II - Chapter 30

1Chizkiyahu sent word to all Yisrael and Yehuda; he also wrote letters to Efraim and Menashe to come to the House of Hashem in Yerushalayim to keep the Pesach for God of Yisrael.

אוַיִּשְׁלַח יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ עַל־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וִיהוּדָה וְגַם־אִגְּרוֹת כָּתַב עַל־אֶפְרַיִם וּמְנַשֶּׁה לָבוֹא לְבֵית־יְהֹוָה בִּירוּשָׁלָ ִם לַעֲשׂוֹת פֶּסַח לַיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

2The king and his officers and the congregation in Yerushalayim had agreed to keep the Pesach in the second month,

בוַיִּוָּעַץ הַמֶּלֶךְ וְשָׂרָיו וְכָל־הַקָּהָל בִּירוּשָׁלָ ִם לַעֲשׂוֹת הַפֶּסַח בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי׃

3for at the time, they were unable to keep it, for not enough Kohanim had sanctified themselves, nor had the people assembled in Yerushalayim.

גכִּי לֹא יָכְלוּ לַעֲשֹׂתוֹ בָּעֵת הַהִיא כִּי הַכֹּהֲנִים לֹא־הִתְקַדְּשׁוּ לְמַדַּי וְהָעָם לֹא־נֶאֶסְפוּ לִירוּשָׁלָ ִם׃

4The king and the whole congregation thought it proper

דוַיִּישַׁר הַדָּבָר בְּעֵינֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וּבְעֵינֵי כָּל־הַקָּהָל׃

5to issue a decree and proclaim throughout all Yisrael from Be'er Sheva to Dan that they come and keep the Pesach for God of Yisrael in Yerushalayim—not often did they act in accord with what was written.

הוַיַּעֲמִידוּ דָבָר לְהַעֲבִיר קוֹל בְּכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל מִבְּאֵר־שֶׁבַע וְעַד־דָּן לָבוֹא לַעֲשׂוֹת פֶּסַח לַיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּירוּשָׁלָ ִם כִּי לֹא לָרֹב עָשׂוּ כַּכָּתוּב׃

6The couriers went out with the letters from the king and his officers through all Yisrael and Yehuda, by order of the king, proclaiming, “O you Israelites! Return to God of your fathers, Avraham,

Yitzchak, and Yisrael, and He will return to the remnant of you who escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria.

ווַיֵּלְכוּ הָרָצִים בָּאִגְּרוֹת מִיַּד הַמֶּלֶךְ וְשָׂרָיו בְּכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וִיהוּדָה וּכְמִצְוַת הַמֶּלֶךְ לֵאמֹר בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שׁוּבוּ אֶל־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיִשְׂרָאֵל

7Do not be like your fathers and brothers who trespassed against God of their fathers and He turned them into a horror, as you see.

זוְאַל־תִּהְיוּ כַּאֲבוֹתֵיכֶם וְכַאֲחֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר מָעֲלוּ בַּיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם וַיִּתְּנֵם לְשַׁמָּה כַּאֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם רֹאִים׃

8Now do not be stiffnecked like your fathers; submit yourselves to Hashem and come to His sanctuary, which He consecrated forever, and serve Hashem your God so that His anger may turn back from you.

חעַתָּה אַל־תַּקְשׁוּ עָרְפְּכֶם כַּאֲבוֹתֵיכֶם תְּנוּ־יָד לַיהֹוָה וּבֹאוּ לְמִקְדָּשׁוֹ אֲשֶׁר הִקְדִּישׁ לְעוֹלָם וְעִבְדוּ אֶת־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם וְיָשֹׁב מִכֶּם חֲרוֹן אַפּוֹ׃

9If you return to Hashem, your brothers and children will be regarded with compassion by their captors, and will return to this land; for Hashem your God is gracious and merciful; He will not turn His face from you if you return to Him.”

טכִּי בְשׁוּבְכֶם עַל־יְהֹוָה אֲחֵיכֶם וּבְנֵיכֶם לְרַחֲמִים לִפְנֵי שׁוֹבֵיהֶם וְלָשׁוּב לָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת כִּי־חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם וְלֹא־יָסִיר פָּנִים מִכֶּם אִם־תָּשׁוּבוּ אֵלָיו׃

10As the couriers passed from town to town in the land of Efraim and Menashe till they reached Zevulun, they were laughed at and mocked.

יוַיִּהְיוּ הָרָצִים עֹבְרִים מֵעִיר לָעִיר בְּאֶרֶץ־אֶפְרַיִם וּמְנַשֶּׁה וְעַד־זְבֻלוּן וַיִּהְיוּ מַשְׂחִיקִים עֲלֵיהֶם וּמַלְעִגִים בָּם׃

11Some of the people of Asher and Menashe and Zevulun, however, were contrite, and came to Yerushalayim.

יאאַךְ־אֲנָשִׁים מֵאָשֵׁר וּמְנַשֶּׁה וּמִזְּבֻלוּן נִכְנְעוּ וַיָּבֹאוּ לִירוּשָׁלָ ִם׃

12The hand of Hashem was on Yehuda, too, making them of a single mind to carry out the command of the king and officers concerning the ordinance of Hashem.

יבגַּם בִּיהוּדָה הָיְתָה יַד הָאֱלֹהִים לָתֵת לָהֶם לֵב אֶחָד לַעֲשׂוֹת מִצְוַת הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהַשָּׂרִים בִּדְבַר יְהֹוָה׃

13A great crowd assembled at Yerushalayim to keep the Festival of Pesach in the second month, a very great congregation.

יגוַיֵּאָסְפוּ יְרוּשָׁלַ ִם עַם־רָב לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת־חַג הַמַּצּוֹת בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי קָהָל לָרֹב מְאֹד׃

14They set to and removed the altars that were in Yerushalayim, and they removed all the incense stands and threw them into Wadi Kidron.

ידוַיָּקֻמוּ וַיָּסִירוּ אֶת־הַמִּזְבְּחוֹת אֲשֶׁר בִּירוּשָׁלָ ִם וְאֵת כָּל־הַמְקַטְּרוֹת הֵסִירוּ וַיַּשְׁלִיכוּ לְנַחַל קִדְרוֹן׃

15They slaughtered the paschal sacrifice on the fourteenth of the second month. The Kohanim and Leviim were ashamed, and they sanctified themselves and brought burnt offerings to the House of Hashem.

טווַיִּשְׁחֲטוּ הַפֶּסַח בְּאַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר לַחֹדֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי וְהַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם נִכְלְמוּ וַיִּתְקַדְּשׁוּ וַיָּבִיאוּ עֹלוֹת בֵּית יְהֹוָה׃

16They took their stations, as was their rule according to the Teaching of Moshe, man of Hashem. The Kohanim dashed the blood [which they received] from the Leviim.

טזוַיַּעַמְדוּ עַל־עָמְדָם כְּמִשְׁפָּטָם כְּתוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה אִישׁ־הָאֱלֹהִים הַכֹּהֲנִים זֹרְקִים אֶת־הַדָּם מִיַּד הַלְוִיִּם׃

17Since many in the congregation had not sanctified themselves, the Leviim were in charge of slaughtering the paschal sacrifice for everyone who was not clean, so as to consecrate them to Hashem.

יזכִּי־רַבַּת בַּקָּהָל אֲשֶׁר לֹא־הִתְקַדָּשׁוּ וְהַלְוִיִּם עַל־שְׁחִיטַת הַפְּסָחִים לְכֹל לֹא טָהוֹר לְהַקְדִּישׁ לַיהֹוָה׃

18For most of the people—many from Efraim and Menashe, Yissachar and Zevulun—had not purified themselves, yet they ate the paschal sacrifice in violation of what was written. Chizkiyahu prayed for them, saying, “Hashem will provide atonement for

יחכִּי מַרְבִּית הָעָם רַבַּת מֵאֶפְרַיִם וּמְנַשֶּׁה יִשָּׂשכָר וּזְבֻלוּן לֹא הִטֶּהָרוּ כִּי־אָכְלוּ אֶת־הַפֶּסַח בְּלֹא כַכָּתוּב כִּי הִתְפַּלֵּל יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ עֲלֵיהֶם לֵאמֹר יְהֹוָה הַטּוֹב יְכַפֵּר בְּעַד׃

19everyone who set his mind on worshiping Hashem, God of his fathers, even if he is not purified for the sanctuary.”

יטכָּל־לְבָבוֹ הֵכִין לִדְרוֹשׁ הָאֱלֹהִים יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתָיו וְלֹא כְּטָהֳרַת הַקֹּדֶשׁ׃

20Hashem heard Chizkiyahu and healed the people.

כוַיִּשְׁמַע יְהֹוָה אֶל־יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ וַיִּרְפָּא אֶת־הָעָם׃

21The Israelites who were in Yerushalayim kept the Festival of Pesach seven days, with great rejoicing, the Leviim and the Kohanim praising Hashem daily with powerful instruments for Hashem.

כאוַיַּעֲשׂוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל הַנִּמְצְאִים בִּירוּשָׁלַ ִם אֶת־חַג הַמַּצּוֹת שִׁבְעַת יָמִים בְּשִׂמְחָה גְדוֹלָה וּמְהַלְלִים לַיהֹוָה יוֹם בְּיוֹם הַלְוִיִּם וְהַכֹּהֲנִים בִּכְלֵי־עֹז לַיהֹוָה׃

22Chizkiyahu persuaded all the Leviim who performed skillfully for Hashem to spend the seven days of the festival making offerings of well-being, and confessing to God of their fathers.

כבוַיְדַבֵּר יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ עַל־לֵב כָּל־הַלְוִיִּם הַמַּשְׂכִּילִים שֵׂכֶל־טוֹב לַיהֹוָה וַיֹּאכְלוּ אֶת־הַמּוֹעֵד שִׁבְעַת הַיָּמִים מְזַבְּחִים זִבְחֵי שְׁלָמִים וּמִתְוַדִּים לַיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם׃

23All the congregation resolved to keep seven more days, so they kept seven more days of rejoicing.

כגוַיִּוָּעֲצוּ כָּל־הַקָּהָל לַעֲשׂוֹת שִׁבְעַת יָמִים אֲחֵרִים וַיַּעֲשׂוּ שִׁבְעַת־יָמִים שִׂמְחָה׃

24King Chizkiyahu of Yehuda contributed to the congregation 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep. And the officers contributed to the congregation 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep. And the Kohanim sanctified themselves in large numbers.

כדכִּי חִזְקִיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה הֵרִים לַקָּהָל אֶלֶף פָּרִים וְשִׁבְעַת אֲלָפִים צֹאן וְהַשָּׂרִים הֵרִימוּ לַקָּהָל פָּרִים אֶלֶף וְצֹאן עֲשֶׂרֶת אֲלָפִים וַיִּתְקַדְּשׁוּ כֹהֲנִים לָרֹב׃

25All the congregation of Yehuda and the Kohanim and the Leviim and all the congregation that came from Yisrael, and the resident aliens who came from the land of Yisrael and who lived in Yehuda, rejoiced.

כהוַיִּשְׂמְחוּ כָּל־קְהַל יְהוּדָה וְהַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם וְכָל־הַקָּהָל הַבָּאִים מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל וְהַגֵּרִים הַבָּאִים מֵאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהַיּוֹשְׁבִים בִּיהוּדָה׃

26There was great rejoicing in Yerushalayim, for since the time of King Shlomo son of David of Yisrael nothing like it had happened in Yerushalayim.

כווַתְּהִי שִׂמְחָה־גְדוֹלָה בִּירוּשָׁלָ ִם כִּי מִימֵי שְׁלֹמֹה בֶן־דָּוִיד מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא כָזֹאת בִּירוּשָׁלָ ִם׃

27The Levite Kohanim rose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard, and their prayer went up to His holy abode, to heaven.

כזוַיָּקֻמוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים הַלְוִיִּם וַיְבָרֲכוּ אֶת־הָעָם וַיִּשָּׁמַע בְּקוֹלָם וַתָּבוֹא תְפִלָּתָם לִמְעוֹן קָדְשׁוֹ לַשָּׁמָיִם׃