Liber II Paralipomenon, 30

1. Misit quoque Ezechias ad omnem Israel et Iudam scri psitque et epistulas ad Ephraim et Manassen, ut venirent ad domum Domini in Ierusalem et facerent Pascha Domino, Deo Israel.

1. Hezeki'ah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to E'phraim and Manas'seh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, to keep the passover to the LORD the God of Israel.

2. Inito quoque consilio regis et principum et universi coetus in Ierusalem, decreverunt, ut facerent Pascha mense secundo.

2. For the king and his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem had taken counsel to keep the passover in the second month --

3. Non enim potuerant facere in tempore suo, quia sacerdotes, qui possent sufficere, sanctificati non fuerant, et populus necdum congregatus erat in Ierusalem.

3. for they could not keep it in its time because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, nor had the people assembled in Jerusalem --

4. Placuit ergo sermo regi et omni multitudini,

4. and the plan seemed right to the king and all the assembly.

5. et decreverunt, ut mitterent nuntios in universum Israel de Bersabee usque Dan, ut venirent et facerent Pascha Domino, Deo Israel, in Ierusalem; in plurima enim multitudine non fecerant, sicut lege praescriptum est.

5. So they decreed to make a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beer-sheba to Dan, that the people should come and keep the passover to the LORD the God of Israel, at Jerusalem; for they had not kept it in great numbers as prescribed.

6. Perrexeruntque cursores cum epistulis ex regis manu et principum eius in universum Israel et Iudam, iuxta quod rex iusserat, praedicantes: “Filii Israel, revertimini ad Dominum, Deum Abraham et Isaac et Israel, ut revertatur ad reliquias, quae effugerunt manum regum Assyriorum.

6. So couriers went throughout all Israel and Judah with letters from the king and his princes, as the king had commanded, saying, "O people of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that he may turn again to the remnant of you who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria.

7. Nolite fieri sicut patres vestri et fratres, qui recesserunt a Domino, Deo patrum suorum, et tradidit eos in interitum, ut ipsi cernitis.

7. Do not be like your fathers and your brethren, who were faithless to the LORD God of their fathers, so that he made them a desolation, as you see.

8. Nolite nunc indurare cervices vestras sicut patres vestri. Tradite manus Domino et venite ad sanctuarium eius, quod sanctificavit in aeternum; servite Domino Deo vestro, ut avertatur a vobis ira furoris eius.

8. Do not now be stiff-necked as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the LORD, and come to his sanctuary, which he has sanctified for ever, and serve the LORD your God, that his fierce anger may turn away from you.

9. Si enim vos reversi fueritis ad Dominum, fratres vestri et filii habebunt misericordiam coram dominis suis, qui illos duxere captivos, et revertentur in terram hanc: misericors enim et clemens est Dominus Deus vester et non avertet faciem suam a vobis, si reversi fueritis ad eum”.

9. For if you return to the LORD, your brethren and your children will find compassion with their captors, and return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him."

10. Igitur cursores pergebant de civitate in civitatem per terram Ephraim et Manasse usque Zabulon, illis irridentibus et subsannantibus eos.

10. So the couriers went from city to city through the country of E'phraim and Manas'seh, and as far as Zeb'ulun; but they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them.

11. Attamen quidam viri ex Aser et Manasse et Zabulon se humiliaverunt et venerunt Ierusalem.

11. Only a few men of Asher, of Manas'seh, and of Zeb'ulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.

12. In Iuda quoque facta est manus Domini, ut daret eis cor unum, ut facerent praeceptum regis et principum iuxta verbum Domini.

12. The hand of God was also upon Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the LORD.

13. Congregatus est ergo in Ierusalem populus multus, ut faceret sollemnitatem Azymorum in mense secundo, ecclesia magna valde.

13. And many people came together in Jerusalem to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great assembly.

14. Et surgentes destruxerunt altaria, quae erant in Ierusalem, atque universa thymiamateria subvertentes proiecerunt in torrentem Cedron.

14. They set to work and removed the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for burning incense they took away and threw into the Kidron valley.

15. Et mactaverunt Pascha quarta decima die mensis secundi; sacerdotes autem atque Levitae confusi sanctificati sunt et attulerunt holocausta in domum Domini.

15. And they killed the passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. And the priests and the Levites were put to shame, so that they sanctified themselves, and brought burnt offerings into the house of the LORD.

16. Steteruntque in ordine suo iuxta dispositionem et legem Moysi hominis Dei, sacerdotes vero suscipiebant effundendum sanguinem de manibus Levitarum,

16. They took their accustomed posts according to the law of Moses the man of God; the priests sprinkled the blood which they received from the hand of the Levites.

17. eo quod multi in coetu sanctificati non essent; idcirco Levitae mactaverunt victimas Paschae omnibus, qui non erant mundi, ut sanctificarent illas Domino.

17. For there were many in the assembly who had not sanctified themselves; therefore the Levites had to kill the passover lamb for every one who was not clean, to make it holy to the LORD.

18. Valde magna enim pars populi, de Ephraim et Manasse et Issachar et Zabulon, non erant mundati; et comederunt Pascha non iuxta, quod scriptum est. Et oravit pro eis Eze chias dicens: “Dominus bonus propitietur

18. For a multitude of the people, many of them from E'phraim, Manas'seh, Is'sachar, and Zeb'ulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the passover otherwise than as prescribed. For Hezeki'ah had prayed for them, saying, "The good LORD pardon every one

19. cunctis, qui direxerunt cor suum, ut requirerent Dominum, Deum patrum suorum, quamvis non secundum munditiam sanctuarii”.

19. who sets his heart to seek God, the LORD the God of his fathers, even though not according to the sanctuary's rules of cleanness."

20. Quem exaudivit Dominus, et placatus est populo.

20. And the LORD heard Hezeki'ah, and healed the people.

21. Feceruntque filii Israel, qui inventi sunt in Ierusalem, sollemnitatem Azymorum septem diebus in laetitia magna, laudaverunt Dominum et per singulos dies Levitae et sacerdotes per organa benesonantia.

21. And the people of Israel that were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness; and the Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day, singing with all their might to the LORD.

22. Et locutus est Ezechias ad cor omnium Levitarum, qui habebant intellegentiam bonam super Domino; et compleverunt sollemnitatem septem dierum immolantes victimas pacificorum et laudantes Dominum, Deum patrum suorum.

22. And Hezeki'ah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who showed good skill in the service of the LORD. So the people ate the food of the festival for seven days, sacrificing peace offerings and giving thanks to the LORD the God of their fathers.

23. Placuitque universae multitudini, ut celebrarent etiam alios dies septem, quod et fecerunt cum ingenti gaudio.

23. Then the whole assembly agreed together to keep the feast for another seven days; so they kept it for another seven days with gladness.

24. Ezechias enim rex Iudae praebuerat multitudini mille tauros et septem milia ovium; principes vero dederant populo tauros mille et oves decem milia; sanctificata est ergo sacerdotum plurima multitudo.

24. For Hezeki'ah king of Judah gave the assembly a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep for offerings, and the princes gave the assembly a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep. And the priests sanctified themselves in great numbers.

25. Et hilaritate perfusa est omnis turba Iudae, tam sacerdotum et Levitarum quam universae frequentiae, quae venerat ex Israel, advenae quoque, qui venerant de terra Israel vel habitabant in Iuda.

25. The whole assembly of Judah, and the priests and the Levites, and the whole assembly that came out of Israel, and the sojourners who came out of the land of Israel, and the sojourners who dwelt in Judah, rejoiced.

26. Factaque est grandis laetitia in Ierusalem, qualis a diebus Salomonis filii David regis Israel in ea urbe non fuerat.

26. So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem.

27. Surrexerunt autem sacerdotes levitici generis benedicentes populo; et exaudita est vox eorum, pervenitque oratio eorum in habitaculum sanctum eius in caelum.

27. Then the priests and the Levites arose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard, and their prayer came to his holy habitation in heaven.