King Hezekiah of Judah
(2 Kings 18.1-3)1 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. 2 Following the example of his ancestor King David, he did what was pleasing to the Lord.
The Purification of the Temple
3 In the first month of the year after Hezekiah became king, he reopened the gates of the Temple and had them repaired. 4 He assembled a group of priests and Levites in the east courtyard of the Temple 5 and spoke to them there. He said, “You Levites are to consecrate yourselves and purify the Temple of the Lord, the God of your ancestors. Remove from the Temple everything that defiles it. 6 Our ancestors were unfaithful to the Lord our God and did what was displeasing to him. They abandoned him and turned their backs on the place where he dwells. 7 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. 8 Because of this the Lord has been angry with Judah and Jerusalem, and what he has done to them has shocked and frightened everyone. You know this very well. 9 Our fathers were killed in battle, and our wives and children have been taken away as prisoners.
10 “I have now decided to make a covenant with the Lord, the God of Israel, so that he will no longer be angry with us. 11 My sons, do not lose any time. You are the ones that the Lord has chosen to burn incense to him and to lead the people in worshiping him.”
12-14 The following Levites were there:
From the clan of Kohath, Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of AzariahFrom the clan of Merari, Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of JehallelelFrom the clan of Gershon, Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of JoahFrom the clan of Elizaphan, Shimri and JeuelFrom the clan of Asaph, Zechariah and MattaniahFrom the clan of Heman, Jehuel and ShimeiFrom the clan of Jeduthun, Shemaiah and Uzziel15 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 Lord. 16 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.
17 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.
The Temple Is Rededicated
18 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. 19 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 Lord's altar.”
20 Without delay King Hezekiah assembled the leading men of the city, and together they went to the Temple. 21 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. 22 The priests killed the bulls first, then the sheep, and then the lambs, and sprinkled the blood of each sacrifice on the altar. 23 Finally they took the goats to the king and to the other worshipers, who laid their hands on them. 24 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.
25 The king followed the instructions that the Lord 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, 26 instruments like those that King David had used. The priests also stood there with trumpets. 27 Hezekiah gave the order for the burnt offering to be presented; and as the offering began, the people sang praise to the Lord, and the musicians began to play the trumpets and all the other instruments. 28 Everyone who was there joined in worship, and the singing and the rest of the music continued until all the sacrifices had been burned. 29 Then King Hezekiah and all the people knelt down and worshiped God. 30 The king and the leaders of the nation told the Levites to sing to the Lord 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.
31 Hezekiah said to the people, “Now that you are ritually clean, bring sacrifices as offerings of thanksgiving to the Lord.” They obeyed, and some of them also voluntarily brought animals to be sacrificed as burnt offerings. 32 They brought 70 bulls, 100 sheep, and 200 lambs as burnt offerings for the Lord; 33 they also brought 600 bulls and 3,000 sheep as sacrifices for the people to eat. 34 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.) 35 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.
And so worship in the Temple was begun again. 36 King Hezekiah and the people were happy, because God had helped them to do all this so quickly.
Judab di gao-aob Hiskiab
(2 Gao-aogu 18:1-3)1 Hiskiab ge ǀgamdisikoroǀa kurixab a hîa ge gao-ao kai, tsîb ge ǀgamdisikhoeseǀa kuriga Jerusalems ǃnâ gere ǂgaeǂgui. ǁÎb îs ge Saxariab ôas Abijasa ge i. 2 Hiskiab ge ǁîb aboxab gao-aob Davidi aiǁgausa sao tsî ǃKhūba a ǃgâibana gere dī.
Tempeli di ǃanuǃanuhes
3 Hiskiab ge ǂguro kurib ǁîb ǂgaeǂguis dib di ǂguro ǁkhâb ǃnâ, Tempeli di dao-amde ǁkhowa-am tsî ǁîde ge dī-unu. 4 ǁÎb ge pristergu tsî Leviǁîgu tsîga aiǂoasǀkhāb di omǂnamib Tempeli dib tawa ǂgaiǀhao 5 tsî ǁîga ge mîba: “Sago Leviǁîgo ǃanuǃanusen, î go ǃKhūb sadu aboxan Elob di Tempela ǃanuǃanu. ǃAnuoǃnâ xū-i hoa-e Tempela xu ūǂui. 6 Sada aboxagu ge ǃKhūb sada Eloba ǁnâuǀnamoǃnâ tsî ǁîba ǃgâiba tamana ge dī. ǁÎgu ge ǁîba ǁnāxū tsî ǁîb di ǁanǃkhaisa ǁâba ge mā. 7 ǁÎgu ge Tempeli âb di dao-amde ǂganam, ǃamǀaede ǀari tsî ǀanǀanǁguibadi kas, khauǁguibadi kas hoasa Israeli di Elob di Tempeli ǃnâ ǁguiba tama ge i. 8 ǁNā-amagab ge ǃKhūba Judab tsî Jerusalems tsîra ǀkha ge ǁaixa, tsî ǁîb ge ǁîn ǀkha dīn ge hoaraga khoena ǃao tsî ge ǃhuri kai. Sadu hoadu ge ǁnāsa ǃgâise a ǂan. 9 Sada aboxagu ge torogu ǃnâ ge ǁō tsî sada tarekhoedi tsî ǀgôan tsîn ge ǃkhōsabese ge ǃgû-ūhe.
10 “Nēsi ta ge go mîǀgui ǃKhūb, Israeli di Elob ǀkha ta ǃgaeǀhao-e nî dīsa, îb tā ǃaruǀî sada ǀkha ǁaixa. 11 Ti ôago tā noxopa ǀhabe re. ǃKhūb ge sago ge ǁhûiǂuibasen, ǁîba go ǀanǀanǁguibade nî dība tsî go ǁaes âba ǁîb di ǃoabas ǃnâ nî ǂgaeǂguise.”
12-14 Sao ra Leviǁîgu ge ǁnāpa ge hâ i:
Kohatǁîna xu Amasaib ôab Mahati tsî Asariab ôab Joeli tsîkha;
Merariǁîna xu Abdib ôab Kisi tsî Jehaleleli ôab Asariab tsîkha;
Gersonǁîna xu Simmab ôab Joaxi tsî Joaxi ôab Edenni tsîkha;
Elisafanǁîna xu Simrib tsî Jeieli tsîkha;
Asafǁîna xu Saxariab tsî Matanjab tsîkha;
Hemanǁîna xu Jehieli tsî Simeib tsîkha;
Jedutunǁîna xu Semajab tsî Usieli tsîkha.
15 Nē khoegu ge ǁîgu di ǃgâsa Leviǁîga ge ǀhaoǀhao tsîgu ge ǁîgu hoaga ge ǃanuǃanusen. Tsîgu ge gao-aob xa gu ge mîmāhe hâ i khami Tempela ge ǃanuǃanu, ǃKhūb di ǂhanuba ǃoa. 16 Pristergu ge Tempeli ǃnâ ǁîba gu nî ǃanuǃanuse ǂgâ tsî ǃanuoǃnâ xūn hoana Tempeli di omǂnamib ǁga ge taniǂui. ǁNāpa xu gu ge Leviǁîga, ǁîna ǃās ǃaugab ǁga Kidronǃgoaǃnāb ǃoa ge ǃgû-ū.
17 Nē sîsenni ge ǂguro ǁkhâb di ǂguro tsēs ai tsoatsoa tsî ǁkhaisaǁî tsēs ai ge dītoahe, Tempeli di ai-ommi kōse. ǁNās khaoǃgâ gu ge noxopa ǁkhaisa tsēde Tempela ǃanuǃanus ǀkha ge aiǃgû, disiǃnaniǀaǁî tsēs ǁkhâb dis ai gu ge sîsenna dītoas kōse.
Tempeli ge ǁkhawa ra khaihe
18 Leviǁîgu ge sao ra ǃnuriba gao-aob Hiskiaba sī ge mā: “Sige ge hoaraga Tempela go ǃanuǃanutoa. ǀAnǀanǁguibas altars, ǁguibaperegu tāb tsî hoaraga sîsenūxūn tsîna ge ge ǁkhāti go ǃanuǃanu. 19 Hoaraga sîsenūxūn, gao-aob Axasi ge ǁîb ǂgaeǂguis ǁaeb, Elob ǃoagub ge ǂgomǂgomsa tama hâ ib ǃnâ ūbē hâ ina ge ge ǁkhawa oaǀkhī-ū tsî go khai. ǁÎn hoan ge ǃKhūb di altars aiǃâ mâ.”
20 Ob ge gao-aob Hiskiaba ǃnauǁgoaga ǃās di ǂamkhoegu hoaga ge ǂgaiǀhao tsîgu ge ǀguipa Tempela ǃoa ge ǃgû. 21 ǁÎgu ge hû ǁgōgu, hû baigu, hû ǁkhaogu tsî hû pirigu tsîga, gao-aob surib tsî Judab khoen tsîn di ǁoreǁguibas ase tsî Tempeli di khaihes tsîn ǃaroma ge ūsao. Tsîb ge gao-aoba pristergu, Aronni surib diga ge mîmā, î gu ǁnā ǁguibasa ǃKhūb di altars ai ǁguiba. 22 O gu ge pristerga ǂgurose ǁgōga ge ǂā tsî ǁnāpa xu baiga tsî ǁnāpa xu ǁkhaoga tsî mâ ǁguibas hoas di ǀaoba altars ai ge ǀgapi. 23 ǀUnis ai ge ǁoreǁguibas piriga ū tsî gao-aob tsî nau ǀgoreǀî-aon tawa ge sī-ū, tsîn ge ǁîna ǃomgu âna ǁîgu ai ge ǁgui. 24 ǁNās khaoǃgâ gu ge pristerga piriga ǂā tsî ǁîgu ǀaoba ǁoreǁguibas ase altars ai ge ǂnâǂui, ǂkhîbagusa hoaraga Israelǁîna dības ǃaroma, gao-aob ge khauǁguibas tsî ǁoreǁguibas tsîran hoaraga Israelǁîna nî dībahesa mîmā xui-ao.
25 Gao-aob ge ǃKhūb ge gao-aob Davida, gao-aob di kēbo-aob Gadi tsî kēbo-aob Natanni tsîkha ǃnâ-u mā mîmā hâ i khami ge dī. ǁÎb ge Leviǁîga ge mîmā, îgu harpdi tsî simbaldi ǀkha Tempeli ǃnâ mâ, 26 o gu Leviǁîga gao-aob Davidi di ǀkhōxūn ǁkhān khami i ǀkhōxūn ǀkha ge mâ tsî pristergu ge xâiǁnâdi ǀkha ge mâ. 27 Hiskiab ge ge mîmā, khauǁguibas altars ai nî ǁguibahesa. Tsî khauǁguibas ra tsoatsoahe hîan ge khoena ǃKhūba ge koaǁnaeba, xâiǁnâdi tsî nau ǀkhōxūn Israeli gao-aob Davidi din ra ǀkhōhese. 28 ǁNāpa ge hâ i khoen hoan ge ge ǀgoreǀîtsoatsoa tsîn ge ǁnaeb tsî xâiǁnâdi ǀōb tsîna, khauǁguibas ge dītoahes kōse ge aiǃgû. 29 ǁNās khaoǃgân ge gao-aob Hiskiab tsî ǁîb ǀkha ge hâ i khoen hoana ǃhonǁgoa tsî Eloba ge ǀgoreǀî. 30 Gao-aob Hiskiab tsî ǁaes di ǂgaeǂgui-aogu ge Leviǁîga ge mîmā, î gu Davidi tsî kēbo-aob Asafi tsîkha ǁnaetsanadi ǀkha ǃKhūba koaǁnaeba. O gu ge hoaga kai ǃgâiaǂgaob ǀkha ra ǁnaese ǃhonǁgoa tsî ǃKhūba ge ǀgoreǀî.
31 ǁNās khaoǃgâb ge Hiskiaba khoen ǃoa ge mî: “Nēsi du ge go ǃanu, xuige ǂāǁguibadi tsî ganganǁguibadi tsîna ǃKhūba hā-ūba re.” On ge khoena ǂāǁguibadi tsî ganganǁguibadi tsîna ge hā-ū tsîn ge ǀnîna māsenxase khauǁguibadi tsîna ge hā-ū. 32 ǁÎn ge hûdisi ǁgōgu, ǀguikaidisi baigu tsî ǀgamkaidisi ǁkhaogu tsîna khauǁguibas ase ǃKhūba ge hā-ūba. 33 ǁÎn ge ǁkhāti ǃnanikaidisi ǁgōgu tsî ǃnonaǀoadisi ǀgoan tsîna ǁguibas ǃaroma ge hā-ū. 34 Pristergu ge nē xūn hoana ǂāsa ǃoa ǀoro i, xui-ao gu ge Leviǁîga, sîsenni nî dītoahes kōse ǁîga ge hui. ǁNā ǁaeb ǃnâ gu ge ǃnāsa pristerga ge ǃanuǃanusen. Leviǁîgu ge pristergu xa ǃnāsase ge ǂgomǂgomsa i. 35 Khauǁguibadi ge kaise ge ǂgui i tsî kaub ǂûǁguibadi dib tsî āǁguibadi, khauǁguibadi tawa gere ǀarohedi tsîna. ǁNātis ge Tempelǃoabasa ǁkhawa ge ǂnûiǂgāhe.
36 Gao-aob Hiskiab tsî ǁaes tsîn ge kaise gere ǃgâiaǂgao, Elob ge ǁîna, nē ǃkhaisan ǃhaese nî dītoase hui xui-ao.
