30:1 希西家差遣人去見以色列和猶大眾人，又寫信給以法蓮和瑪拿西人，叫他們到耶路撒冷耶和華的殿，向耶和華─以色列的上帝守逾越節；
30:2 因為王和眾首領，並耶路撒冷全會眾已經商議，要在二月內守逾越節。
30:3 正月（原文是那時）間他們不能守；因為自潔的祭司尚不敷用，百姓也沒有聚集在耶路撒冷；
30:4 王與全會眾都以這事為善。
30:5 於是定了命令，傳遍以色列，從別是巴直到但，使他們都來，在耶路撒冷向耶和華─以色列的上帝守逾越節；因為照所寫的例，守這節的不多了（或譯：因為民許久沒有照所寫的例守節了）。
30:6 驛卒就把王和眾首領的信，遵著王命傳遍以色列和猶大。信內說：「以色列人哪，你們當轉向耶和華─亞伯拉罕、以撒、以色列的上帝，好叫他轉向你們這脫離亞述王手的餘民。
30:7 你們不要效法你們列祖和你們的弟兄；他們干犯耶和華─他們列祖的上帝，以致耶和華丟棄他們，使他們敗亡（或譯：令人驚駭﹞），正如你們所見的。
30:8 現在不要像你們列祖硬著頸項，只要歸順耶和華，進入他的聖所，就是永遠成聖的居所；又要事奉耶和華─你們的上帝，好使他的烈怒轉離你們。
30:9 你們若轉向耶和華，你們的弟兄和兒女必在擄掠他們的人面前蒙憐恤，得以歸回這地，因為耶和華─你們的上帝有恩典、施憐憫。你們若轉向他，他必不轉臉不顧你們。」
30:10 驛卒就由這城跑到那城，傳遍了以法蓮、瑪拿西，直到西布倫。那裡的人卻戲笑他們，譏誚他們。
30:11 然而亞設、瑪拿西、西布倫中也有人自卑，來到耶路撒冷。
30:12 上帝也感動猶大人，使他們一心遵行王與眾首領憑耶和華之言所發的命令。
30:13 二月，有許多人在耶路撒冷聚集，成為大會，要守除酵節。
30:14 他們起來，把耶路撒冷的祭壇和燒香的壇盡都除去，拋在汲淪溪中。
30:15 二月十四日，宰了逾越節的羊羔。祭司與利未人覺得慚愧，就潔淨自己，把燔祭奉到耶和華殿中，
30:16 遵著神人摩西的律法，照例站在自己的地方；祭司從利未人手裡接過血來，灑在壇上。
30:17 會中有許多人尚未自潔，所以利未人為一切不潔之人宰逾越節的羊羔，使他們在耶和華面前成為聖潔。
30:18 以法蓮、瑪拿西、以薩迦、西布倫有許多人尚未自潔，他們卻也吃逾越節的羔羊，不合所記錄的定例。希西家為他們禱告說：「凡專心尋求上帝，就是耶和華─他列祖之上帝的，雖不照著聖所潔淨之禮自潔，求至善的耶和華也饒恕他。」
30:19 【併於上節】
30:20 耶和華垂聽希西家的禱告，就饒恕（原文是醫治）百姓。
30:21 在耶路撒冷的以色列人大大喜樂，守除酵節七日。利未人和祭司用響亮的樂器，日日頌讚耶和華。
30:22 希西家慰勞一切善於事奉耶和華的利未人。於是眾人吃節筵七日，又獻平安祭，且向耶和華─他們列祖的上帝認罪。
30:23 全會眾商議，要再守節七日；於是歡歡喜喜地又守節七日。
30:24 猶大王希西家賜給會眾公牛一千隻，羊七千隻為祭物；眾首領也賜給會眾公牛一千隻，羊一萬隻，並有許多的祭司潔淨自己。
30:25 猶大全會眾、祭司、利未人，並那從以色列地來的會眾和寄居的人，以及猶大寄居的人，盡都喜樂。
30:26 這樣，在耶路撒冷大有喜樂，自從以色列王大衛兒子所羅門的時候，在耶路撒冷沒有這樣的喜樂。
30:27 那時，祭司、利未人起來，為民祝福。他們的聲音蒙上帝垂聽，他們的禱告達到天上的聖所。
Hezekiah sent word to all Israel and Judah and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, inviting them to come to the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel. 2 The king and his officials and the whole assembly in Jerusalem decided to celebrate the Passover in the second month. 3 They had not been able to celebrate it at the regular time because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not assembled in Jerusalem. 4 The plan seemed right both to the king and to the whole assembly. 5 They decided to send a proclamation throughout Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, calling the people to come to Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel. It had not been celebrated in large numbers according to what was written.
6 At the king’s command, couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and from his officials, which read:
“People of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that he may return to you who are left, who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. 7 Do not be like your parents and your fellow Israelites, who were unfaithful to the Lord, the God of their ancestors, so that he made them an object of horror, as you see. 8 Do not be stiff-necked, as your ancestors were; submit to the Lord. Come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever. Serve the Lord your God, so that his fierce anger will turn away from you. 9 If you return to the Lord, then your fellow Israelites and your children will be shown compassion by their captors and will return to this land, for the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.”
10 The couriers went from town to town in Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun, but people scorned and ridiculed them. 11 Nevertheless, some from Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem. 12 Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to give them unity of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had ordered, following the word of the Lord.
13 A very large crowd of people assembled in Jerusalem to celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread in the second month. 14 They removed the altars in Jerusalem and cleared away the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley.
15 They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed and consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the temple of the Lord. 16 Then they took up their regular positions as prescribed in the Law of Moses the man of God. The priests splashed against the altar the blood handed to them by the Levites. 17 Since many in the crowd had not consecrated themselves, the Levites had to kill the Passover lambs for all those who were not ceremonially clean and could not consecrate their lambs[a] to the Lord. 18 Although most of the many people who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the Lord, who is good, pardon everyone 19 who sets their heart on seeking God—the Lord, the God of their ancestors—even if they are not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary.” 20 And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people.
21 The Israelites who were present in Jerusalem celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great rejoicing, while the Levites and priests praised the Lord every day with resounding instruments dedicated to the Lord.[b]
22 Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites, who showed good understanding of the service of the Lord. For the seven days they ate their assigned portion and offered fellowship offerings and praised[c] the Lord, the God of their ancestors.
23 The whole assembly then agreed to celebrate the festival seven more days; so for another seven days they celebrated joyfully. 24 Hezekiah king of Judah provided a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep and goats for the assembly, and the officials provided them with a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep and goats. A great number of priests consecrated themselves. 25 The entire assembly of Judah rejoiced, along with the priests and Levites and all who had assembled from Israel, including the foreigners who had come from Israel and also those who resided in Judah. 26 There was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. 27 The priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard them, for their prayer reached heaven, his holy dwelling place.
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逾越節對以色列人來說是非常重要的節期，是紀念上帝藉由摩西帶領以色列人出埃及，朝向上帝所賜的應許之地前行。然而過去的以色列和猶大的王都相繼離開上帝，所以以色列就很久沒有守逾越節了！
然而希西家王發現這個節期這麼重要，卻沒有以色列人來遵守！他本於敬畏上帝的心，將這樣重要的的節期恢復，不僅呼召自己的猶大，也呼召以色列國的百姓。雖然有拒絕的，卻有回應他的，大家都到耶路撒冷之上帝的殿來守節，過一個難忘的逾越節。
從希西家的重新恢復逾越節的事件，讓我們再一次看見基督徒要勇敢的行善，不要害怕環境如何，就是要喚醒大家來敬拜上帝，因為人生命的目的就是為敬拜上帝而造，這是人生重要的意義！
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