Chronicles II 29

1 And Ezekias began to reign at the age of twenty-five years, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Abia, daughter of Zacharias.
2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done.
3 And it came to pass, when he was established over his kingdom, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord, and repaired them.
4 And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and put them on the east side,
5 and said to them, Hear, ye Levites: now sanctify yourselves, and sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and cast out the impurity from the holy places.
6 For our fathers have revolted, and done that which was evil before the Lord our God, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their face from the tabernacle of the Lord, and have turned back.
7 And they have shut up the doors of the temple, and put out the lamps, and have not burnt incense, and have not offered whole-burnt-offerings in the holy to the God of Israel.
8 And the Lord was very angry with Juda and Jerusalem, and made them an astonishment, and a desolation, and a hissing, as ye see with your eyes.
9 And, behold, your fathers have been smitten with the sword, and your sons and your daughters and your wives are in captivity in a land not their own, as it is even now.
10 Therefore it is now in my heart to make a covenant, a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, that he may turn away his fierce wrath from us.
11 And now be not wanting , for the Lord has chosen you to stand before him to minister, and to be ministers and burners of incense to him.
12 Then the Levites rose up, Maath the son of Amasi, and Joel the son of Azarias, of the sons of Caath: and of the sons of Merari, Kis the son of Abdi, and Azarias the son of Haelel: and of the sons of Gedsoni, Jodaad the son of Zemmath, and Joadam: these the sons of Joacha.
13 And of the sons of Elisaphan; Zambri, and Jeiel: and of the sons of Asaph; Zacharias, and Matthanias:
14 and of the sons of Aeman; Jeiel, and Semei: and of the sons of Idithun; Samaisa, and Oziel.
15 And they gathered their brethren, and they purified themselves according to the king's command by the order of the Lord, to purify the house of the Lord.
16 And the priests entered into the house of the Lord, to purify , and they cast out all the uncleanness that was found in the house of the Lord, even into the court of the house of the Lord: and the Levites received to cast into the brook of Kedron without.
17 And began on the first day, on the new moon of the first month, to purify, and on the eighth day of the month they entered into the temple of the Lord: and they purified the house of the Lord in eight days; and on the thirteenth day of the first month they finished .
18 And they went in to king Ezekias, and said, We have purified all the things in the house of the Lord, the altar of whole-burnt-offering, and its vessels, and the table of shew-bread, and its vessels;
19 and all the vessels which king Achaz polluted in his reign, in his apostasy, we have prepared and purified: behold, they are before the altar of the Lord.
20 And king Ezekias rose early in the morning, and gathered the chief men of the city, and went up to the house of the Lord.
21 And he brought seven calves, seven rams, seven lambs, seven kids of goats for a sin-offering, for the kingdom, and for the holy things, and for Israel: and he told the priests the sons of Aaron to go up to the altar of the Lord.
22 And they slew the calves, and the priests received the blood, and poured it on the altar: and they slew the rams, and poured the blood upon the altar: also they slew the lambs, and poured the blood round the altar.
23 And they brought the goats for a sin-offering before the king and the congregation; and laid their hands upon them.
24 And the priests slew them, and offered their blood as a propitiation on the altar; and they made atonement for all Israel: for the king said, The whole-burnt-offering, and the sin-offering for all Israel.
25 And he stationed the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, and lutes, and harps, according to the commandment of king David, and of Gad the king's seer, and Nathan the prophet: for by the commandment of the Lord the order in the hand of the prophets.
26 And the Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.
27 And Ezekias told to offer up the whole-burnt-offering on the altar: and when they began to offer the whole-burnt-offering, they began to sing to the Lord, and the trumpets the instruments of David king of Israel.
28 And all the congregation worshipped, and the psalm-singers singing, and the trumpets sounding, until the whole-burnt-sacrifice had been completely offered.
29 And when they had done offering , the king and all that were present bowed, and worshipped.
30 And king Ezekias and the princes told the Levites to sing hymns to the Lord in the words of David, and of Asaph the prophet: and they sang hymns with gladness, and fell down and worshipped.
31 Then Ezekias answered and said, Now ye have consecrated yourselves to the Lord, bring near and offer sacrifices of praise in the house of the Lord. And the congregation brought sacrifices and thank-offerings into the house of the Lord; and every one who was ready in his heart whole-burnt-offerings.
32 And the number of the whole-burnt-offerings which the congregation brought, was seventy calves, a hundred rams, two hundred lambs: all these for a whole-burnt-offering to the Lord.
33 And the consecrated calves were six hundred, the sheep three thousand.
34 But the priests were few, and could not flay the whole-burnt-offering, so their brethren the Levites helped them, until the work was finished, and until the priests had purified themselves: for the Levites zealously purified than the priests.
35 And the whole-burnt-offering abundant, with the fat of the complete peace-offering, and the drink-offerings of the whole-burnt-sacrifice. So the service was established in the house of the Lord.
36 And Ezekias and all the people rejoiced, because God has prepared the people: for the thing was done suddenly.

Chronicles II 29 Commentary

Chapter 29

Hezekiah's good reign in Judah. (1-19) Hezekiah's sacrifice of atonement. (20-36)

Verses 1-19 When Hezekiah came to the crown, he applied at once to work reform. Those who begin with God, begin at the right end of their work, and it will prosper accordingly. Those that turn their backs upon God's ordinances, may truly be said to forsake God himself. There are still such neglects, if the word be not duly read and opened, for that was signified by the lighting the lamps, and also if prayers and praise be not offered up, for that was signified by the burning incense. Neglect of God's worship was the cause of the calamities they had lain under. The Lord alone can prepare the heart of man for vital godliness: when much good is done in a little time, the glory must be ascribed to him; and all who love him or the souls of men, will rejoice therein. Let those that do good work, learn to do it well.

Verses 20-36 As soon as Hezekiah heard that the temple was ready, he lost no time. Atonement must be made for the sins of the last reign. It was not enough to lament and forsake those sins; they brought a sin-offering. Our repentance and reformation will not obtain pardon but in and through Christ, who was made sin, that is, a sin-offering for us. While the offerings were on the altar, the Levites sang. Sorrow for sin must not prevent us from praising God. The king and the congregation gave their consent to all that was done. It is not enough for us to be where God is worshipped, if we do not ourselves worship with the heart. And we should offer up our spiritual sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving, and devote ourselves and all we have, as sacrifices, acceptable to the Father only through the Redeemer.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 CHRONICLES 29

This chapter begins with the good reign of Hezekiah, who upon his accession to the throne opened the doors of the temple, 2Ch 29:1-3, summoned the priests and Levites, and exhorted them to purge the temple, and restore the worship of it, 2Ch 29:4-11, who accordingly set about the work immediately, and cleansed the temple, and, when they had done, reported it to the king, 2Ch 29:12-19 upon which he, with the princes, went into the temple and offered sacrifices, 2Ch 29:20-24 and ordered singers to sing at the offering of burnt offerings, 2Ch 29:25-30 when he and his people offered burnt offerings and peace offerings in great abundance, 2Ch 29:31-36.

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Chronicles II 29 Commentaries

The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.