1 And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel. 2 For the king had taken counsel, and his princes, and all the congregation in Jerusalem, to keep the passover in the second month. 3 For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem. 4 And the thing pleased the king and all the congregation. 5 So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beer-sheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel at Jerusalem: for they had not done it of a long time in such sort as it was written. 6 So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, Ye children of Israel, turn again unto the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he will return to the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria. 7 And be not ye like your fathers, and like your brethren, which trespassed against the LORD God of their fathers, who therefore gave them up to desolation, as ye see. 8 Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the LORD your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you. 9 For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him. 10 So the posts passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh even unto Zebulun: but they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them. 11 Nevertheless divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem. 12 Also in Judah the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes, by the word of the LORD.
13 ¶ And there assembled at Jerusalem much people to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great congregation. 14 And they arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for incense took they away, and cast them into the brook Kidron. 15 Then they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the second month: and the priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought in the burnt offerings into the house of the LORD. 16 And they stood in their place after their manner, according to the law of Moses the man of God: the priests sprinkled the blood, which they received of the hand of the Levites. 17 For there were many in the congregation that were not sanctified: therefore the Levites had the charge of the killing of the passovers for every one that was not clean, to sanctify them unto the LORD. 18 For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pardon every one 19 That prepareth his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary. 20 And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.
21 And the children of Israel that were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness: and the Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day, singing with loud instruments unto the LORD. 22 And Hezekiah spake comfortably unto all the Levites that taught the good knowledge of the LORD: and they did eat throughout the feast seven days, offering peace offerings, and making confession to the LORD God of their fathers. 23 And the whole assembly took counsel to keep other seven days: and they kept other seven days with gladness. 24 For Hezekiah king of Judah did give to the congregation a thousand bullocks and seven thousand sheep; and the princes gave to the congregation a thousand bullocks and ten thousand sheep: and a great number of priests sanctified themselves. 25 And all the congregation of Judah, with the priests and the Levites, and all the congregation that came out of Israel, and the strangers that came out of the land of Israel, and that dwelt in Judah, rejoiced. 26 So there was great joy in Jerusalem: for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was not the like in Jerusalem.
27 ¶ Then the priests the Levites arose and blessed the people: and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy dwelling place, even unto heaven.
Lulwamisigwa kwe Nzano we Kupinda Pezhugwi
1 Hezekiya katumila ndaidzo ku Baiziraela bose ne ku Bajuda bose kakwalila Ifureimi ne Manase hwalo kuti bazhe ku Ng'umba ya Yahwe mu Jerusalema ne kuwoshongozhela Nzano we Kupinda pezhugwi wa Yahwe Ndzimu we Iziraela. 2 Ngobe mambo ne makulukota awe ne gubungano lose mu Jerusalema bakabe basunga kuti kulondolodziwe Nzano we Kupinda pezhugwi mu mwedzi we bubili. 3 Bakabe basingatubule kuulondolodza nge tjibaka tjawo ngobe kwakabe kusina bapirisiti bakaswika ngoti bakabe basazwitjenapadza ne bathu bakabe basakakubungana ku Jerusalema. 4 Ngono ndongoloso iyeyi yakabe ilingika yakalulwama mbeli kwa mambo ne gubungano lose. 5 Ndizo ndaulo yakadusiwa kuti kudang'we Baiziraela bose kudwa tjose ku Bheerisheba kunoti ku Dani, kuti bathu bazhe bawolondolodza Nzano we Kupinda pezhugwi wa Yahwe Ndzimu we Iziraela ku Jerusalema ngobe kwakabe kwabe tjibaka tjilefu basinga tjauzane sekwa bakadwiwa. 6 Nge ndaulo ya mambo batumwa bakayenda Iziraela yose ne Juda nge hwalo dzinodwa kuna mambo ne makulukota, hwalo dzakabe dzibalika sahwoku:
“Bathu be Iziraela, shandukilani kuna Yahwe Ndzimu wa Abhurahama na Isaki na Iziraela kuti ndizo babgwililebo kumuli imwi makasala, imwi makapudzumuka mu maboko a bomambo be Baasiriya. 7 Musinge bobatategulu benyu ne zwikamu zwenyu ibo bakabe ne kusagalikabgwe kuna Yahwe Ndzimu wa bobatategulu babo ngono kabathama zwishingisiwa zwe zwithu zwinotjenamisa sekwa koga mubona. 8 Musiwomeledze mitshibha sa botate benyu, muzwiyise pasi kuna Yahwe. Izhani ku bugalo gwabo gwakayengemala igo Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu gwabakathama kuti gugale gwakayengemala tjatjose, muzhe mubashingile kuti ndizo basitongomugwadzila moyo tjatjose. 9 Ha mungashandukila kuna Yahwe, zwikamu zwenyu ne bana benyu banowohwigwa ngoni ne basungi babo ngono banowobgwilila ku shango yabo ngobe Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu bana ngoni ne mahwilozogwadza. Abangamufupatile amushandukila ku bali.”
10 Batumwa bakayenda mizi mikulu yose mu mituthu yose ye njudzi dza Ifureimi na Manase ne kunoti ku bunandzwa ku ludzi gwa Zebuluni koga bathu bakabe bebaseka bebadadila. 11 Nekwakajalo, bamwe balume be Asheri ne Manase ne Zebuluni bakazwiyisa pasi bakayenda ku Jerusalema. 12 Simba le Ndzimu likabe lili mu bathu be Juda, wakabapa meya nng'ompela kuti babhatane bathame tjalaugwa ndi mambo ne makulukota ngekwe dama la Yahwe.
13 Mbunga usi nshoma ukanokubungana ku Jerusalema kunolondolodza Nzano we Tjiwunga tjisina Mbidzo mu mwedzi we bubili. 14 Bakadusa zwibeso zose zwakabe zwishingisiwa zwili zwinodusigwa zwibhayilo ne zwinopisiwa motsha mu Jerusalema ngono bakanozwilashila ku nkuku we Kidironi. 15 Ngono mu zhuba le bugumi lina manna (14) le mwedzi we bubili bakabhaya pkhwizana dze Nzano we Kupinda pezhugwi. Bapirisiti ne Balevi bakabe basazwitjenapadza bakabhakhwa nge shoni ngono bakazwitjenapadza bakazhisa zwibhayilo zwinopisiwa ku Ng'umba ya Yahwe. 16 Bakadwapo betola magalo abo sekwa kuli iko mu nlayo wa Mushe nlume we Ndzimu. Bapirisiti bakanyasa malopa abakabe bepiwa ne Balevi. 17 Ngoti kwakabe kuna bathu banjinji mu gubungano bakabe basakazwitjenapadza, ndizo Balevi bakabe bakafanila kubhayila mmwe ne mmwe wakabe asi mbuyanana pkhwizana ye Nzano we Kupinda Pezhugwi kuti kube kwakayengemala kuna Yahwe. 18 Nenguba bunji gwe bathu bakabe bedwa ku Ifureimi ne Manase ne Isakari ne Zebuluni bakabe basazwitjenapadza, bakaja tjibhayilo tje Nzano we Kupinda Pezhugwi ikoku kusi iko kwakakwagwa mu nlayo. Koga Hezekiya wakabatembezelela eti, “Tshene Yahwe, ibo bakalulwama, bangazwiibhatigwa mmwe ne mmwe, 19 we moyo uwe umukushaka Ndzimu, Yahwe Ndzimu wa bobatategulu babe nenguba angabe asakatjenapala sekwa milayo inoshaka.” 20 Ngono Yahwe bakadabila Hezekiya ngono Yahwe bakatjidza bathu. 21 Kwakabe kwe mazhuba ali kutendeka bathu bakakubunganila ku Jerusalema belondolodza Nzano we Tjiwunga tjisina Mbidzo nge shatho hwulu ngono zhuba ne zhuba Balevi ne bapirisiti bakabe bekudza Yahwe nge mimoyo yabo yose. 22 Hezekiya wakalebeleka ekudza Balevi bose bakalakidza bunyambi mu nshingo wa Yahwe. Ndizo bathu bakaja zojiwa zwe nzano kwe mazhuba ali kutendeka, bedusa zwibhayilo zwe mbakisano ne kuyisa mboko kuna Yahwe Ndzimu wa botate babo.
23 Ipapo gubungano lose likadumana kuti badwilidzile nzano kwe mamwe mazhuba ali kutendeka nge kushatha. 24 Mambo Hezekiya kadusa mikono ili tjiwulu (1 000) ne pkhwizi ne mbudzi dzili zwiwulu zwili kutendeka (7 000) kuti bathu babhaye baje, ngono makulukota kabapa mimwe mikono ili tjiwulu (1 000) ne pkhwizi ne mbudzi dzili zwiwulu zwili gumi (10 000). Bapirisiti banji bakazwitjenapadza. 25 Gubungano lose le Juda likashatha kose ne bapirisiti ne Balevi na bose bakabe bazha bedwa ku Iziraela kubaligwa ne bazhi bakabe bedwa kuzhe kwe Iziraela na ibabo bakabe begala mu Juda. 26 Kwakabe ne kushatha kukulu mu Jerusalema ngobe tjinga kudwa tjibaka tja Solomoni nkololo wa Dafite mambo we Iziraela akuzotongobe ne tjakajali mu Jerusalema. 27 Bapirisiti ne Balevi bakama ne makumbo bakakombolela bathu ngono Ndzimu ukabahwa ngobe ntembezelo wabo wakaswika kudzimu ku bugalo gwawo gwakayengemala.