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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//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 29 GNT</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /></head><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/29.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/29-1.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="//biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">GNT</a> > 2 Chronicles 29</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/28.htm" title="2 Chronicles 28">◄</a> 2 Chronicles 29 <a href="../2_chronicles/30.htm" title="2 Chronicles 30">►</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">Good News Translation</div><div class="chap"><h3 class="s">King Hezekiah of Judah</h3><h5 class="r">(<ref loc="2KI 18:1-3">2 Kings 18.1-3</ref>)</h5><p class="par"><span class="v14_29_1"><span class="reftext" id="2Chr.29.1" class="v14_29_1">1</span>Hezekiah became king of Judah at the age of twenty-five, and he ruled in Jerusalem for twenty-nine years. His mother was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. </span><span class="v14_29_2"><span class="reftext" id="2Chr.29.2" class="v14_29_2">2</span>Following the example of his ancestor King David, he did what was pleasing to the <span class="nd">Lord</span>.</span></p><h3 class="s">The Purification of the Temple</h3><p class="par"><span class="v14_29_3"><span class="reftext" id="2Chr.29.3" class="v14_29_3">3</span>In the first month of the year after Hezekiah became king, he reopened the gates of the Temple and had them repaired. </span><span class="v14_29_4"><span class="reftext" id="2Chr.29.4" class="v14_29_4">4</span>He assembled a group of priests and Levites in the east courtyard of the Temple </span><span class="v14_29_5"><span class="reftext" id="2Chr.29.5" class="v14_29_5">5</span>and spoke to them there. He said, “You Levites are to consecrate yourselves and purify the Temple of the <span class="nd">Lord</span>, the God of your ancestors. Remove from the Temple everything that defiles it. </span><span class="v14_29_6"><span class="reftext" id="2Chr.29.6" class="v14_29_6">6</span>Our ancestors were unfaithful to the <span class="nd">Lord</span> our God and did what was displeasing to him. They abandoned him and turned their backs on the place where he dwells. </span><span class="v14_29_7"><span class="reftext" id="2Chr.29.7" class="v14_29_7">7</span>They closed the doors of the Temple, let the lamps go out, and failed to burn incense or offer burnt offerings in the Temple of the God of Israel. </span><span class="v14_29_8"><span class="reftext" id="2Chr.29.8" class="v14_29_8">8</span>Because of this the <span class="nd">Lord</span> has been angry with Judah and Jerusalem, and what he has done to them has shocked and frightened everyone. You know this very well. </span><span class="v14_29_9"><span class="reftext" id="2Chr.29.9" class="v14_29_9">9</span>Our fathers were killed in battle, and our wives and children have been taken away as prisoners.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v14_29_10"><span class="reftext" id="2Chr.29.10" class="v14_29_10">10</span>“I have now decided to make a covenant with the <span class="nd">Lord</span>, the God of Israel, so that he will no longer be angry with us. </span><span class="v14_29_11"><span class="reftext" id="2Chr.29.11" class="v14_29_11">11</span>My sons, do not lose any time. You are the ones that the <span class="nd">Lord</span> has chosen to burn incense to him and to lead the people in worshiping him.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v14_29_12"><span class="reftext" id="2Chr.29.12-2Chr.29.14" class="v14_29_12">12-14</span>The following Levites were there:</span></p><p class="li1"><span class="v14_29_12">From the clan of Kohath, Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah</span></p><p class="li1"><span class="v14_29_12">From the clan of Merari, Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel</span></p><p class="li1"><span class="v14_29_12">From the clan of Gershon, Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah</span></p><p class="li1"><span class="v14_29_12">From the clan of Elizaphan, Shimri and Jeuel</span></p><p class="li1"><span class="v14_29_12">From the clan of Asaph, Zechariah and Mattaniah</span></p><p class="li1"><span class="v14_29_12">From the clan of Heman, Jehuel and Shimei</span></p><p class="li1"><span class="v14_29_12">From the clan of Jeduthun, Shemaiah and Uzziel</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v14_29_15"><span class="reftext" id="2Chr.29.15" class="v14_29_15">15</span>These men assembled their fellow Levites, and they all made themselves ritually clean. Then, as the king had commanded them to do, they began to make the Temple ritually clean, according to the Law of the <span class="nd">Lord</span>.<a href="#fn" id="link_2Chr.29.15!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span><span class="v14_29_16"><span class="reftext" id="2Chr.29.16" class="v14_29_16">16</span>The priests went inside the Temple to purify it, and they carried out into the Temple courtyard everything that was ritually unclean. From there the Levites took it all outside the city to Kidron Valley.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v14_29_17"><span class="reftext" id="2Chr.29.17" class="v14_29_17">17</span>The work was begun on the first day of the first month, and by the eighth day they had finished it all, including the entrance room to the Temple. Then they worked for the next eight days, until the sixteenth of the month, preparing the Temple for worship.</span></p><h3 class="s">The Temple Is Rededicated</h3><p class="par"><span class="v14_29_18"><span class="reftext" id="2Chr.29.18" class="v14_29_18">18</span>The Levites made the following report to King Hezekiah: “We have completed the ritual purification of the whole Temple, including the altar for burnt offerings, the table for the sacred bread, and all their equipment. </span><span class="v14_29_19"><span class="reftext" id="2Chr.29.19" class="v14_29_19">19</span>We have also brought back all the equipment which King Ahaz took away during those years he was unfaithful to God, and we have rededicated it. It is all in front of the <span class="nd">Lord</span>'s altar.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v14_29_20"><span class="reftext" id="2Chr.29.20" class="v14_29_20">20</span>Without delay King Hezekiah assembled the leading men of the city, and together they went to the Temple. </span><span class="v14_29_21"><span class="reftext" id="2Chr.29.21" class="v14_29_21">21</span>As an offering to take away the sins of the royal family and of the people of Judah and to purify the Temple, they took seven bulls, seven sheep, seven lambs, and seven goats. The king told the priests, who were descendants of Aaron, to offer the animals as sacrifices on the altar. </span><span class="v14_29_22"><span class="reftext" id="2Chr.29.22" class="v14_29_22">22</span>The priests killed the bulls first, then the sheep, and then the lambs, and sprinkled the blood of each sacrifice on the altar. </span><span class="v14_29_23"><span class="reftext" id="2Chr.29.23" class="v14_29_23">23</span>Finally they took the goats to the king and to the other worshipers, who laid their hands on them. </span><span class="v14_29_24"><span class="reftext" id="2Chr.29.24" class="v14_29_24">24</span>Then the priests killed the goats and poured their blood on the altar as a sacrifice to take away the sin of all the people, for the king had commanded that burnt offerings and sin offerings be made for all Israel.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v14_29_25"><span class="reftext" id="2Chr.29.25" class="v14_29_25">25</span>The king followed the instructions that the <span class="nd">Lord</span> had given to King David through Gad, the king's prophet, and through the prophet Nathan; he stationed Levites in the Temple, with harps and cymbals, </span><span class="v14_29_26"><span class="reftext" id="2Chr.29.26" class="v14_29_26">26</span>instruments like those that King David had used. The priests also stood there with trumpets. </span><span class="v14_29_27"><span class="reftext" id="2Chr.29.27" class="v14_29_27">27</span>Hezekiah gave the order for the burnt offering to be presented; and as the offering began, the people sang praise to the <span class="nd">Lord</span>, and the musicians began to play the trumpets and all the other instruments. </span><span class="v14_29_28"><span class="reftext" id="2Chr.29.28" class="v14_29_28">28</span>Everyone who was there joined in worship, and the singing and the rest of the music continued until all the sacrifices had been burned. </span><span class="v14_29_29"><span class="reftext" id="2Chr.29.29" class="v14_29_29">29</span>Then King Hezekiah and all the people knelt down and worshiped God. </span><span class="v14_29_30"><span class="reftext" id="2Chr.29.30" class="v14_29_30">30</span>The king and the leaders of the nation told the Levites to sing to the <span class="nd">Lord</span> the songs of praise that were written by David and by Asaph the prophet. So everyone sang with great joy as they knelt and worshiped God.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v14_29_31"><span class="reftext" id="2Chr.29.31" class="v14_29_31">31</span>Hezekiah said to the people, “Now that you are ritually clean, bring sacrifices as offerings of thanksgiving to the <span class="nd">Lord</span>.” They obeyed, and some of them also voluntarily brought animals to be sacrificed as burnt offerings. </span><span class="v14_29_32"><span class="reftext" id="2Chr.29.32" class="v14_29_32">32</span>They brought 70 bulls, 100 sheep, and 200 lambs as burnt offerings for the <span class="nd">Lord</span>; </span><span class="v14_29_33"><span class="reftext" id="2Chr.29.33" class="v14_29_33">33</span>they also brought 600 bulls and 3,000 sheep as sacrifices for the people to eat. </span><span class="v14_29_34"><span class="reftext" id="2Chr.29.34" class="v14_29_34">34</span>Since there were not enough priests to kill all these animals, the Levites helped them until the work was finished. By then more priests had made themselves ritually clean. (The Levites were more faithful in keeping ritually clean than the priests were.) </span><span class="v14_29_35"><span class="reftext" id="2Chr.29.35" class="v14_29_35">35</span>In addition to offering the sacrifices that were burned whole, the priests were responsible for burning the fat that was offered from the sacrifices which the people ate, and for pouring out the wine that was presented with the burnt offerings.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v14_29_35">And so worship in the Temple was begun again. </span><span class="v14_29_36"><span class="reftext" id="2Chr.29.36" class="v14_29_36">36</span>King Hezekiah and the people were happy, because God had helped them to do all this so quickly.</span></p><a name="fn"></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:<br /><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">29.15: </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Then, as the king … <char style="nd">Lord</char>; </char><char style="ft" closed="false">or </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Then they began to make the Temple ritually clean, as the king, who was acting at the <char style="nd">Lord</char>'s command, had ordered them to do.</char></note></div></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">© 1992 American Bible Society. 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