2. Now the king and his princes, and all the assembly in Jerusalem had taken counsel to make the Passover feast in the second month—
3. but they were not able to make it at that time, for the priests had not consecrated themselves in sufficient numbers, and the people had not been assembled in Jerusalem—
4. and the plan seemed right in the eyes of the king and in the eyes of all the assembly.
5. So they let the decree stand, to make a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, to come to make a Passover feast to Yahweh the God of Israel.
6. And the runners went with the letter from the hand of the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah according to the command of the king, saying, “O sons of Israel, return to Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that he may turn again to the remnant of you who escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria.
7. Do not be like your fathers and like your brothers, who acted unfaithfully before Yahweh, the God of their ancestors, so that he made them as a desolation, as you see.
8. Now, do not stiffen your neck as your fathers, but give a hand to Yahweh and come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever, and serve Yahweh your God that his fierce anger may turn away from you.
9. For when you return to Yahweh, your brothers and your children will find compassion before their captors and return to this land, for Yahweh your God is gracious and compassionate, and he will not turn away his face from you if you return to him.”
10. And it happened that the runners were passing from city to city in the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and up to Zebulun, but they were laughing at them and mocking them.
11. Only men from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.
12. The hand of God was also upon Judah, to give them one heart to obey the command of the king and the princes concerning the word of Yahweh.
13. So many people gathered in Jerusalem to hold the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month; it was a very great assembly.
14. And they rose up and removed the altars that were in Jerusalem. And they removed all the incense altars and threw them away in the Wadi Kidron.
15. And they slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. And the priests and the Levites were disgraced, so they consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings into the house of Yahweh.
16. Then they stood at their positions according to custom, according to the law of Moses the man of God. The priests were sprinkling the blood from the hand of the Levites.
17. For there were many in the assembly who did not consecrate themselves, so the Levites were over the killing of the Passover sacrifices for all who were not clean, to consecrate them to Yahweh.