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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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"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.
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"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."
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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.
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Then they slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth* of the secondmonth. And the priests and Levites were ashamed of themselves, and consecrated themselves and broughtburntofferings to the house of the LORD.
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They stood at their stations after their custom, according to the law of Moses the man of God; the priestssprinkled the blood which they received from the hand of the Levites.
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For there were many in the assemblywho had not consecrated themselves; therefore, the Levites were over the slaughter of the Passover lambs for everyone who was unclean*, in order to consecrate them to the LORD.
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For a multitude of the people, even many from Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passoverotherwise than prescribed. For Hezekiahprayed for them, saying, "May the goodLORDpardon
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The sons of Israelpresent in Jerusalemcelebrated the Feast of UnleavenedBread for sevendays with greatjoy, and the Levites and the priestspraised the LORDday after day with loudinstruments to the LORD.
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Then Hezekiahspokeencouragingly* to all the Levites who showedgoodinsight in the things of the LORD. So they ate for the appointedsevendays, sacrificingpeaceofferings and givingthanks to the LORDGod of their fathers.
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For Hezekiahking of Judah had contributed to the assembly1,000bulls and 7,000*sheep, and the princes had contributed to the assembly1,000bulls and 10,000*sheep; and a largenumber of priestsconsecrated themselves.
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All the assembly of Judahrejoiced, with the priests and the Levites and all the assembly that came from Israel, both the sojourners who came from the land of Israel and those living in Judah.