2 Chronicles 30:1

Hezekiah Observes the Passover

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.

2 Chronicles 30:10-11

30:10 The messengers journeyed from city to city through the land of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun, but people mocked and ridiculed them. ²  30:11 But some men from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 31:1-2

31:1 When all this was over, the Israelites ³  who were in the cities of Judah went out and smashed the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherah poles, and demolished ⁴  all the high places and altars throughout Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh. ⁵  Then all the Israelites returned to their own homes in their cities. ⁶ 

The People Contribute to the Temple

31:2 Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and Levites to do their assigned tasks ⁷  – to offer burnt sacrifices and present offerings and to serve, give thanks, and offer praise in the gates of the Lord’s sanctuary. ⁸ 

2 Chronicles 23:15-20

23:15 They seized her and took her into the precincts of the royal palace through the horses’ entrance. ⁹  There they executed her.

23:16 Jehoiada then drew up a covenant stipulating that he, all the people, and the king should be loyal to the Lord. ¹⁰  23:17 All the people went and demolished ¹¹  the temple of Baal. They smashed its altars and idols. ¹²  They killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. 23:18 Jehoiada then assigned the duties of the Lord’s temple to the priests, the Levites whom David had assigned to the Lord’s temple. They were responsible for offering burnt sacrifices to the Lord with joy and music, according to ¹³  the law of Moses and the edict of David. 23:19 He posted guards at the gates of the Lord’s temple, so no one who was ceremonially unclean in any way could enter. 23:20 He summoned ¹⁴  the officers of the units of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people, and all the people of land, and he then led the king down from the Lord’s temple. They entered the royal palace through the Upper Gate and seated the king on the royal throne.

[30:1]  ¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[30:10]  ² tn Heb “and they were mocking them and ridiculing them.”

[31:1]  ³ tn Heb “all Israel.”

[31:1]  ⁴ tn Or “tore down.”

[31:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “the high places and the altars from all Judah and Benjamin and in Ephraim and in Manasseh until finished.”

[31:1]  ⁶ tn Heb “and the sons of Israel returned, each to his possession to their cities.”

[31:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “and Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites according to their divisions, each in accordance with his service for the priests and for the Levites.”

[31:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “in the gates of the encampments of the Lord.”

[23:15]  ⁹ tn Heb “and they placed hands on her, and she went through the entrance of the gate of the horses [into] the house of the king.” Some English versions treat the phrase “gate of the horses” as the name of the gate (“the Horse Gate”; e.g., NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[23:16]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and [between] all the people and [between] the king, to become a people for the Lord.”

[23:17]  ¹¹ tn Or “tore down.”

[23:17]  ¹² tn Or “images.”

[23:18]  ¹³ tn Heb “as it is written in.”

[23:20]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “took.”