1
Now Hezekiahsent to allIsrael and Judah and wrotelettersalso to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover to the LORDGod of Israel.
3
since they could not celebrate it at that time, because the priests had not consecrated themselves in sufficientnumbers, nor had the people been gathered to Jerusalem.
5
So they established a decree to circulate a proclamation throughout allIsrael from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to celebrate the Passover to the LORDGod of Israel at Jerusalem. For they had not celebrated it in greatnumbers as it was prescribed.
6
The courierswent throughout allIsrael and Judah with the letters from the hand of the king and his princes, even according to the command of the king, saying, "O sons of Israel, return to the LORDGod of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that He may return to those of you whoescaped and are left from the hand of the kings of Assyria.
8
"Now do not stiffen your neck like your fathers, but yield* to the LORD and enter His sanctuarywhich He has consecratedforever, and serve the LORD your God, that His burninganger may turnaway from you.
9
"For if you return to the LORD, your brothers and your sons will find compassionbefore those who led them captive and will return to thisland. For the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate, and will not turn His faceaway from you if you return to Him."
10
So the courierspassed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them.