Omarongerero wOpaska
1 Hiskija wa hinda ovatumwa kOvaisrael avehe na kOvajuda, nu wina wa tjanga otutuu komuhoko wa Efraim nowa Manasse kutja ve ye kondjuwo ya Muhona mOjerusalem, ve tjite omukandi wOpaska kondjozikiro ya Muhona, Ndjambi wa Israel. 2 Ombara novahongore vayo nombongo aihe mOjerusalem va zuvasana okutjita Opaska momueze outjavari. 3 Owo kave sorere okutjita moruveze orusemba, momueze omutenga, ovapristeri tjinga ave he riyapurire motjivaro tji tja yenena, notjiwaṋa tjinga atji ha woronganene mOjerusalem. 4 Ombara notjiwaṋa atjihe va yoroka tjinene nondyero yawo, 5 notji va isana Ovaisrael avehe okuza kOdan, komukuma wokeyuva kokunene nga kOberseba, komukuma wokeyuva kokumuho, kokutja ve woronganene mOjerusalem, nu ve tjite Opaska kondjozikiro ya Muhona, Ndjambi wa Israel, orondu rukuru kava woronganene ovengi tjinene nai otja tji pa tjangwa. 6 Ovahindwa va pita otja komarakiza wombara nowovahongore vayo nave tuurunga Juda na Israel arihe puna ombuze, ndji mai tja nai:
“Tjiwaṋa tja Israel! Eṋe mbu mwa hupa kokuyandekwa i Ovaasirie! Nambano kotokeye ku Muhona, Ndjambi wa Abraham na Isak na Jakob, neye ma kotoka ku eṋe. 7 Amu kara otja ooiho mukururume nOvaisrael ovakweṋu mbe ha ri nouṱakame ku Muhona, Ndjambi wawo. Otja pu mamu munu, eye we ve vera tjinene. 8 Amu rangaranga otja ooiho mukururume, nungwari kareye nonḓuviro ku Muhona. Indjeye koruveze romerikotameneno mOjerusalem tji tja yapurwa i Muhona, Ndjambi weṋu, nga aruhe, nu rikotameneye ku ye kutja a ha ṱomazenge na eṋe rukwao. 9 Tji mamu kotoka ku Muhona, imba mba huura omihoko veṋu mave ṱondjenda na wo nave ve esa kutja ve kotoke konganda. Muhona, Ndjambi weṋu, u nomutima omuwa notjari, nu tji mamu kotoka ku ye, eye me mu yakura.”
10 Ovatumwa va ya kotjihuro atjihe mehi romuhoko wa Efraim nowa Manasse, na kokure nga kehi romuhoko wa Sebulon; nungwari ovandu ve ve yora nave ve hembe. 11 Nu pa ri ovandu tjiva uriri vomuhoko wa Aser nowa Manasse nowa Sebulon mba ri nombango okuya kOjerusalem. 12 Ndjambi wina wa kara puna wo mOjuda na tjiti kutja otjiwaṋa tji kare nomutima umwe okuyenenisa imbi ombara novahongore vayo mbi va rakiza otja kembo ra Ndjambi.
Opaska mai tjitwa
13 Ovandu ovengi tjinene va woronganene mOjerusalem, momueze outjavari, okutjita omukandi wOzomboroto nḓe hi nosurise. 14 Owo va toora ovipunguhiro avihe vyovisenginina kuya ku punguhirwa ozombunguhiro, nu kuya ku twimisirwa ovyomoro omuwa mOjerusalem, nave keviyumba moruronḓu Kidron. 15 Nu meyuva oritjamurongo na yane komueze, owo va zepa ondjona yOpaska. Ovapristeri nOvalevi mbe ha ri ovakohoke va ṱohoṋi nave riyapura ku Muhona; otjaave sora okupunguhira ozombunguhiro ozoningiririsiwa mondjuwo ya Muhona. 16 Owo va kakurama motuveze twawo mondjuwo ya Muhona otja komaraerero wOmatwako wa Moses, omukarere wa Ndjambi. Ovalevi va yandja ombinḓu yombunguhiro kovapristeri mbe i pamenena kotjipunguhiro. 17 Ovandu ovengi tjinga ave ha ri ovakohoke, kave sorere okuzepa ozondjona zOpaska, nOvalevi otji ve ze zepera wo nave ze yapurire Muhona. 18 Posi yanao ovengi vaimba mba zire komuhoko wa Efraim nowa Manasse nowa Isakar nowa Sebulon kave rikohororere, nowo va kara pOpaska nokuhinokuṱakamisa omazikamisiro nga tuwa po. Ombara Hiskija we ve kumbira a tja: 19 “Muhona, Ndjambi wootate mukururume, kouwa woye isira imba mbu mave rikotamene kove nomitima vyawo avihe, nangarire kutja kavakohoke otja komazikamisiro woukohoke wotjouyapuke.” 20 Muhona wa zuvira ongumbiro ya Hiskija; eye wa isira otjiwaṋa na ha tjiti otjipo ku tjo. 21 Oure womayuva hambombari imba Ovaisrael mba woronganena mOjerusalem va tjita omukandi wOzomboroto nḓe hi nosurise nenyando enene; neyuva arihe peke Ovalevi novapristeri va tanga Muhona nombosiro onene yovihumba. 22 Hiskija wa hiva Ovalevi kounongo wawo mokutjita omerikotameneno ku Muhona.
Nowo tji va mana omayuva hambombari mu va punguha ozombunguhiro nave tanga Muhona, Ndjambi wooihe mukururume, 23 avehe ve rimana okutjita omukandi oure womayuva warwe hambombari. Notji ve ye tjita nondjoroka. 24 Ombara Hiskija wa yandja ozondwezu zongombe eyovi rimwe, nozonḓu omayovi hambombari kovandu, novahongore wina va yandja ozondwezu zozongombe ozongwao eyovi rimwe nozonḓu omayovi omurongo. Ovapristeri ovengi tjinene ve riyapura. 25 Komuhingo mbwi auhe otja ri nondjoroka, okutja otjiwaṋa tjOvajuda novapristeri nOvalevi, novandu mba zire kehi ra Israel novozonganda mba turire ongarerere mOisrael na mOjudea. 26 MOjerusalem mwa ri enyando enene, orondu okuza koruveze rwombara Salomo, omuzandu wa David, ombara ya Israel, kape na pa karere enyando otja indi mOjerusalem. 27 Korusenina ovapristeri nOvalevi va sera otjiwaṋa ondaya. Ndjambi wa zuvira ozongumbiro zawo meyuru, ndi ri omaturiro we omayapuke, ne ze yakura.
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.
