Part 266 (2/2)

30:9. For if you turn again to the Lord, your brethren, and children shall find mercy before their masters, that have led them away captive, and they shall return into this land: for the Lord your G.o.d is merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him.

30:10. So the posts went speedily from city to city, through the land of Ephraim, and of Mana.s.ses, even to Zabulon, whilst they laughed at them and mocked them.

30:11. Nevertheless some men of Aser, and of Mana.s.ses, and of Zabulon, yielding to the counsel, came to Jerusalem.

30:12. But the hand of G.o.d was in Juda, to give them one heart to do the word of the Lord, according to the commandment of the king, and of the princes.

30:13. And much people were a.s.sembled to Jerusalem to celebrate the solemnity of the unleavened bread in the second month:

30:14. And they arose and destroyed the altars that were in Jerusalem, and took away all things in which incense was burnt to idols and cast them into the torrent Cedron.

30:15. And they immolated the phase on the fourteenth day of the second month. And the priests and the Levites being at length sanctified offered holocausts in the house of the Lord.

30:16. And they stood in their order according to the disposition and law of Moses the man of G.o.d: but the priests received the blood which was to be poured out, from the hands of the Levites,

30:17. Because a great number was not sanctified: and therefore the Levites immolated the phase for them that came not in time to be sanctified to the Lord.

30:18. For a great part of the people from Ephraim, and Mana.s.ses, and Issachar, and Zabulon, that had not been sanctified, ate the phase otherwise than it is written: and Ezechias prayed for them, saying: The Lord who is good will shew mercy,

30:19. To all them, who with their whole heart, seek the Lord the G.o.d of their fathers: and will not impute it to them that they are not sanctified.

30:20. And the Lord heard him, and was merciful to the people.

30:21. And the children of Israel, that were found at Jerusalem, kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great joy, praising the Lord every day, the Levites also, and the priests, with instruments that agreed to their office.

30:22. And Ezechias spoke to the heart of all the Levites, that had good understanding concerning the Lord: and they ate during the seven days of the solemnity, immolating victims of peace offerings, and praising the Lord the G.o.d of their fathers.

30:23. And it pleased the whole mult.i.tude to keep other seven days: which they did with great joy.

30:24. For Ezechias the king of Juda had given to the mult.i.tude a thousand bullocks, and seven thousand sheep: and the princes had given the people a thousand bullocks, and ten thousand sheep: and a great number of priests was sanctified.

30:25. And all the mult.i.tude of Juda with the priests and Levites, and all the a.s.sembly, that came out of Israel; and the proselytes of the land of Israel, and that dwelt in Juda were full of joy.

30:26. And there was a great solemnity in Jerusalem, such as had not been in that city since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel.

30:27. And the priests and the Levites rose up and blessed the people: and their voice was heard: and their prayer came to the holy dwelling place of heaven.

2 Paralipomenon Chapter 31

Idolatry is abolished; and provisions made for the ministers.

31:1. And when these things had been duly celebrated, all Israel that were found in the cities of Juda, went out, and they broke the idols, and cut down the groves, demolished the high places, and destroyed the altars, not only out of all Juda and Benjamin, but out of Ephraim also and Mana.s.ses, till they had utterly destroyed them: then all the children of Israel returned to their possessions and cities.

31:2. And Ezechias appointed companies of the priests, and the Levites, by their courses, every man in his own office, to wit, both of the priests, and of the Levites, for holocausts, and for peace offerings, to minister, and to praise, and to sing in the gates of the camp of the Lord.

31:3. And the king's part was, that of his proper substance the holocaust should be offered always morning and evening, and on the sabbaths, and the new moons and the other solemnities, as it is written in the law of Moses.

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