aHezekiah became
king
when he was twenty-five
years
old
; and he reigned
twenty-nine
years
in Jerusalem
. And his mother's
name
was Abijah
, the daughter
of Zechariah
.
aHe did right
in the sight
of the LORD
, according to all
that his father
David
had done
.
In the first year
of his reign
, in the first
month
, he aopened
the doors
of the house
of the LORD
and repaired
them.
He brought in the priests
and the Levites
and gathered
them into the square
on the east
.
Then he said to them, "Listen
to me, O Levites
. aConsecrate
yourselves now
, and consecrate
the house
of the LORD
, the God
of your fathers
, and carry
the uncleanness
out from the holy
place.
"For our fathers have been
unfaithful
and have done
evil
in the sight
of the LORD
our God
, and have forsaken
Him and aturned
their faces
away
from the dwelling
place
of the LORD
, and have 1turned
their backs
.
"They have also ashut
the doors
of the porch
and put
out the lamps
, and have not burned
incense
or offered
burnt
offerings
in the holy
place to the God
of Israel
.
"Therefore athe wrath of the LORD
was against
Judah
and Jerusalem
, and He has made
them an object
of terror
, of horror
, and of bhissing
, as you see
with your own eyes
.
"For behold, aour fathers
have fallen
by the sword
, and our sons
and our daughters
and our wives
are in captivity
for this
.
"Now it is in my heart
ato make
a covenant
with the LORD
God
of Israel
, that His burning
anger
may turn
away
from us.
"My sons, do not be negligent
now
, for athe LORD
has chosen
you to stand
before
Him, to minister
to Him, and to be His ministers
and burn
incense
."
Then the Levites arose
: aMahath
, the son
of Amasai
and Joel
the son
of Azariah
, from the sons
of bthe Kohathites
; and from the sons
of Merari
, Kish
the son
of Abdi
and Azariah
the son
of Jehallelel
; and from the Gershonites
, Joah
the son
of Zimmah
and Eden
the son
of Joah
;
and from the sons of Elizaphan
, Shimri
and 1Jeiel
; and from the sons
of Asaph
, Zechariah
and Mattaniah
;
and from the sons of Heman
, 1Jehiel
and Shimei
; and from the sons
of Jeduthun
, Shemaiah
and Uzziel
.
They assembled their brothers
, aconsecrated
themselves, and went
in bto cleanse
the house
of the LORD
, according to the commandment
of the king
cby the words
of the LORD
.
So the priests went
in to the inner
part
of the house
of the LORD
to cleanse
it, and every
unclean
thing
which
they found
in the temple
of the LORD
they brought
out to the court
of the house
of the LORD
. Then the Levites
received
it to carry
out to athe Kidron
1valley
.
Now they began 1the consecration
aon the first
day of the first
month
, and on the eighth
day
of the month
they entered
the porch
of the LORD
. Then they consecrated
the house
of the LORD
in eight
days
, and finished
on the sixteenth
day
of the first
month
.
Then they went in to King
Hezekiah
and said
, "We have cleansed
the whole
house
of the LORD
, the altar
of burnt
offering
with all
of its utensils
, and the table
of showbread
with all
of its utensils
.
"Moreover, aall the utensils
which
King
Ahaz
had discarded
during his reign
in his unfaithfulness
, we have prepared
and consecrated
; and behold
, they are before
the altar
of the LORD
."
Then King Hezekiah
arose
early
and assembled
the princes
of the city
and went
up to the house
of the LORD
.
They brought seven
bulls
, seven
rams
, seven
lambs
and seven
male
goats
afor a sin
offering
for the kingdom
, the sanctuary
, and Judah
. And he ordered
the priests
, the sons
of Aaron
, to offer
them on the altar
of the LORD
.
So they slaughtered the bulls
, and the priests
took
the blood
and sprinkled
it on the altar
. They also slaughtered
the rams
and sprinkled
the blood
on the altar
; they slaughtered
the lambs
also and asprinkled
the blood
on the altar
.
Then they brought the male
goats
of the sin
offering
before
the king
and the assembly
, and athey laid
their hands
on them.
The priests slaughtered
them and purged
the altar
with their blood
ato atone
for all
Israel
, for the king
ordered
the burnt
offering
and the sin
offering
for all
Israel
.
aHe then stationed the Levites
in the house
of the LORD
with cymbals
, with harps
and with lyres
, baccording to the command
of David
and of cGad
the king's
seer
, and of dNathan
the prophet
; for the command
was from the LORD
through
His prophets
.
The Levites stood
with athe musical instruments
of David
, and bthe priests
with the trumpets
.
Then Hezekiah gave
the order
to offer
the burnt
offering
on the altar
. When
the burnt
offering
began
, athe song
to the LORD
also began
with the trumpets
, 1accompanied by the instruments
of David
, king
of Israel
.
While the whole assembly
worshiped
, the singers
also sang
and the trumpets
sounded
; all
this continued until
the burnt
offering
was finished
.
Now at the completion of the burnt
offerings
, athe king
and all
who were present
with him bowed
down
and worshiped
.
Moreover, King Hezekiah
and the officials
ordered
the Levites
to sing
praises
to the LORD
with the words
of David
and Asaph
the seer
. aSo they sang
praises
with joy
, and bowed
down
and worshiped
.
Then Hezekiah said
, " aNow
that you have 1consecrated
yourselves
to the LORD
, come
near
and bring
sacrifices
and thank
offerings
to the house
of the LORD
." And the assembly
brought
sacrifices
and thank
offerings
, and ball
those who were 2willing
brought burnt
offerings
.
The number of the burnt
offerings
which
the assembly
brought
was 70
bulls
, 100
rams
, and 200
lambs
; all
these
were for a burnt
offering
to the LORD
.
The consecrated things
were 600
bulls
and 3,000
sheep
.
But the priests were too few
, so that they were unable
to skin
all
the burnt
offerings
; atherefore their brothers
the Levites
helped
them until
the work
was completed
and until
the other priests
had consecrated
themselves. For bthe Levites
were more
1conscientious
to consecrate
themselves than
the priests
.
There were also 1 amany
burnt
offerings
with bthe fat
of the peace
offerings
and with cthe libations
for the burnt
offerings
. Thus the service
of the house
of the LORD
was established
again.
Then Hezekiah and all
the people
rejoiced
over
what God
had prepared
for the people
, because
the thing
came
about suddenly
.