| Berean Study Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. | 1Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became the king of Judah, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. |
| 2And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. | 2He did what was pleasing in the LORD’s sight, just as his ancestor David had done. Hezekiah Reopens the Temple |
| 3In the first month of the first year of his reign, Hezekiah opened and repaired the doors of the house of the LORD. | 3In the very first month of the first year of his reign, Hezekiah reopened the doors of the Temple of the LORD and repaired them. |
| 4Then he brought in the priests and Levites and gathered them in the square on the east side. | 4He summoned the priests and Levites to meet him at the courtyard east of the Temple. |
| 5“Listen to me, O Levites,” he said. “Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the house of the LORD, the God of your fathers. Remove from the Holy Place every impurity. | 5He said to them, “Listen to me, you Levites! Purify yourselves, and purify the Temple of the LORD, the God of your ancestors. Remove all the defiled things from the sanctuary. |
| 6For our fathers were unfaithful and did evil in the sight of the LORD our God. They abandoned Him, turned their faces away from the dwelling place of the LORD, and turned their backs on Him. | 6Our ancestors were unfaithful and did what was evil in the sight of the LORD our God. They abandoned the LORD and his dwelling place; they turned their backs on him. |
| 7They also shut the doors of the portico and extinguished the lamps. They did not burn incense or present burnt offerings in the Holy Place of the God of Israel. | 7They also shut the doors to the Temple’s entry room, and they snuffed out the lamps. They stopped burning incense and presenting burnt offerings at the sanctuary of the God of Israel. |
| 8Therefore, the wrath of the LORD has fallen upon Judah and Jerusalem, and He has made them an object of terror, horror, and mockery, as you can see with your own eyes. | 8“That is why the LORD’s anger has fallen upon Judah and Jerusalem. He has made them an object of dread, horror, and ridicule, as you can see with your own eyes. |
| 9For behold, this is why our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and daughters and wives are in captivity. | 9Because of this, our fathers have been killed in battle, and our sons and daughters and wives have been captured. |
| 10Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the LORD, the God of Israel, so that His fierce anger will turn away from us. | 10But now I will make a covenant with the LORD, the God of Israel, so that his fierce anger will turn away from us. |
| 11Now, my sons, do not be negligent, for the LORD has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, to minister before Him, and to burn incense.” | 11My sons, do not neglect your duties any longer! The LORD has chosen you to stand in his presence, to minister to him, and to lead the people in worship and present offerings to him.” |
| 12Then the Levites set to work: Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah from the Kohathites; Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel from the Merarites; Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah from the Gershonites; | 12Then these Levites got right to work: From the clan of Kohath: Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah. From the clan of Merari: Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel. From the clan of Gershon: Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah. |
| 13Shimri and Jeuel from the Elizaphanites; Zechariah and Mattaniah from the Asaphites; | 13From the family of Elizaphan: Shimri and Jeiel. From the family of Asaph: Zechariah and Mattaniah. |
| 14Jehiel and Shimei from the Hemanites; and Shemaiah and Uzziel from the Jeduthunites. | 14From the family of Heman: Jehiel and Shimei. From the family of Jeduthun: Shemaiah and Uzziel. |
| 15When they had assembled their brothers and consecrated themselves, they went in to cleanse the house of the LORD, according to the command of the king by the words of the LORD. | 15These men called together their fellow Levites, and they all purified themselves. Then they began to cleanse the Temple of the LORD, just as the king had commanded. They were careful to follow all the LORD’s instructions in their work. |
| 16So the priests went inside the house of the LORD to cleanse it, and they brought out to the courtyard all the unclean things that they found in the temple of the LORD. Then the Levites took these things and carried them out to the Kidron Valley. | 16The priests went into the sanctuary of the Temple of the LORD to cleanse it, and they took out to the Temple courtyard all the defiled things they found. From there the Levites carted it all out to the Kidron Valley. |
| 17They began the consecration on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they reached the portico of the LORD. For eight more days they consecrated the house of the LORD itself, finishing on the sixteenth day of the first month. | 17They began the work in early spring, on the first day of the new year, and in eight days they had reached the entry room of the LORD’s Temple. Then they purified the Temple of the LORD itself, which took another eight days. So the entire task was completed in sixteen days. The Temple Rededication |
| 18Then they went in to King Hezekiah and reported, “We have cleansed the entire house of the LORD, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the table of the showbread with all its utensils. | 18Then the Levites went to King Hezekiah and gave him this report: “We have cleansed the entire Temple of the LORD, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the table of the Bread of the Presence with all its utensils. |
| 19Moreover, we have prepared and consecrated all the articles that King Ahaz in his unfaithfulness cast aside during his reign. They are now in front of the altar of the LORD.” | 19We have also recovered all the items discarded by King Ahaz when he was unfaithful and closed the Temple. They are now in front of the altar of the LORD, purified and ready for use.” |
| 20Early the next morning King Hezekiah gathered the city officials and went up to the house of the LORD. | 20Early the next morning King Hezekiah gathered the city officials and went to the Temple of the LORD. |
| 21They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And the king commanded the priests, the descendants of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the LORD. | 21They brought seven bulls, seven rams, and seven male lambs as a burnt offering, together with seven male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, for the Temple, and for Judah. The king commanded the priests, who were descendants of Aaron, to sacrifice the animals on the altar of the LORD. |
| 22So they slaughtered the bulls, and the priests took the blood and sprinkled it on the altar. They slaughtered the rams and sprinkled the blood on the altar. And they slaughtered the lambs and sprinkled the blood on the altar. | 22So they killed the bulls, and the priests took the blood and sprinkled it on the altar. Next they killed the rams and sprinkled their blood on the altar. And finally, they did the same with the male lambs. |
| 23Then they brought the goats for the sin offering before the king and the assembly, who laid their hands on them. | 23The male goats for the sin offering were then brought before the king and the assembly of people, who laid their hands on them. |
| 24And the priests slaughtered the goats and put their blood on the altar for a sin offering, to make atonement for all Israel, because the king had ordered the burnt offering and the sin offering for all Israel. | 24The priests then killed the goats as a sin offering and sprinkled their blood on the altar to make atonement for the sins of all Israel. The king had specifically commanded that this burnt offering and sin offering should be made for all Israel. |
| 25Hezekiah stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, harps, and lyres according to the command of David, of Gad the king’s seer, and of Nathan the prophet. For the command had come from the LORD through His prophets. | 25King Hezekiah then stationed the Levites at the Temple of the LORD with cymbals, lyres, and harps. He obeyed all the commands that the LORD had given to King David through Gad, the king’s seer, and the prophet Nathan. |
| 26The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets. | 26The Levites then took their positions around the Temple with the instruments of David, and the priests took their positions with the trumpets. |
| 27And Hezekiah ordered that the burnt offering be sacrificed on the altar. When the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD and the trumpets began as well, accompanied by the instruments of David king of Israel. | 27Then Hezekiah ordered that the burnt offering be placed on the altar. As the burnt offering was presented, songs of praise to the LORD were begun, accompanied by the trumpets and other instruments of David, the former king of Israel. |
| 28The whole assembly was worshiping, the singers were singing, and the trumpeters were playing. All this continued until the burnt offering was completed. | 28The entire assembly worshiped the LORD as the singers sang and the trumpets blew, until all the burnt offerings were finished. |
| 29When the offerings were completed, the king and all those present with him bowed down and worshiped. | 29Then the king and everyone with him bowed down in worship. |
| 30Then King Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to sing praises to the LORD in the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness and bowed their heads and worshiped. | 30King Hezekiah and the officials ordered the Levites to praise the LORD with the psalms written by David and by Asaph the seer. So they offered joyous praise and bowed down in worship. |
| 31Then Hezekiah said, “Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the LORD, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the house of the LORD.” So the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all whose hearts were willing brought burnt offerings. | 31Then Hezekiah declared, “Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the LORD, bring your sacrifices and thanksgiving offerings to the Temple of the LORD.” So the people brought their sacrifices and thanksgiving offerings, and all whose hearts were willing brought burnt offerings, too. |
| 32The number of burnt offerings the assembly brought was seventy bulls, a hundred rams, and two hundred lambs; all these were for a burnt offering to the LORD. | 32The people brought to the LORD 70 bulls, 100 rams, and 200 male lambs for burnt offerings. |
| 33And the consecrated offerings were six hundred bulls and three thousand sheep. | 33They also brought 600 cattle and 3,000 sheep and goats as sacred offerings. |
| 34However, since there were not enough priests to skin all the burnt offerings, their Levite brothers helped them until the work was finished and until the priests had been consecrated. For the Levites had been more diligent in consecrating themselves than the priests had been. | 34But there were too few priests to prepare all the burnt offerings. So their relatives the Levites helped them until the work was finished and more priests had been purified, for the Levites had been more conscientious about purifying themselves than the priests had been. |
| 35Furthermore, the burnt offerings were abundant, along with the fat of the peace offerings and the drink offerings for the burnt offerings. So the service of the house of the LORD was established. | 35There was an abundance of burnt offerings, along with the usual liquid offerings, and a great deal of fat from the many peace offerings. So the Temple of the LORD was restored to service. |
| 36Then Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced at what God had prepared for the people, because everything had been accomplished so quickly. | 36And Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced because of what God had done for the people, for everything had been accomplished so quickly. |
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