Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

Hezekiah began to reign at twenty-five years old and reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother was Abijah, daughter of Zechariah. Hezekiah did what was right in the sight of the Lord, just as his father David had done.

In his first year of reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them. He brought in the priests and the Levites, gathering them together into the east street. "Hear me, Levites," he said. "Sanctify yourselves and the house of the Lord God of your fathers, carrying out the filth from the holy place." For their ancestors had trespassed and done evil in the sight of the Lord our God, forsaking him and turning their faces away from his presence, with their backs turned.

Also, they had shut up the doors of the porch and put out the lamps, and no incense had been burned nor any burnt offerings made in the holy place to the God of Israel. The wrath of the Lord was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he has delivered them to be tossed back and forth, to be an astonishment and a hissing, as you see with your eyes.

For behold, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and daughters are in captivity because of this. Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us. My sons, be not now negligent: for the Lord has chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that you should minister unto him, and burn incense.

The Levites arose, including Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah from the Kohathite clans, Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel from the Merarite clans, Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah from the Gershonite clans. Also, Shimri and Jeiel served from the sons of Elizaphan; Zechariah and Mattaniah from the sons of Asaph.

They gathered their brethren, sanctified themselves, and came according to the king's command, following the Lord's instructions, to purify the house of the Lord. The priests entered the inner sanctuary of the Lord's house to purify it, and they brought out all the impurities they found in the temple into the courtyard of the Lord's house; the Levites took charge of removing them to be carried out to the brook Kidron.

They began to sanctify on the first day of the first month and completed it on the sixteenth, after eight days had brought them to the porch of the Lord. Then they went in to Hezekiah the king and said, "We have cleansed all the house of the Lord, including the altar of burnt offering with all its vessels, and the table of showbread with all its vessels."

Moreover, all the vessels that King Ahaz cast away in his transgression have been prepared and sanctified, and they are now standing before the altar of the Lord. Hezekiah the king rose early and gathered the city leaders, then went up to the house of the Lord.

They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats to be sin offerings for the kingdom, the sanctuary, and Judah; he commanded the priests, sons of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the Lord. They killed the bullocks, and the priests received the blood, sprinkling it on the altar; similarly, after killing the rams, they sprinkled their blood upon the altar, and also the lambs, with their blood upon the altar.

The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests sounded the trumpets. Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt offering on the altar; and when the burnt offering began, the song of the Lord also started with the trumpets and the instruments ordained by David, king of Israel.

All the congregation worshipped, and the singers sang, accompanied by the sound of trumpets, which continued until the burnt offering was completed. And when they had made an end of offering, the king and all who were present with him bowed themselves and worshipped.

Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise to the Lord with the words of David and Asaph, and they sang praises with gladness, bowing their heads in worship. Then Hezekiah answered and said, "Now you have consecrated yourselves to the Lord; come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the Lord."

The congregation brought seventy bullocks, one hundred rams, and two hundred lambs as burnt offerings to the Lord. The consecrated things were six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep. Also, the burnt offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace offerings and the drink offerings for every burnt offering; so the service of the house of the Lord was set in order.

Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that God had prepared the people for the thing was done suddenly.