Omalongekidho gOpaasa
1-3 Oshigwana inashi vula okudhana Opaasa pethimbo lyo opala momwedhi gwotango, oshoka kapwa li aayambi ya gwana mboka yi iyapula, naantu oyendji inaa gongala muJerusalem. Omolwasho omukwaniilwa Hiskia, omalenga ge naantu yomuJerusalem ya zimine, yi dhanwe momwedhi omutiyali, nomukwaniilwa okwa tumu elaka kaantu ayehe muIsrael nomuJuda. Okwa nyolele wo omazimo gaEfraim nogaManasse te ga hiya, ge ye kotempeli muJerusalem okudhana oshituthi shOpaasa, ga simaneke Omuwa, Kalunga kaIsrael. 4 Omukwaniilwa noshigwana oya li ya nyanyukilwa edhiladhilo ndika, 5 onkee ya hiya Aaisraeli ayehe, okuza kuDan muumbangalantu sigo okuBeersheba muumbugantu, ye ye kuJerusalem noya dhane Opaasa pampango yOmuwa mongundu onene ye vule nale. 6 Palombwelo lyomukwaniilwa nomalenga gee aatumwa oye ende naJuda alihe naIsrael ye na ehiyo ndika tali ti:
“Aaisraeli ne, one tuu mboka mwa hupu ko, sho omukwaniilwa gwaAssur a lala evi. Galukileni kOmuwa, Kalunga kaAbraham, Isak naJakob, noye ta ka galukila kune. 7 Inamu fa oohokulu nAaisraeli ooyakweni mboka yi iteka Omuwa, Kalunga kawo. Omu shi wete nokuli kutya okwe ya geele shili. 8 Inamu tangalala ngayo, ihe vulikeni kOmuwa. Ileni kotempeli muJerusalem, ndjoka Omuwa e yi yapula sigo aluhe, ne mu mu longele, opo kee mu geele we. 9 Ngele tamu galukile kOmuwa, nena mboka ya kutha po aakweni noya yi nayo oonkwatwa, otaye ke ya sila ohenda e taye ya galulile kegumbo. Omuwa, Kalunga keni, oye omunamutimahenda nomunesilohenda. Ngele tamu yi kuye, ote mu taamba.”
10 Aatumwa oya yi koshilando kehe moshitopolwa shomazimo gaEfraim naManasse, sigo okezimo lyaSebulon, ihe aantu oye ya yolo e taye ya sheke. 11 Okwa li ngaa yamwe muAser, Manasse naSebulon mboka ya hala okuya kuJerusalem. 12 Kalunga okwa li ta longo wo muJuda e ta hanganitha aantu metokolo lyawo, ya vulike kehalo lye yo ya landule oshipango shomukwaniilwa nomalenga ge.
Opaasa tayi dhanwa
13 Aantu oyendjiyendji oya gongala muJerusalem momwedhi omutiyali, ya dhane Oshituthi shIikwiila yaa na efulika. 14 Oya kutha po iiyambelo ayihe mbyoka ya li hayi longithwa muJerusalem okuyamba omafikilondjambo niitsinino e taye yi umbile mesilu lyaKidron. 15 Mesiku etimulongo netine lyomwedhi, oya dhipaga oonzigona dhOpaasa. Aayambi nAalevi mboka ya li inaa iyapula, oya li ya sa ohoni noyi iyapulile Omuwa, nokuza mpoka oya vulu ihe okuyamba omafikilondjambo motempeli. 16 Oya ka thikama pomahala gawo motempeli palombwelo lyompango yaMoses, omumati gwaKalunga. Aalevi oya gandja ombinzi yoondjambo kaayambi, mboka ye yi shashamine koshiyambelo. 17 Aantu oyendji sho ya li inaa iyapula, inaa vula okudhipaga oonzigona dhOpaasa, omolwashoka Aalevi oye shi ya ningile e taa yapulile Omuwa oonzigona. 18 Oyendji mboka ya zi momazimo gaEfraim, Manasse, Issaskar naSebulon kaya li ya yogoka pamisindilo, onkee ya li ya sheshwa okudhana Opaasa. Omukwaniilwa Hiskia okwe ya galikanene ta ti: 19 “Omuwa, Kalunga kootatekulu, omolwesilohenda lyoye dhimina po mboka taa ku simaneke noomwenyo dhawo adhihe, nonando ya kale inaa yogoka pamisindilo.” 20 Omuwa oku uvu egalikano lyaHiskia; okwa dhimine po aantu, ye ine ya ehameka. 21 Aantu mboka ya gongala muJerusalem, oya dhana Oshituthi shiikwiila yaa na fulika omasiku gaheyali nenyanyu enene. Kehe esiku Aalevi naayambi oya hambelele Omuwa noonkondo dhawo adhihe. 22 Hiskia okwa tanga Aalevi, sho ya wilike elongelokalunga nawa.
Oshituthi oshitiyali
Konima yomasiku gaheyali gokuyamba omakwatathanondjambo nokuhambelela Omuwa, Kalunga koohekulu, 23 ayehe oya tokola okutsikila oshituthi ishewe omasiku gaheyali. Oye shi dhana nenyanyu. 24 Omukwaniilwa Hiskia okwa gandja oontsezi eyuvi noonzi omayuvi gaheyali, opo aantu ya dhipage yo ya lye, nomalenga oge ya pe ishewe oontsezi eyuvi noonzi omayuvi omulongo. Aayambi oyendji oyi iyapula. 25 Aantu ayehe oya li ya nyanyukwa — Aajuda, aayambi, Aalevi, aantu mboka ya zile kuumbangalantu naakwiilongo mboka ya li ya tula muIsrael nomuJuda. 26 Oshilando Jerusalem osha li shu udha enyanyu, oshoka iinima ngaambika kayi ningilwe we okuza muuyuni waSalomo yaDavid. 27 Aayambi nAalevi oya laleke aantu nuuyamba wOmuwa. Kalunga nokwa uvu omagalikano gawo megumbo lye lyomegulu e te ga taamba.
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.
