2 Chronicles 30:1-7

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. 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  30:7 Don’t be like your fathers and brothers who were unfaithful to the Lord God of their ancestors, ¹¹  provoking him to destroy them, ¹²  as you can see.

[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.

[30:3]  ² tn Heb “at that time.”

[30:4]  ³ tn Heb “and the thing was proper in the eyes of.”

[30:5]  ⁴ tn Heb “and they caused to stand a word to cause a voice to pass through.”

[30:5]  ⁵ tn The words “summoning the people” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[30:5]  ⁶ tn Heb “because not for abundance had they done as written.”

[30:6]  ⁷ tn Heb “the runners.”

[30:6]  ⁸ tn Heb “and according to the command of the king, saying.”

[30:6]  ⁹ tn The jussive with vav conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

[30:6]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “to the survivors who are left to you from the palm of the kings of Assyria.”

[30:7]  ¹¹ tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 19, 22).

[30:7]  ¹² tn Heb “and he made them a devastation” (or, perhaps, “an object of horror”).