2 Chronicles 30

1 Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the LORD’s house at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover to the LORD, the God of Israel.

希西家差遣人去見以色列和猶大眾人，又寫信給以法蓮和瑪拿西人，叫他們到耶路撒冷耶和華的殿，向耶和華－以色列的上帝守逾越節；

2 For the king had taken counsel with his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem to keep the Passover in the second month.

因為王和眾首領，並耶路撒冷全會眾已經商議，要在二月內守逾越節。

3 For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, and the people had not gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.

正月間他們不能守；因為自潔的祭司尚不敷用，百姓也沒有聚集在耶路撒冷；

4 The thing was right in the eyes of the king and of all the assembly.

王與全會眾都以這事為善。

5 So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the Passover to the LORD, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem, for they had not kept it in great numbers in the way it is written.

於是定了命令，傳遍以色列，從別是巴直到但，使他們都來，在耶路撒冷向耶和華－以色列的上帝守逾越節；因為照所寫的例，守這節的不多了。

6 So the couriers went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, according to the commandment of the king, saying, “You children of Israel, turn again to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that he may return to the remnant of you that have escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria.

驛卒就把王和眾首領的信，遵着王命傳遍以色列和猶大。信內說：「以色列人哪，你們當轉向耶和華－亞伯拉罕、以撒、以色列的上帝，好叫他轉向你們這脫離亞述王手的餘民。

7 Don’t be like your fathers and like your brothers, who trespassed against the LORD, the God of their fathers, so that he gave them up to desolation, as you see.

你們不要效法你們列祖和你們的弟兄；他們干犯耶和華－他們列祖的上帝，以致耶和華丟棄他們，使他們敗亡，正如你們所見的。

8 Now don’t be stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he has sanctified forever, and serve the LORD your God, that his fierce anger may turn away from you.

現在不要像你們列祖硬着頸項，只要歸順耶和華，進入他的聖所，就是永遠成聖的居所；又要事奉耶和華－你們的上帝，好使他的烈怒轉離你們。

9 For if you turn again to the LORD, your brothers and your children will find compassion with those who led them captive, and will come again into this land, because the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you if you return to him.”

你們若轉向耶和華，你們的弟兄和兒女必在擄掠他們的人面前蒙憐恤，得以歸回這地，因為耶和華－你們的上帝有恩典、施憐憫。你們若轉向他，他必不轉臉不顧你們。」

10 So the couriers passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, even to Zebulun, but people ridiculed them and mocked them.

驛卒就由這城跑到那城，傳遍了以法蓮、瑪拿西，直到西布倫。那裏的人卻戲笑他們，譏誚他們。

11 Nevertheless some men of Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.

然而亞設、瑪拿西、西布倫中也有人自卑，來到耶路撒冷。

12 Also the hand of God came on Judah to give them one heart, to do the commandment of the king and of the princes by the LORD’s word.

上帝也感動猶大人，使他們一心遵行王與眾首領憑耶和華之言所發的命令。

13 Many people assembled at Jerusalem to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great assembly.

二月，有許多人在耶路撒冷聚集，成為大會，要守除酵節。

14 They arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and they took away all the altars for incense and threw them into the brook Kidron.

他們起來，把耶路撒冷的祭壇和燒香的壇盡都除去，拋在汲淪溪中。

15 Then they killed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought burnt offerings into the LORD’s house.

二月十四日，宰了逾越節的羊羔。祭司與利未人覺得慚愧，就潔淨自己，把燔祭奉到耶和華殿中，

16 They stood in their place after their order, according to the Torah of Moses the man of God. The priests sprinkled the blood which they received of the hand of the Levites.

遵着神人摩西的律法，照例站在自己的地方；祭司從利未人手裏接過血來，灑在壇上。

17 For there were many in the assembly who had not sanctified themselves; therefore the Levites were in charge of killing the Passovers for everyone who was not clean, to sanctify them to the LORD.

會中有許多人尚未自潔，所以利未人為一切不潔之人宰逾越節的羊羔，使他們在耶和華面前成為聖潔。

18 For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover other than the way it is written. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, “May the good LORD pardon everyone

以法蓮、瑪拿西、以薩迦、西布倫有許多人尚未自潔，他們卻也吃逾越節的羊羔，不合所記錄的定例。希西家為他們禱告說：「凡專心尋求上帝，就是耶和華－他列祖之上帝的，雖不照着聖所潔淨之禮自潔，求至善的耶和華也饒恕他。」

19 who sets his heart to seek God, the LORD, the God of his fathers, even if they aren’t clean according to the purification of the sanctuary.”

20 The LORD listened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.

耶和華垂聽希西家的禱告，就饒恕百姓。

21 The children of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness. The Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day, singing with loud instruments to the LORD.

在耶路撒冷的以色列人大大喜樂，守除酵節七日。利未人和祭司用響亮的樂器，日日頌讚耶和華。

22 Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who had good understanding in the service of the LORD. So they ate throughout the feast for the seven days, offering sacrifices of peace offerings and making confession to the LORD, the God of their fathers.

希西家慰勞一切善於事奉耶和華的利未人。於是眾人吃節筵七日，又獻平安祭，且向耶和華－他們列祖的上帝認罪。

23 The whole assembly took counsel to keep another seven days, and they kept another seven days with gladness.

全會眾商議，要再守節七日；於是歡歡喜喜地又守節七日。

24 For Hezekiah king of Judah gave to the assembly for offerings one thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep; and the princes gave to the assembly a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep; and a great number of priests sanctified themselves.

猶大王希西家賜給會眾公牛一千隻，羊七千隻為祭物；眾首領也賜給會眾公牛一千隻，羊一萬隻，並有許多的祭司潔淨自己。

25 All the assembly of Judah, with the priests and the Levites, and all the assembly who came out of Israel, and the foreigners who came out of Eretz-Israel and who lived in Judah, rejoiced.

猶大全會眾、祭司、利未人，並那從以色列地來的會眾和寄居的人，以及猶大寄居的人，盡都喜樂。

26 So there was great joy in Jerusalem; for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was nothing like this in Jerusalem.

這樣，在耶路撒冷大有喜樂，自從以色列王大衛兒子所羅門的時候，在耶路撒冷沒有這樣的喜樂。

27 Then the Levitical priests arose and blessed the people. Their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy habitation, even to heaven.

那時，祭司、利未人起來，為民祝福。他們的聲音蒙上帝垂聽，他們的禱告達到天上的聖所。