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Keezeekiya Atukuza Embaga ey’Okuyitako

30 (A)Awo Keezeekiya n’aweereza obubaka eri Isirayiri yonna ne Yuda, n’awandiikira ne Efulayimu ne Manase amabaluwa, ng’abayita okujja e Yerusaalemi mu yeekaalu ya Mukama, okukwata Embaga ey’Okuyitako eya Mukama Katonda wa Isirayiri. (B)Kabaka n’abakungu be, n’ekibiina kyonna mu Yerusaalemi baasalawo okukwata Embaga ey’Okuyitako mu mwezi ogwokubiri; (C)baali tebasobola kukwata mbaga eyo mu kiseera kyayo kubanga bakabona abaali beetukuzizza, baali batono ate nga n’abantu tebanakuŋŋaanira mu Yerusaalemi. Enteekateeka eyo n’erabika nga nnungi eri kabaka n’ekibiina kyonna. (D)Ne basalawo okulangirira mu Isirayiri yenna, okuva e Beeruseba okutuuka e Ddaani, nga bategeeza abantu okujja e Yerusaalemi okukwata Embaga ey’Okuyitako eya Mukama Katonda wa Isirayiri; baali batutte ebbanga nga tebagikwata ng’ekibiina ekinene eky’awamu, nga bwe kyawandiikibwa.

Awo ababaka ne batwala amabaluwa mu Isirayiri yonna ne mu Yuda okuva ewa kabaka n’abakungu be, ng’ekiragiro kya kabaka bwe kyali nti,

“Abantu ba Isirayiri, mudde eri Mukama Katonda wa Ibulayimu, ne Isaaka, ne Isirayiri, Katonda alyoke adde gye muli, mmwe ekitundu ekisigaddewo, ekiwonye omukono gwa bakabaka b’e Bwasuli. (E)Temuba nga bajjajjammwe ne baganda bammwe abataali beesigwa eri Mukama Katonda wa bajjajjaabwe n’abafuula ekyelolerwa, nga bwe mulaba. (F)So temuba ba nsingo nkakanyavu nga bajjajjammwe bwe baali, naye mukkakkane eri Mukama, mujje mu watukuvu we, we yatukuza emirembe gyonna, muweereze Mukama Katonda wammwe, obusungu bwe bubaveeko. (G)Bwe munadda eri Mukama, olwo ne baganda bammwe n’abaana bammwe banaalaba ekisa mu maaso g’abo abaabawamba, ne bakomawo mu nsi eno. Mukama Katonda wammwe wa kisa era ajjudde okusaasira, so taakyuse maaso ge, okubavaako bwe munadda gyali.”

10 (H)Ababaka ne bagenda mu buli kibuga mu nsi ya Efulayimu ne Manase, ne batuuka ne mu Zebbulooni, naye abasinga obungi ne babasekerera, ne babaduulira. 11 (I)Kyokka abamu ku bantu ab’e Aseri, ne Manase ne Zebbulooni ne beetoowaza ne bagenda e Yerusaalemi. 12 (J)Ne mu Yuda, omukono gwa Katonda ne gukwata ku bantu ne bakkiriziganya ku ekyo kabaka n’abakungu kye baalagira, nga bagoberera ekigambo kya Mukama.

13 (K)Awo abantu bangi ne bakuŋŋaanira mu Yerusaalemi mu mwezi ogwokubiri okukwata Embaga ey’Emigaati Egitali Mizimbulukuse. 14 (L)Ne baggyawo ebyoto ebyali mu Yerusaalemi, n’ebyoto byonna eby’okwoterezaako obubaane, ne babisuula mu Kiwonvu Kidulooni.

15 (M)Ne batta Endiga Ento ey’Embaga ey’Okuyitako ku lunaku olw’ekkumi n’ennya olw’omwezi ogwokubiri. Bakabona n’Abaleevi ne baswala, ne beetukuza, ne baleeta ebiweebwayo ebyokebwa mu yeekaalu ya Mukama. 16 (N)Ne bayimirira mu bifo byabwe ng’etteeka lya Musa omusajja wa Katonda bwe lyali libalagira. Bakabona ne bamansira omusaayi ogwabaweerezebwa Abaleevi. 17 (O)Bangi ku bo, baali tebeetukuzizza nga tebasobola kuwaayo ndiga zaabwe; Abaleevi kyebaava battira buli muntu ataali mulongoofu Endiga Ento ey’Embaga ey’Okuyitako, okubatukuza eri Mukama. 18 (P)Newaakubadde ng’abantu abasinga abaava mu Efulayimu, ne Manase, ne Isakaali, ne Zebbulooni baali tebeetukuzizza, baalya Embaga ey’Okuyitako, ekyali tekikkiriziganya na biwandiike. Naye Keezeekiya n’abasabira ng’agamba nti, “Mukama omulungi asonyiwe buli muntu 19 amaliridde mu mutima gwe okunoonya Katonda, Mukama Katonda wa bajjajjaabe, newaakubadde nga tabadde mulongoofu okusinziira ku mateeka g’awatukuvu.” 20 (Q)Mukama n’awulira okusaba kwa Keezeekiya, n’atabazikiriza.

21 (R)Abayisirayiri abaali mu Yerusaalemi ne bakwata Embaga ey’Emigaati Egitali Mizimbulukuse okumala ennaku musanvu nga bajjudde essanyu lingi; Abaleevi ne bakabona ne batenderezanga Mukama buli lunaku, nga bakuba n’ebivuga eby’okumutendereza.

22 Keezeekiya n’ayogera ebigambo eby’okugumya Abaleevi bonna abaalaga nga bategeera obuweereza bwa Mukama. Abantu ne balya emmere ey’embaga okumala ennaku musanvu, ne bawaayo ssaddaaka ez’ebiweebwayo olw’emirembe, ne batendereza Mukama Katonda wa bajjajjaabwe.

23 (S)Ekibiina kyonna ne bakkiriziganya okweyongerayo ennaku endala musanvu nga bali ku mbaga; bwe batyo ne bamala ennaku endala musanvu nga bajaguza. 24 (T)Keezeekiya kabaka wa Yuda n’awa ekibiina ente ennume nga nto lukumi n’endiga kasanvu okuba ebiweebwayo, ne bakabona bangi nnyo ne beetukuza. 25 (U)Ekibiina kyonna ekya Yuda, ne bakabona, n’Abaleevi, n’ekibiina kyonna ekyava mu Isirayiri, n’abagenyi abaali bavudde mu nsi ya Isirayiri, n’abagenyi abaabeeranga mu Yuda ne bajaguliza wamu. 26 (V)Ne waba essanyu lingi mu Yerusaalemi kubanga okuva mu biro bya Sulemaani mutabani wa Dawudi kabaka wa Isirayiri, waali tewabangawo kintu kifaanana bwe kityo mu Yerusaalemi. 27 (W)Awo bakabona n’Abaleevi ne bayimirira ne basabira abantu omukisa, Katonda n’abawulira; kubanga okusaba kwabwe kwatuuka mu kifo kye ekitukuvu gy’abeera, mu ggulu.

Hezekiah Celebrates the Passover

30 Hezekiah sent word to all Israel(A) and Judah and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh,(B) inviting them to come to the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover(C) to the Lord, the God of Israel. The king and his officials and the whole assembly in Jerusalem decided to celebrate(D) the Passover in the second month. They had not been able to celebrate it at the regular time because not enough priests had consecrated(E) themselves and the people had not assembled in Jerusalem. The plan seemed right both to the king and to the whole assembly. They decided to send a proclamation throughout Israel, from Beersheba to Dan,(F) calling the people to come to Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel. It had not been celebrated in large numbers according to what was written.

At the king’s command, couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and from his officials, which read:

“People of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that he may return to you who are left, who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. Do not be like your parents(G) and your fellow Israelites, who were unfaithful(H) to the Lord, the God of their ancestors, so that he made them an object of horror,(I) as you see. Do not be stiff-necked,(J) as your ancestors were; submit to the Lord. Come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever. Serve the Lord your God, so that his fierce anger(K) will turn away from you. If you return(L) to the Lord, then your fellow Israelites and your children will be shown compassion(M) by their captors and will return to this land, for the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate.(N) He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.”

10 The couriers went from town to town in Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun, but people scorned and ridiculed(O) them. 11 Nevertheless, some from Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled(P) themselves and went to Jerusalem.(Q) 12 Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to give them unity(R) of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had ordered, following the word of the Lord.

13 A very large crowd of people assembled in Jerusalem to celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread(S) in the second month. 14 They removed the altars(T) in Jerusalem and cleared away the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley.(U)

15 They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed and consecrated(V) themselves and brought burnt offerings to the temple of the Lord. 16 Then they took up their regular positions(W) as prescribed in the Law of Moses the man of God. The priests splashed against the altar the blood handed to them by the Levites. 17 Since many in the crowd had not consecrated themselves, the Levites had to kill(X) the Passover lambs for all those who were not ceremonially clean and could not consecrate their lambs[a] to the Lord. 18 Although most of the many people who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not purified themselves,(Y) yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the Lord, who is good, pardon everyone 19 who sets their heart on seeking God—the Lord, the God of their ancestors—even if they are not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary.” 20 And the Lord heard(Z) Hezekiah and healed(AA) the people.(AB)

21 The Israelites who were present in Jerusalem celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread(AC) for seven days with great rejoicing, while the Levites and priests praised the Lord every day with resounding instruments dedicated to the Lord.[b]

22 Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites, who showed good understanding of the service of the Lord. For the seven days they ate their assigned portion and offered fellowship offerings and praised[c] the Lord, the God of their ancestors.

23 The whole assembly then agreed to celebrate(AD) the festival seven more days; so for another seven days they celebrated joyfully. 24 Hezekiah king of Judah provided(AE) a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep and goats for the assembly, and the officials provided them with a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep and goats. A great number of priests consecrated themselves. 25 The entire assembly of Judah rejoiced, along with the priests and Levites and all who had assembled from Israel(AF), including the foreigners who had come from Israel and also those who resided in Judah. 26 There was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon(AG) son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. 27 The priests and the Levites stood to bless(AH) the people, and God heard them, for their prayer reached heaven, his holy dwelling place.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 30:17 Or consecrate themselves
  2. 2 Chronicles 30:21 Or priests sang to the Lord every day, accompanied by the Lord’s instruments of praise
  3. 2 Chronicles 30:22 Or and confessed their sins to