Hezekiah began to reign
when he was five
and twenty
years
old
, and he reigned
nine
and twenty
years
in Jerusalem
. And his mother's
name
was Abijah
, the daughter
of Zechariah
.
And he did that which was right
in the sight
of the LORD
, according to all that David
his father
had done
.
He in the first year
of his reign
, in the first
month
, opened
the doors
of the house
of the LORD
, and repaired
them.
And he brought in the priests
and the Levites
, and gathered them together
into the east
street
,
And said unto them, Hear
me, ye Levites
, sanctify
now yourselves, and sanctify
the house
of the LORD
God
of your fathers
, and carry forth
the filthiness
out of the holy
place .
For our fathers have trespassed
, and done
that which was evil
in the eyes
of the LORD
our God
, and have forsaken
him, and have turned away
their faces
from the habitation
of the LORD
, and turned
their backs
.
Also they have shut up the doors
of the porch
, and put out
the lamps
, and have not burned
incense
nor offered
burnt offerings
in the holy
place unto the God
of Israel
.
Wherefore the wrath of the LORD
was upon Judah
and Jerusalem
, and he hath delivered
them to trouble
, to astonishment
, and to hissing
, as ye see
with your eyes
.
For, lo, our fathers have fallen
by the sword
, and our sons
and our daughters
and our wives
are in captivity
for this.
Now it is in mine heart to make
a covenant
with the LORD
God
of Israel
, that his fierce
wrath
may turn away
from us.
My sons, be not now negligent
: for the LORD
hath chosen
you to stand
before
him, to serve
him, and that ye should minister
unto him, and burn incense
.
Then the Levites arose
, Mahath
the son
of Amasai
, and Joel
the son
of Azariah
, of the sons
of the Kohathites
: and of the sons
of Merari
, Kish
the son
of Abdi
, and Azariah
the son
of Jehalelel
: and of the Gershonites
; Joah
the son
of Zimmah
, and Eden
the son
of Joah
:
And of the sons of Elizaphan
; Shimri
, and Jeiel
: and of the sons
of Asaph
; Zechariah
, and Mattaniah
:
And of the sons of Heman
; Jehiel
, and Shimei
: and of the sons
of Jeduthun
; Shemaiah
, and Uzziel
.
And they gathered their brethren
, and sanctified
themselves, and came
, according to the commandment
of the king
, by the words
of the LORD
, to cleanse
the house
of the LORD
.
And the priests went
into the inner part
of the house
of the LORD
, to cleanse
it , and brought out
all the uncleanness
that they found
in the temple
of the LORD
into the court
of the house
of the LORD
. And the Levites
took
it , to carry it out
abroad
into the brook
Kidron
.
Now they began on the first
day of the first
month
to sanctify
, and on the eighth
day
of the month
came
they to the porch
of the LORD
: so they sanctified
the house
of the LORD
in eight
days
; and in the sixteenth
day of the first
month
they made an end
.
Then they went in
to Hezekiah
the king
, and said
, We have cleansed
all the house
of the LORD
, and the altar
of burnt offering
, with all the vessels
thereof, and the shewbread
table
, with all the vessels
thereof.
Moreover all the vessels, which king
Ahaz
in his reign
did cast away
in his transgression
, have we prepared
and sanctified
, and, behold, they are before
the altar
of the LORD
.
Then Hezekiah the king
rose early
, and gathered
the rulers
of the city
, and went up
to the house
of the LORD
.
And they brought seven
bullocks
, and seven
rams
, and seven
lambs
, and seven
he
goats
, for a sin offering
for the kingdom
, and for the sanctuary
, and for Judah
. And he commanded
the priests
the sons
of Aaron
to offer
them on the altar
of the LORD
.
So they killed the bullocks
, and the priests
received
the blood
, and sprinkled
it on the altar
: likewise, when they had killed
the rams
, they sprinkled
the blood
upon the altar
: they killed
also the lambs
, and they sprinkled
the blood
upon the altar
.
And they brought forth the he goats
for the sin offering
before
the king
and the congregation
; and they laid
their hands
upon them:
And the priests killed
them, and they made reconciliation
with their blood
upon the altar
, to make an atonement
for all Israel
: for the king
commanded
that the burnt offering
and the sin offering
should be made for all Israel
.
And he set the Levites
in the house
of the LORD
with cymbals
, with psalteries
, and with harps
, according to the commandment
of David
, and of Gad
the king's
seer
, and Nathan
the prophet
: for so was the commandment
of
the LORD
by
his prophets
.
And the Levites stood
with the instruments
of David
, and the priests
with the trumpets
.
And Hezekiah commanded
to offer
the burnt offering
upon the altar
. And when
the burnt offering
began
, the song
of the LORD
began
also with the trumpets
, and with the instruments
ordained by
David
king
of Israel
.
And all the congregation worshipped
, and the singers
sang
, and the trumpeters
sounded
: and all this continued until the burnt offering
was finished
.
And when they had made an end of offering
, the king
and all that were present
with him bowed
themselves, and worshipped
.
Moreover Hezekiah the king
and the princes
commanded
the Levites
to sing praise
unto the LORD
with the words
of David
, and of Asaph
the seer
. And they sang praises
with gladness
, and they bowed their heads
and worshipped
.
Then Hezekiah answered
and said
, Now ye have consecrated
yourselves unto the LORD
, come near
and bring
sacrifices
and thank offerings
into the house
of the LORD
. And the congregation
brought in
sacrifices
and thank offerings
; and as many as were of a free
heart
burnt offerings
.
And the number of the burnt offerings
, which the congregation
brought
, was threescore and ten
bullocks
, an hundred
rams
, and two hundred
lambs
: all these were for a burnt offering
to the LORD
.
And the consecrated things were six
hundred
oxen
and three
thousand
sheep
.
But the priests were too few
, so that they could
not flay
all the burnt offerings
: wherefore their brethren
the Levites
did help
them, till the work
was ended
, and until the other priests
had sanctified
themselves: for the Levites
were more upright
in heart
to sanctify
themselves than the priests
.
And also the burnt offerings were in abundance
, with the fat
of the peace offerings
, and the drink offerings
for every burnt offering
. So the service
of the house
of the LORD
was set in order
.
And Hezekiah rejoiced
, and all the people
, that God
had prepared
the people
: for the thing
was done suddenly
.