30:1 Hezekiah sent messages throughout Israel and Judah; he even wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, summoning them to come to the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem 1 and observe a Passover celebration for the Lord God of Israel. 30:2 The king, his officials, and the entire assembly in Jerusalem decided to observe the Passover in the second month. 30:3 They were unable to observe it at the regular 2 time because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not assembled in Jerusalem. 30:4 The proposal seemed appropriate to 3 the king and the entire assembly. 30:5 So they sent an edict 4 throughout Israel from Beer Sheba to Dan, summoning the people 5 to come and observe a Passover for the Lord God of Israel in Jerusalem, for they had not observed it on a nationwide scale as prescribed in the law. 6 30:6 Messengers 7 delivered the letters from the king and his officials throughout Israel and Judah.
This royal edict read: 8 “O Israelites, return to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so he may return 9 to you who have been spared from the kings of Assyria. 10
1 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
2 tn Heb “at that time.”
3 tn Heb “and the thing was proper in the eyes of.”
4 tn Heb “and they caused to stand a word to cause a voice to pass through.”
5 tn The words “summoning the people” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
6 tn Heb “because not for abundance had they done as written.”
7 tn Heb “the runners.”
8 tn Heb “and according to the command of the king, saying.”
9 tn The jussive with vav conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
10 tn Heb “to the survivors who are left to you from the palm of the kings of Assyria.”