila pecore; e i sacerdoti in gran numero, s’erano santificati.
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.
Tutta la raunanza di Giuda, i sacerdoti, i Leviti, tutta la raunanza di quelli venuti da Israele e gli stranieri giunti dal paese d’Israele o stabiliti in Giuda, furono in festa.
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.
Così vi fu gran gioia in Gerusalemme; dal tempo di Salomone, figliuolo di Davide, re d’Israele, non v’era stato nulla di simile in Gerusalemme.
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.
Poi i sacerdoti Leviti si levarono e benedissero il popolo, e la loro voce fu udita, e la loro preghiera giunse fino al cielo, fino alla santa dimora dell’Eterno.
