The Daily Audio Bible

Hezekiah Celebrates the Passover

30 And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of Yahweh at Jerusalem to ^[a]celebrate the Passover to Yahweh, the God of Israel. ² And the king and his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem had taken counsel ^(A)to celebrate the Passover in the second month, ³ since they could not celebrate it ^(B)at that time, because the priests had not set themselves apart as holy in sufficient numbers, nor had the people been gathered to Jerusalem. ⁴ Thus the thing was right in the eyes of the king and in the eyes of all the assembly. ⁵ So they established a decree to make a ^[b]proclamation pass throughout all Israel ^(C)from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to celebrate the Passover to Yahweh, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem. For they had not celebrated it in great numbers as it was written. ^6 (D)And the ^[c]couriers went throughout all Israel and Judah with the letters from the hand of the king and his princes, even according to the commandment of the king, saying, “O sons of Israel, return to Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that He may return to those of you who escaped and remain from ^(E)the ^[d]hand of the kings of Assyria. ^7 (F)Now do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who were unfaithful to Yahweh, the God of their fathers, so that ^(G)He made them an object of horror, as you see. ⁸ Now do not ^(H)stiffen your neck like your fathers, but give your hand to Yahweh and enter His sanctuary which He has set apart as holy forever, and serve Yahweh your God, ^(I)that His burning anger may turn away from you. ⁹ For ^(J)when you return to Yahweh, your brothers and your sons will find compassion before those who led them captive and will return to this land. ^(K)For Yahweh your God is gracious and compassionate, and will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him.”

¹⁰ So the ^[e]couriers passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but ^(L)they were laughing at them to scorn and mocking them. ¹¹ Nevertheless ^(M)some men of Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. ¹² The ^(N)hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of Yahweh.

¹³ Now many people were gathered at Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread ^(O)in the second month, a very large assembly. ¹⁴ And they arose and took away the altars which were in Jerusalem; they also ^(P)took away all the incense altars and ^(Q)cast them into the brook Kidron. ¹⁵ Then ^(R)they slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth of the second month. And ^(S)the priests and Levites were ashamed of themselves, and set themselves apart as holy and brought burnt offerings to the house of Yahweh. ^16 (T)And they stood at their stations according to the legal judgment for them, according to the law of Moses the man of God; the priests splashed the blood which they received from the hand of the Levites. ¹⁷ For there were many in the assembly who had not set themselves apart as holy; therefore, ^(U)the Levites were over the slaughter of the Passover lambs for everyone who was unclean, in order to set them apart as holy to Yahweh. ¹⁸ For a multitude of the people, ^(V)even many from Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, ^(W)yet they ate the Passover ^(X)otherwise than what was written. For Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May Yahweh, who is good, atone ^19 (Y)for everyone who prepares his heart to seek God, Yahweh, the God of his fathers, though not according to the rules of cleansing of the sanctuary.” ²⁰ So Yahweh heard Hezekiah and ^(Z)healed the people. ²¹ And the sons of Israel present in Jerusalem ^(AA)celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great gladness, and the Levites and the priests praised Yahweh day after day with loud instruments to Yahweh. ²² Then Hezekiah ^(AB)spoke to the hearts of all the Levites who showed good insight in the things of Yahweh. So they ate for the appointed seven days, sacrificing peace offerings and ^(AC)giving thanks to Yahweh, the God of their fathers.

²³ Then the whole assembly ^(AD)took counsel to determine to celebrate the feast another seven days, so they celebrated the seven days with gladness. ²⁴ For ^(AE)Hezekiah king of Judah had contributed to the assembly 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep, and the princes had contributed to the assembly 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep; and ^(AF)a large number of priests set themselves apart as holy. ²⁵ And all the assembly of Judah were glad, with the priests and the Levites and ^(AG)all the assembly that came from Israel, both the sojourners who came from the land of Israel and those living in Judah. ²⁶ So there was great gladness in Jerusalem, because there was nothing like this in Jerusalem ^(AH)since the days of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel. ²⁷ Then ^(AI)the Levitical priests arose and ^(AJ)blessed the people; and their voice was heard and their prayer came to ^(AK)His holy habitation, to heaven.

31 Now when all this was completed, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah, ^(AL)shattered the pillars, cut the ^[f]Asherim in pieces, and tore down the high places and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, until the destruction was completed. Then all the sons of Israel returned to their cities, each to his possession.

Hezekiah Sets Up Priests for Service

² And Hezekiah set up ^(AM)the divisions of the priests and the Levites by their divisions, each according to his service, both the priests and the Levites, ^(AN)for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister and to give thanks and to praise in the gates of the camp of Yahweh. ³ He also appointed ^(AO)the king’s portion of his goods for the burnt offerings, namely, for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the sabbaths and for the new moons and for the appointed times, ^(AP)as it is written in the law of Yahweh. ⁴ Also he said to the people who lived in Jerusalem to give ^(AQ)the portion due to the priests and the Levites, that they might be strong in ^(AR)the law of Yahweh. ⁵ As soon as the word spread forth, the sons of Israel provided in abundance the first fruits of grain, new wine, oil, honey, and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly ^(AS)the tithe of all. ⁶ Now the sons of Israel and Judah who lived in the cities of Judah also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and ^(AT)the tithe of the holy gifts which were made holy to Yahweh their God, and put them in heaps. ⁷ In the third month they began to ^[g]make the heaps, and completed them by the seventh month. ⁸ Then Hezekiah and the rulers came and saw the heaps, and they blessed Yahweh and ^(AU)His people Israel. ⁹ Then Hezekiah inquired of the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps. ¹⁰ And Azariah the chief priest ^(AV)of the house of Zadok said to ^[h]him, “^(AW)Since the contributions began to be brought into the house of Yahweh, there has been much to eat and be satisfied with and have left over, for Yahweh has blessed His people, and this great quantity is left over.”

¹¹ Then Hezekiah ordered them to prepare ^(AX)rooms in the house of Yahweh, and they prepared them. ¹² And they faithfully brought in the contribution and the tithe and the holy things; and Conaniah the Levite was the officer over ^(AY)them and his brother Shimei was second. ¹³ Now Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers ^[i]assisting at the hand of Conaniah and Shimei his brother by the appointment of King Hezekiah, and ^(AZ)Azariah was the chief officer of the house of God. ¹⁴ And Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the keeper of the eastern gate, was over the freewill offerings of God, to distribute the contributions for Yahweh and the most holy things. ¹⁵ Now assisting ^[j]by his hand were ^(BA)Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah in ^(BB)the cities of the priests, to distribute faithfully their portions to their brothers by divisions, whether great or small, ¹⁶ without regard to their genealogical record, to the males from ^[k](BC)thirty years old and upward—everyone who entered the house of Yahweh ^(BD)for his daily obligations—for their service in their responsibilities according to their divisions; ¹⁷ as well as the priests who were recorded genealogically according to their fathers’ households, and the Levites ^(BE)from twenty years old and upwards, by their responsibilities and their divisions. ¹⁸ The genealogical record included ^[l]all their little ones, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, for the whole assembly, for they set themselves apart ^[m]faithfully in holiness. ¹⁹ Also for the sons of Aaron the priests who were in ^(BF)the pasture lands of their cities, or in each and every city, ^(BG)there were men who were designated by name to distribute portions to every male among the priests and to everyone genealogically recorded among the Levites.

²⁰ Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah; and ^(BH)he did what was good, right, and true before Yahweh his God. ²¹ And every work which he began in the service of the house of God in law and in commandment—to seek his God—he did with all his heart and ^(BI)succeeded.

Bearing the Weaknesses of Others

15 Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of ^(A)those without strength and not just please ourselves. ² Each of us is to ^(B)please his neighbor ^[a]for his good, to his ^(C)building up. ³ For even ^(D)Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “^(E)The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.” ⁴ For ^(F)whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through the perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. ⁵ Now may the ^(G)God of perseverance and encouragement grant you ^(H)to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, ⁶ so that with one accord you may with one ^[b]voice glorify ^(I)the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Christ, the Hope of Jews and Gentiles

⁷ Therefore, ^(J)accept one another, just as Christ also accepted ^[c]us to the glory of God. ⁸ For I say that Christ has become a servant to ^(K)the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm ^(L)the promises given to the fathers, ⁹ and for ^(M)the Gentiles to ^(N)glorify God for His mercy; as it is written,

¹⁰ And again he says,

¹¹ And again,

¹² And again Isaiah says,

¹³ Now may the God of hope fill you with all ^(U)joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope ^(V)by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Paul’s Ministry Plans

¹⁴ But I myself am also convinced about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of ^(W)goodness, having been filled with ^(X)all knowledge and being able also to admonish one another. ¹⁵ But I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of ^(Y)the grace that was given me ^[f]by God ¹⁶ for me to be ^(Z)a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the ^(AA)gospel of God, so that my ^(AB)offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, having been sanctified by the Holy Spirit. ¹⁷ Therefore in Christ Jesus I have ^(AC)reason for boasting in ^(AD)things pertaining to God. ¹⁸ For I will not be bold to speak of anything ^[g]except what ^(AE)Christ has brought about through me, ^[h]leading to the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, ¹⁹ in the power of ^[i](AF)signs and wonders, ^(AG)in the power of the Spirit; so that ^(AH)from Jerusalem and all around as ^(AI)far as Illyricum I have ^[j]fully preached the gospel of Christ. ²⁰ And in this way I make it my ambition to ^(AJ)proclaim the gospel, not where Christ was already named, ^(AK)so that I would not build on another man’s foundation; ²¹ but as it is written,

²² For this reason ^(AM)I have often been prevented from coming to you;

Lead Me in Your Truth

Of David.

Aleph

Beth

Gimel

Daleth

He / Vav

Zayin

Heth

Teth

Yodh

Kaph

Lamedh

Mem

Nun

Samekh

Ayin