Hezekiah Prepares To Celebrate Passover
1-4 Passover wasn't celebrated in the first month, which was the usual time, because many of the priests were still unclean and unacceptable to serve, and because not everyone in Judah had come to Jerusalem for the festival. So Hezekiah, his officials, and the people agreed to celebrate Passover in the second month.
Hezekiah sent a message to everyone in Israel and Judah, including those in the territories of Ephraim and West Manasseh, inviting them to the temple in Jerusalem for the celebration of Passover in honor of the Lord God of Israel. 5 Everyone from Beersheba in the south to Dan in the north was invited. This was the largest crowd of people that had ever celebrated Passover, according to the official records.
6 Hezekiah's messengers went everywhere in Israel and Judah with the following letter:
People of Israel, now that you have survived the invasion of the Assyrian kings, it's time for you to turn back to the Lord God our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob worshiped. If you do this, he will stop being angry. 7 Don't follow the example of your ancestors and your Israelite relatives in the north. They were unfaithful to the Lord, and he punished them horribly. 8 Don't be stubborn like your ancestors. Decide now to obey the Lord our God! Come to Jerusalem and worship him in the temple that will belong to him forever. Then he will stop being angry, 9 and the enemies that have captured your families will show pity and send them back home. The Lord God is kind and merciful, and if you turn back to him, he will no longer turn his back on you.
10 The messengers went to every town in Ephraim and West Manasseh as far north as the territory of Zebulun, but people laughed and insulted them. 11 Only a few people from the tribes of Asher, West Manasseh, and Zebulun were humble and went to Jerusalem. 12 God also made everyone in Judah eager to do what Hezekiah and his officials had commanded.
Passover Is Celebrated
13 In the second month, a large crowd of people gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Festival of Thin Bread. 14 They took all the foreign altars and incense altars in Jerusalem and threw them into Kidron Valley.
15-17 Then, on the fourteenth day of that same month, the Levites began killing the lambs for Passover, because many of the worshipers were unclean and were not allowed to kill their own lambs. Meanwhile, some of the priests and Levites felt ashamed because they had not gone through the ceremony to make themselves clean. They immediately went through that ceremony and went to the temple, where they offered sacrifices to please the Lord. Then the priests and Levites took their positions, according to the Law of Moses, the servant of God.
As the Levites killed the lambs, they handed some of the blood to the priests, who splattered it on the altar.
18-19 Most of the people that came from Ephraim, West Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun had not made themselves clean, but they ignored God's Law and ate the Passover lambs anyway. Hezekiah found out what they had done and prayed, “Lord God, these people are unclean according to the laws of holiness. But they are worshiping you, just as their ancestors did. So, please be kind and forgive them.” 20 The Lord answered Hezekiah's prayer and did not punish them.
21 The worshipers in Jerusalem were very happy and celebrated the Festival for seven days. The Levites and priests sang praises to the Lord every day and played their instruments. 22 Hezekiah thanked the Levites for doing such a good job, leading the celebration.
The worshipers celebrated for seven days by offering sacrifices, by eating the sacred meals, and by praising the Lord God of their ancestors. 23 Everyone was so excited that they agreed to celebrate seven more days.
24 So Hezekiah gave the people 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep to be offered as sacrifices and to be used as food for the sacred meals. His officials gave 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep, and many more priests agreed to go through the ceremony to make themselves clean. 25 Everyone was very happy, including those from Judah and Israel, the priests and Levites, and the foreigners living in Judah and Israel. 26 It was the biggest celebration in Jerusalem since the days of King Solomon, the son of David. 27 The priests and Levites asked God to bless the people, and from his home in heaven, he did.
Oshivilo shaPaasa tashi danwa vali muJerusalem
1 Ndele Hiskia okwa tumina Israel ashishe naJuda, ndele a shangela Efraim naManasse eenhumwafo, ve uye kongulu yOmwene muJerusalem va dane okufimaneka Omwene Kalunga kaIsrael oshivilo shaPaasa. 2 Nohamba novakulunhu vayo neongalo alishe lomuJerusalem va udafana va dane Opaasa mohani onhivali, 3 osheshi va nyengwa oku i dana mefimbo layo, shaashi ovapristeli ovo ve liyapula, inava wana, novanhu inava ongala muJerusalem. 4 Noshinima sha li sha yuka momesho ohamba nomomesho eongalo alishe. 5 Osho ngaha hano ova pangela omhangela va vilikile muIsrael ashishe okudja kuBerseba fiyo okuDan, nokutya ve nokuuya kuJerusalem, va dane Opaasa okufimaneka Omwene Kalunga kaIsrael. Osheshi inave i dana meongalo ngaashi sha pangelwa. 6 Eenhondoki da fikama hano ndele da ya muIsrael ashishe nomuJuda ndele da vilikila oshipango shohamba, tashi ti: “Nye Ovaisraeli, alukileni kOmwene Kalunga kaAbraham naIsak naIsrael, opo Ye a alukile kwaavo va xupa po munye ndele va xupifwa momake eehamba daAsiria. 7 Inamu kala ngaashi ooxo novamwanyoko, ovo va efa Omwene Kalunga kooxe, onghee va ninga oshitevo noshikumwifa ngaashi nye vene tamu shi mono. 8 Inamu kukutika eefingo deni ngaashi ooxo; yandjeni kOmwene omake ndele ileni kotembeli yaye, Ye e i yapula fiyo alushe, mu longele Omwene Kalunga keni, opo oupyuhandu waye u dje po punye. 9 Osheshi ngeenge nye tamu aluka kOmwene, ovamwanyoko novana veni tava ka filwa onghenda kwaava ve va twala ko eenghwate, vo va shiive okwaaluka moshilongo eshi. Osheshi Omwene Kalunga keni Ye e nolune nonghenda, ndele ita ka pungulula oshipala shaye kunye, nye ngeenge tamu aluka kuye.” 10 Ndelenee eenhondoki eshi da enda noilando koilando medu laEfraim nolaManasse fiyo okuSebulon, ove di yola ndele ve di sheka. 11 Ndelenee ovalumenhu vamwe vomuAsser naManasse nomuSebulon ve lininipika ndele va ya kuJerusalem. 12 MuJuda yo eke laKalunga la longa, onghee ve liyandja nomutima umwe, va wanife oshipango shohamba noshovakulunhu pandjovo yOmwene.
13 Novanhu vahapu va ongala muJerusalem va dane oshivilo shomungome uhe nonhafi, mohani onhivali, heeno, oshiongalele shinene. 14 Ndele va fikama ndele va hanauna po eealtari domuJerusalem. Nosho eealtari adishe dokutwimina ve di hanauna po ndele ve di ekela mokamulonga Kidron. 15 Mefiku etimulongo netine mohani onhivali va dipaa odi yaPaasa. Novapristeli nOvalevi va fya ohoni ndele ve liyapula ndele va eta omaxwikiloyambo mongulu yOmwene. 16 Ndele va ya va ka kale ofika meenhele davo palombwelo lomhango yaMoses, omulumenhu waKalunga, fimbo ovapristeli va tambula ohonde momake Ovalevi, ndele ve i tila. 17 Osheshi moshiongalele mwa li vahapu inave liyapula, onghee hano Ovalevi va li ve nokutoma omatomenoyambo ponhele yakeshe ou ina yapulwa, opo ve va yapulile Omwene. 18 Osheshi vahapu unene vomovanhu va dja muEfraim nomuManasse, muIsaskar nomuSebulon, inave liyapula, ndele va lya odi yaPaasa hapanghedi yayo. Ndelenee Hiskia okwe va ilikanena ndele ta ti: “Omwene muwa na kufile po 19 keshe umwe a yukifa omutima waye okukonga Kalunga, Omwene Kalunga kooxe, nande ehe neyapulo lopatembeli.” 20 NOmwene okwa uda Hiskia ndele a velula ovanhu. 21 Osho ngaha hano ovana vaIsrael ovo va li muJerusalem, ova dana oshivilo shomingome dihe nonhafi omafiku aheyali nehafo linene, fimbo Ovalevi novapristeli va hambelela Omwene efiku nefiku noishikomwa i neenghono okefimano lOmwene. 22 Ndele Hiskia okwa popifa nombili Ovalevi aveshe, ava va wanifa oilonga yavo paunongo wokufimaneka Omwene. Nomafiku aheyali va lya omayambo oshivilo ndele va yamba omapanduloyambo, ndele tava hambelele Omwene Kalunga kooxe.
23 Neongalo alishe eshi la udafana va dane vali oshivilo omafiku aheyali, vo ova dana nehafo oshivilo natango omafiku aheyali. 24 Osheshi Hiskia, ohamba yaJuda, ya yandja koshiongalele eengobe deemhedi eyovi needi omayovi aheyali. Novakulunhu va yandja koshiongalele eengobe deemhedi eyovi needi omayovi omulongo. Novapristeli vahapu ve liyapula. 25 Noshiongalele ashishe shOvajuda sha hafa, novapristeli yo nOvalevi noshiongalele ashishe yo shaava va dja muIsrael. Novanailongo yo va dja medu laIsrael naava va kala muJuda. 26 Ndele muJerusalem mwa li ehafo linene. Osheshi okomafiku enya aSalomo yaDavid, ohamba yaIsrael, oshinima sha tya ngaha inashi ningwa muJerusalem. 27 Opo nee ovapristeli nOvalevi va kala ofika ndele tava nangeke ovanhu noupuna. Nondaka yavo ya udika, nomaindilo avo a fika keumbo laye liyapuki lomeulu.
