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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>2 Chronicles 30 NLT</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-LR4HSKRP2H"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-LR4HSKRP2H'); </script><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/2_chronicles/30.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/2_chronicles/30-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">NLT</a> > 2 Chronicles 30</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../2_chronicles/29.htm" title="2 Chronicles 29">◄</a> 2 Chronicles 30 <a href="../2_chronicles/31.htm" title="2 Chronicles 31">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">New Living Translation</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/nlt/esv/2_chronicles/30.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Chapters"> Par ▾ </a></td></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><p class="hdg">Preparations for Passover</p><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_chronicles/30-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>King Hezekiah now sent word to all Israel and Judah, and he wrote letters of invitation to the people of Ephraim and Manasseh. He asked everyone to come to the Temple of the LORD at Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover of the LORD, the God of Israel. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_chronicles/30-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>The king, his officials, and all the community of Jerusalem decided to celebrate Passover a month later than usual.<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">a</span></a> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_chronicles/30-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>They were unable to celebrate it at the prescribed time because not enough priests could be purified by then, and the people had not yet assembled at Jerusalem.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_chronicles/30-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>This plan for keeping the Passover seemed right to the king and all the people. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_chronicles/30-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>So they sent a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba in the south to Dan in the north, inviting everyone to come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover of the LORD, the God of Israel. The people had not been celebrating it in great numbers as required in the Law.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_chronicles/30-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>At the king’s command, runners were sent throughout Israel and Judah. They carried letters that said:</p><p class="b"/><p class="pmo">“O people of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel,<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">b</span></a> so that he will return to the few of us who have survived the conquest of the Assyrian kings. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_chronicles/30-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>Do not be like your ancestors and relatives who abandoned the LORD, the God of their ancestors, and became an object of derision, as you yourselves can see. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_chronicles/30-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>Do not be stubborn, as they were, but submit yourselves to the LORD. Come to his Temple, which he has set apart as holy forever. Worship the LORD your God so that his fierce anger will turn away from you.</p><p class="pm"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_chronicles/30-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>“For if you return to the LORD, your relatives and your children will be treated mercifully by their captors, and they will be able to return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and merciful. If you return to him, he will not continue to turn his face from you.”</p><p class="hdg">Celebration of Passover</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_chronicles/30-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>The runners went from town to town throughout Ephraim and Manasseh and as far as the territory of Zebulun. But most of the people just laughed at the runners and made fun of them. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_chronicles/30-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>However, some people from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_chronicles/30-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>At the same time, God’s hand was on the people in the land of Judah, giving them all one heart to obey the orders of the king and his officials, who were following the word of the LORD. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_chronicles/30-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>So a huge crowd assembled at Jerusalem in midspring<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">c</span></a> to celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_chronicles/30-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>They set to work and removed the pagan altars from Jerusalem. They took away all the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_chronicles/30-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>On the fourteenth day of the second month, one month later than usual,<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">d</span></a> the people slaughtered the Passover lamb. This shamed the priests and Levites, so they purified themselves and brought burnt offerings to the Temple of the LORD. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_chronicles/30-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>Then they took their places at the Temple as prescribed in the Law of Moses, the man of God. The Levites brought the sacrificial blood to the priests, who then sprinkled it on the altar.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_chronicles/30-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>Since many of the people had not purified themselves, the Levites had to slaughter their Passover lamb for them, to set them apart for the LORD. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_chronicles/30-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>Most of those who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun had not purified themselves. But King Hezekiah prayed for them, and they were allowed to eat the Passover meal anyway, even though this was contrary to the requirements of the Law. For Hezekiah said, “May the LORD, who is good, pardon those <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_chronicles/30-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>who decide to follow the LORD, the God of their ancestors, even though they are not properly cleansed for the ceremony.” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_chronicles/30-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>And the LORD listened to Hezekiah’s prayer and healed the people.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_chronicles/30-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>So the people of Israel who were present in Jerusalem joyously celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days. Each day the Levites and priests sang to the LORD, accompanied by loud instruments.<a href="#footnotes"><span class="fn">e</span></a> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_chronicles/30-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>Hezekiah encouraged all the Levites regarding the skill they displayed as they served the LORD. The celebration continued for seven days. Peace offerings were sacrificed, and the people gave thanks to the LORD, the God of their ancestors.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_chronicles/30-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>The entire assembly then decided to continue the festival another seven days, so they celebrated joyfully for another week. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_chronicles/30-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>King Hezekiah gave the people 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep and goats for offerings, and the officials donated 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep and goats. Meanwhile, many more priests purified themselves.</p><p class="reg"> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_chronicles/30-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span>The entire assembly of Judah rejoiced, including the priests, the Levites, all who came from the land of Israel, the foreigners who came to the festival, and all those who lived in Judah. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_chronicles/30-26.htm"><b>26</b></a></span>There was great joy in the city, for Jerusalem had not seen a celebration like this one since the days of Solomon, King David’s son. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/2_chronicles/30-27.htm"><b>27</b></a></span>Then the priests and Levites stood and blessed the people, and God heard their prayer from his holy dwelling in heaven.</p><A name="footnotes"></a><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><span class="mainfootnotes"><span class="mainfootnoteshdg">Footnotes:</span><br><span class="fn">a</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">30:2 </span><span class="ft">Hebrew </span><span class="it">in the second month.</span><span class="ft"> Passover was normally observed in the first month (of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar).</span><br><span class="fn">b</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">30:6 </span><span class="it">Israel</span><span class="ft"> is the name that God gave to Jacob.</span><br><span class="fn">c</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">30:13 </span><span class="ft">Hebrew </span><span class="it">in the second month.</span><span class="ft"> The second month of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar usually occurs within the months of April and May.</span><br><span class="fn">d</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">30:15 </span><span class="ft">Hebrew </span><span class="it">On the fourteenth day of the second month.</span><span class="ft"> Passover normally began on the fourteenth day of the first month (see Lev 23:5).</span><br><span class="fn">e</span><note caller="+" style="f"><span class="fr">30:21 </span><span class="ft">Or </span><span class="it">sang to the </span><span class="sc"><span class="it">Lord</span></span><span class="it"> with all their strength.</span><br></span></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center"><em>Holy Bible</em>, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. 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