4. This plan satisfied King Hezekiah and all the people.
5. So they made an announcement everywhere in Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, telling the people to come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover for the Lord, the God of Israel. For a long time most of the people had not celebrated the Passover as the law commanded.
6. At the king’s command, the messengers took letters from him and his officers all through Israel and Judah. This is what the letters said:People of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. Then God will return to you who are still alive, who have escaped from the kings of Assyria.
7. Don’t be like your ancestors or your relatives. They turned against the Lord, the God of their ancestors, so he caused other people to be disgusted with them. You know this is true.
8. Don’t be stubborn as your ancestors were, but obey the Lord willingly. Come to the Temple, which he has made holy forever. Serve the Lord your God so he will not be angry with you.
9. Come back to the Lord. Then the people who captured your relatives and children will be kind to them and will let them return to this land. The Lord your God is kind and merciful. He will not turn away from you if you return to him.
10. The messengers went to every town in Ephraim and Manasseh, and all the way to Zebulun, but the people laughed at them and made fun of them.
11. But some men from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun were sorry for what they had done and went to Jerusalem.
12. And God united all the people of Judah in obeying King Hezekiah and his officers, because their command had come from the Lord.
13. In the second month a large crowd came together in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
14. The people removed the altars and incense altars to gods in Jerusalem and threw them into the Kidron Valley.
15. They killed the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed, so they made themselves holy and brought burnt offerings into the Temple of the Lord.