Judah’s King Hezekiah
1 Hezekiah was 25 years oldwhen he became king and reigned 29 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abijahdaughter of Zechariah.
2 He did what was right in theLord’s sightjust as his ancestor David had done.
3 In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of theLord’s temple and repaired them.
4 Then he brought in the priests and Levites and gathered them in the eastern public square.
5 He said to them, “Hear me, Levites. Consecrate yourselvesnow and consecrate the temple of Yahweh, the God of your ancestors. Remove everything impure from the holy place.
6 For our fathers were unfaithful and did what is evil in the sight of theLordour God. They abandoned Him, turned their faces away from theLord’s tabernacle, and turned their backs on Him.
7 They also closed the doors of the portico, extinguished the lamps, did not burn incense, and did not offer burnt offerings in the holy place of the God of Israel.
8 Therefore, the wrath of theLordwas on Judah and Jerusalem, and He made them an object of terror, horror, and mockery,as you see with your own eyes.
9 Our fathers fell by the sword, and our sons, our daughters, and our wives are in captivity because of this.
10 It is in my heart now to make a covenant with Yahweh, the God of Israelso that His burning anger may turn away from us.
11 My sons, don’t be negligent now, for theLordhas chosen you to stand in His presence, to serve Him, and to be His ministers and burners of incense.”
Cleansing the Temple
12 Then the Levites stood up:
Mahathson of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah from the Kohathites;
Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel from the Merarites;
Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah from the Gershonites;
13 Shimri and Jeuel from the Elizaphanites;
Zechariah and Mattaniah from the Asaphites;
14 Jehieland Shimei from the Hemanites;
Shemaiah and Uzziel from the Jeduthunites.
15 They gathered their brothers together, consecrated themselves,and went according to the king’s command by the words of theLordto cleanse theLord’s temple.
16 The priests went to the entrance of theLord’s temple to cleanse it. They took all the unclean things they found in theLord’s sanctuary to the courtyard of theLord’s temple. Then the Levites received them and took them outside to the Kidron Valley.
17 They began the consecration on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they came to the portico of theLord’s temple. They consecrated theLord’s temple for eight days, and on the sixteenth day of the first month they finished.
18 Then they went inside to King Hezekiah and said, “We have cleansed the whole temple of theLord, the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the table for the rows of the bread of the Presence and all its utensils.
19 We have set up and consecrated all the utensils that King Ahaz rejected during his reignwhen he became unfaithful. They are in front of the altar of theLord.”
Renewal of Temple Worship
20 King Hezekiah got up early, gathered the city officials, and went to theLord’s temple.
21 They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah. Then he told the descendants of Aaron, the priests, to offer them on the altar of theLord.
22 So they slaughtered the bulls, and the priests received the blood and sprinkled it on the altar.They slaughtered the rams and sprinkled the blood on the altar. They slaughtered the lambs and sprinkled the blood on the altar.
23 Then they brought the goats for the sin offering right into the presence of the king and the congregation, who laid their hands on them.
24 The priests slaughtered the goats and put their blood on the altar for a sin offering, to make atonement for all Israel,for the king said that the burnt offering and sin offering were for all Israel.
25 Hezekiah stationed the Levites in theLord’s temple with cymbals, harps, and lyresaccording to the command of David,Gad the king’s seer,and Nathan the prophet.For the command was from theLordthrough His prophets.
26 The Levites stood with the instruments of David,and the priests with the trumpets.
27 Then Hezekiah ordered that the burnt offering be offered on the altar. When the burnt offerings began, the song of theLordand the trumpets began, accompanied by the instruments of David king of Israel.
28 The whole assembly was worshiping, singing the song, and blowing the trumpets — all of this continued until the burnt offering was completed.
29 When the burnt offerings were completed, the king and all those present with him bowed down and worshiped.
30 Then King Hezekiah and the officials told the Levites to sing praise to theLordin the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with rejoicing and bowed down and worshiped.
31 Hezekiah concluded, “Now you are consecratedto theLord. Come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to theLord’s temple.” So the congregation brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all those with willing heartsbrought burnt offerings.
32 The number of burnt offerings the congregation brought was 70 bulls, 100 rams, and 200 lambs; all these were for a burnt offering to theLord.
33 Six hundred bulls and 3,000 sheep were consecrated.
34 However, since there were not enough priests, they weren’t able to skin all the burnt offerings, so their Levite brothers helped themuntil the work was finished and until the priests consecrated themselves. For the Levites were more conscientiousto consecrate themselves than the priests were.
35 Furthermore, the burnt offerings were abundant, along with the fat of the fellowship offeringsand with the drink offeringsfor the burnt offering.
So the service of theLord’s temple was established.
36 Then Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced over how God had prepared the people, for it had come about suddenly.
—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/17/32k/2CH/29-28820f22c54795b68e616281c72f2d85.mp3?version_id=72—