2 Chronicles 30; 2 Chronicles 31; John 18:1-18

1 Then Hezekiah sent word to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh as well, inviting them to the LORD's temple in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover of the LORD God of Israel.

2 The king, his officials, and the entire Jerusalem congregation had decided to celebrate Passover in the second month.

3 They had been unable to celebrate it at the usual time because the priests had failed to make themselves holy in sufficient numbers, and the people hadn't gathered at Jerusalem.

4 Since the plan seemed good to the king and the entire congregation,

5 they made arrangements to circulate an announcement throughout all Israel, from Beer-sheba to Dan, to come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover of the LORD God of Israel, because they hadn't often kept it as written.

6 Under the authority of the king, runners took letters from the king and his officials throughout all Israel and Judah, which read: People of Israel! Return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that he may return to those of you who remain, who have escaped capture by the Assyrian kings.

7 Don't be like your ancestors and relatives, who were unfaithful to the LORD, the God of their ancestors, so that he made them an object of horror as you can see for yourselves.

8 So don't be stubborn like your ancestors. Surrender to the LORD! Come to God's sanctuary, which he has made holy forever, and serve the LORD your God so that he won't be angry with you any longer.

9 When you return to the LORD, your relatives and your children will receive mercy from their captors and be allowed to return to this land. The LORD your God is merciful and compassionate. He won't withdraw his presence from you if you return to him.

10 So the runners went from town to town in Ephraim and Manasseh, all the way to Zebulun. But they were laughed at and made fun of.

11 Even so, some people from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun were submissive and came to Jerusalem.

12 Moreover, God's power was at work in Judah, unifying them to do what the king and his officials had ordered by the LORD's command.

13 A huge crowd gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread in the second month. A very large congregation gathered.

14 First, they removed the altars in Jerusalem, and hauled off the incense altars and dumped them in the Kidron Valley.

15 They slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of the second month. Ashamed of themselves, the priests and the Levites made themselves holy and brought entirely burned offerings to the LORD's temple.

16 They now took their places as laid out in the Instruction from Moses the man of God, and the priests splashed the blood they received from the Levites against the altar.

17 Since many in the congregation hadn't made themselves holy, the Levites slaughtered the Passover lambs, making them holy to the LORD for all who weren't ceremonially clean.

18 This included most of those who had come from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun—people who hadn't purified themselves and so hadn't eaten the Passover meal in the prescribed way. But Hezekiah prayed for them: "May the good LORD forgive

19 everyone who has decided to seek the true God, the LORD, the God of their ancestors, even though they aren't ceremonially clean by sanctuary standards."

20 The LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people.

21 So the Israelites in Jerusalem joyfully celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days, with the Levites and the priests praising the LORD every day, accompanied by the LORD's mighty instruments.

22 Hezekiah congratulated all the Levites who had performed so skillfully for the LORD. They feasted throughout the seven days of the festival, sacrificing well-being offerings and praising the LORD, the God of their ancestors.

23 Then the whole congregation agreed to celebrate another seven days, which they joyfully did.

24 Judah's King Hezekiah contributed one thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep for the congregation, while the officials provided another thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep, and great numbers of priests made themselves holy.

25 Then the whole congregation of Judah rejoiced, as did the priests and the Levites, the whole congregation from Israel, the immigrants who had come from the land of Israel, and those who lived in Judah.

26 There was great joy in Jerusalem. Nothing like this had taken place in Jerusalem since the days of Israel's King Solomon, David's son.

27 Then the levitical priests blessed the people, and their voice was heard when their prayer reached God's holy dwelling in heaven.

1 When all of these things were finished, all of the Israelites who were present went out to the cities of Judah, smashed the sacred pillars, cut down the sacred poles, and completely destroyed the shrines and altars throughout Judah as well as Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh. Then all the Israelites returned to their individual homes in their own cities.

2 Hezekiah reappointed the priests and the Levites, each to their divisions and their tasks, to make entirely burned offerings and well-being sacrifices, to serve, to give thanks, and to offer praise in the gates of the LORD's camp.

3 As his portion, the king personally contributed the entirely burned offerings for the morning and evening sacrifices, as well as the entirely burned offerings for the Sabbaths, new moons, and festivals, as written in the LORD's Instruction.

4 He ordered the people living in Jerusalem to provide the required portion for the priests and the Levites so they could devote themselves to the LORD's Instruction.

5 As soon as the order was issued, the Israelites generously gave the best of their grain, new wine, oil, honey, and all their crops—a tenth of everything, a huge amount.

6 The people of Israel and Judah, living in the cities of Judah, also brought in a tenth of their herds and flocks and a tenth of the items that had been dedicated to the LORD their God, stacking it up in piles.

7 They began stacking up the piles in the third month and finished them in the seventh.

8 When Hezekiah and the officials saw the piles, they blessed the LORD and his people Israel.

9 When Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the piles,

10 the chief priest Azariah, who was from Zadok's family, answered, "Ever since the people started bringing contributions to the LORD's temple we've had enough to eat with plenty to spare. The LORD has definitely blessed his people! There's a lot left over."

11 So Hezekiah ordered them to prepare storerooms in the LORD's temple. When they finished preparing them,

12 the priests conscientiously brought in the contributions, the tenth-part gifts, and the dedicated things. Conaniah, a Levite, was put in charge, assisted by his brother Shimei,

13 while Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah served as supervisors under them, as appointed by King Hezekiah and Azariah the official in charge of God's temple.

14 The Levite Kore, Imnah's son, who was keeper of the east gate, was in charge of the spontaneous gifts to God. He was responsible for distributing the contribution reserved for the LORD and the dedicated gifts.

15 Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah faithfully assisted him regarding the priests by distributing the portions to their relatives, old and young alike, by divisions.

16 Additionally, they also distributed daily rations to those males, registered by genealogy, three years old and older, all who entered the LORD's temple to carry out their daily duties as their divisions required.

17 They also distributed to those priests registered by their families, and to Levites 20 years of age and older according to their divisional responsibilities.

18 The official genealogy included all their small children, their wives, their sons, and their daughters—the entire congregation—for they had faithfully made themselves holy.

19 As for Aaron's descendants, the priests who lived in the outskirts of the cities, men were assigned to distribute portions to every male among the priests and to every Levite listed in the genealogical records.

20 This is what Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, doing what the LORD his God considered good, right, and true.

21 Everything that Hezekiah began to do for the service of God's temple, whether by the Instruction or the commands, in order to seek his God, he did successfully and with all his heart.

1 After he said these things, Jesus went out with his disciples and crossed over to the other side of the Kidron Valley. He and his disciples entered a garden there.

2 Judas, his betrayer, also knew the place because Jesus often gathered there with his disciples.

3 Judas brought a company of soldiers and some guards from the chief priests and Pharisees. They came there carrying lanterns, torches, and weapons.

4 Jesus knew everything that was to happen to him, so he went out and asked, "Who are you looking for?"

5 They answered, "Jesus the Nazarene." He said to them, "I Am." (Judas, his betrayer, was standing with them.)

6 When he said, "I Am," they shrank back and fell to the ground.

7 He asked them again, "Who are you looking for?" They said, "Jesus the Nazarene."

8 Jesus answered, "I told you, ‘I Am.' If you are looking for me, then let these people go."

9 This was so that the word he had spoken might be fulfilled: "I didn't lose anyone of those whom you gave me."

10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.)

11 Jesus told Peter, "Put your sword away! Am I not to drink the cup the Father has given me?"

12 Then the company of soldiers, the commander, and the guards from the Jewish leaders took Jesus into custody. They bound him

13 and led him first to Annas. He was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. (

14 Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jewish leaders that it was better for one person to die for the people.)

15 Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. Because this other disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest's courtyard.

16 However, Peter stood outside near the gate. Then the other disciple (the one known to the high priest) came out and spoke to the woman stationed at the gate, and she brought Peter in.

17 The servant woman stationed at the gate asked Peter, "Aren't you one of this man's disciples?" "I'm not," he replied.

18 The servants and the guards had made a fire because it was cold. They were standing around it, warming themselves. Peter joined them there, standing by the fire and warming himself.