1Then Hezekiah sent word throughout all Israel and Judah, and he also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh inviting them to come to the house of the LORD in Jerusalem to keep the Passover of the LORD, the God of Israel.stylusExodus 12:3, Exodus 12:20, Hosea 7:8, Hosea 7:9, Deuteronomy 16:22For the king and his officials and the whole assembly in Jerusalem had decided to keep the Passover in the second month,stylusNumbers 9:10, Numbers 9:11, Numbers 9:10, Numbers 9:11, 2 Chronicles 30:133since they had been unable to observe it at the regular time, because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not been gathered in Jerusalem.stylus2 Chronicles 29:34, 2 Chronicles 29:34, Exodus 12:18, Exodus 12:6, Exodus 12:184This proposal pleased the king and the whole assembly.stylus1 Chronicles 13:4, 1 Chronicles 13:45So they established a decree to circulate a proclamation throughout Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, that the people should come to keep the Passover of the LORD, the God of Israel, in Jerusalem. For they had not observed it as a nation as prescribed.stylusJudges 20:1, Judges 20:1, 2 Chronicles 35:18, Ezra 6:8, Ezra 6:126So the couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and his officials, which read: “Children of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that He may return to those of you who remain, who have escaped the grasp of the kings of Assyria.stylus2 Kings 15:19, Esther 8:14, Jeremiah 4:1, Jeremiah 51:31, 2 Kings 15:297Do not be like your fathers and brothers who were unfaithful to the LORD, the God of their fathers, so that He made them an object of horror, as you can see.stylus2 Chronicles 29:8, 2 Chronicles 29:8, Ezekiel 20:13, Ezekiel 20:18, Zechariah 1:38Now do not stiffen your necks as your fathers did. Submit to the LORD and come to His sanctuary, which He has consecrated forever. Serve the LORD your God, so that His fierce anger will turn away from you.stylusExodus 32:9, 2 Chronicles 29:10, Exodus 32:9, 2 Chronicles 29:10, Deuteronomy 10:169For if you return to the LORD, your brothers and sons will receive mercy in the presence of their captors and will return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and merciful; He will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him.”stylusIsaiah 55:7, Isaiah 55:7, Micah 7:18, Micah 7:18, Psalms 106:4610And the couriers traveled from city to city through the land of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun; but the people scorned and mocked them.stylus2 Chronicles 36:16, 2 Chronicles 36:16, 2 Chronicles 30:6, 2 Chronicles 30:6, Job 12:411Nevertheless, some from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.stylus2 Chronicles 30:21, 2 Chronicles 30:18, 2 Chronicles 30:21, 2 Chronicles 30:18, 2 Chronicles 30:2512Moreover, the power of God was on the people in Judah to give them one heart to obey the command of the king and his officials according to the word of the LORD.stylusJeremiah 32:39, Jeremiah 32:39, Philippians 2:13, Jeremiah 24:7, Philippians 2:1313In the second month, a very great assembly gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread.stylus2 Chronicles 30:2, Psalms 84:7, 2 Chronicles 30:2, Psalms 84:714They proceeded to remove the altars in Jerusalem and to take away the incense altars and throw them into the Kidron Valley.stylus2 Chronicles 28:24, 2 Chronicles 28:24, 2 Chronicles 29:16, 2 Chronicles 15:16, 2 Samuel 15:2315And on the fourteenth day of the second month they slaughtered the Passover lamb. The priests and Levites were ashamed, and they consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the house of the LORD.stylus2 Chronicles 29:34, 2 Chronicles 29:34, Ezekiel 16:61, Ezekiel 16:63, Ezekiel 43:1016They stood at their prescribed posts, according to the Law of Moses the man of God. The priests sprinkled the blood, which they received from the hand of the Levites.stylus2 Chronicles 35:15, Deuteronomy 33:1, 2 Chronicles 35:15, Deuteronomy 33:1, Leviticus 1:517Since there were many in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves, the Levites were in charge of slaughtering the Passover lambs for every unclean person to consecrate the lambs to the LORD.stylus2 Chronicles 29:34, 2 Chronicles 29:34, 2 Chronicles 35:3, 2 Chronicles 35:6, 2 Chronicles 35:318A large number of the people—many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun—had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah interceded for them, saying, “May the LORD, who is good, provide atonement for everyonestylusJames 5:15, James 5:16, 1 Corinthians 11:28, James 5:15, James 5:1619who sets his heart on seeking God—the LORD, the God of his fathers—even if he is not cleansed according to the purification rules of the sanctuary.”stylus2 Chronicles 19:3, 2 Chronicles 19:3, Proverbs 23:26, Proverbs 23:26, Psalms 10:1720And the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people.stylusExodus 15:26, Exodus 15:26, Psalms 103:3, James 5:15, James 5:1621The Israelites who were present in Jerusalem celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy, and the Levites and priests praised the LORD day after day, accompanied by loud instruments of praise to the LORD.stylusExodus 12:15, Exodus 13:6, Exodus 12:15, Exodus 13:6, Nehemiah 8:1022And Hezekiah encouraged all the Levites who performed skillfully before the LORD. For seven days they ate their assigned portion, sacrificing fellowship offerings and giving thanks to the LORD, the God of their fathers.stylus2 Chronicles 32:6, Nehemiah 9:3, 2 Chronicles 32:6, Nehemiah 9:3, Ezra 10:1123The whole assembly agreed to observe seven more days, so they observed seven days with joy.stylus1 Kings 8:65, 1 Kings 8:65, 2 Chronicles 7:9, 2 Chronicles 7:924For Hezekiah king of Judah contributed a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep for the assembly, and the officials contributed a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep for the assembly, and a great number of priests consecrated themselves.stylus2 Chronicles 29:34, 2 Chronicles 29:34, 2 Chronicles 35:7, 2 Chronicles 35:8, 2 Chronicles 35:725Then the whole assembly of Judah rejoiced along with the priests and Levites and the whole assembly that had come from Israel, including the foreigners who had come from Israel and those who lived in Judah.stylus2 Chronicles 30:11, 2 Chronicles 30:11, 2 Chronicles 30:18, 2 Chronicles 30:18, Psalms 104:3426So there was great rejoicing in Jerusalem, for nothing like this had happened there since the days of Solomon son of David king of Israel.stylus2 Chronicles 7:8, 2 Chronicles 7:10, 2 Chronicles 7:8, 2 Chronicles 7:1027Then the priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard their voice, and their prayer came into His holy dwelling place in heaven.stylusDeuteronomy 26:15, Psalms 68:5, Deuteronomy 26:15, Psalms 68:5, 2 Chronicles 23:18