2. The king, his officials, and the entire assembly in Jerusalem decided to observe the Passover in the second month.
3. They were unable to observe it at the regular time because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not assembled in Jerusalem.
4. The proposal seemed appropriate to the king and the entire assembly.
5. So they sent an edict throughout Israel from Beer Sheba to Dan, summoning the people to come and observe a Passover for the Lord God of Israel in Jerusalem, for they had not observed it on a nationwide scale as prescribed in the law.
6. Messengers delivered the letters from the king and his officials throughout Israel and Judah. This royal edict read: “O Israelites, return to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so he may return to you who have been spared from the kings of Assyria.
7. Don’t be like your fathers and brothers who were unfaithful to the Lord God of their ancestors, provoking him to destroy them, as you can see.
8. Now, don’t be stubborn like your fathers! Submit to the Lord and come to his sanctuary which he has permanently consecrated. Serve the Lord your God so that he might relent from his raging anger.
9. For if you return to the Lord, your brothers and sons will be shown mercy by their captors and return to this land. The Lord your God is merciful and compassionate; he will not reject you if you return to him.”
10. The messengers journeyed from city to city through the land of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun, but people mocked and ridiculed them.
11. But some men from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.
12. In Judah God moved the people to unite and carry out the edict the king and the officers had issued at the Lord’s command.
13. A huge crowd assembled in Jerusalem to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month.
14. They removed the altars in Jerusalem; they also removed all the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley.