2 Chronicles 29

Hezekiah Reigns in Judah

1 j Hezekiah began to reign when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abijah 1 the daughter of k Zechariah. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done.

Hezekiah Cleanses the Temple

3 In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he l opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them. 4 He brought in the priests and the Levites and assembled them in the square on the east 5 and said to them, "Hear me, Levites! Now m consecrate yourselves, and consecrate the house of the Lord, the God of your fathers, and carry out the filth from the Holy Place. 6 For our fathers have been unfaithful and have done what was evil in the sight of the Lord our God. They have forsaken him and n have turned away their faces from the habitation of the Lord and turned their backs. 7 They also o shut the doors of the vestibule and put out the lamps and have not burned incense or offered burnt offerings in the Holy Place to the God of Israel. 8 Therefore p the wrath of the Lord came on Judah and Jerusalem, and he has made them q an object of horror, of astonishment, r and of hissing, as you see with your own eyes. 9 For behold, s our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this. 10 Now t it is in my heart u to make a covenant with the Lord, the God of Israel, in order that his fierce anger may turn away from us. 11 My sons, do not now be negligent, v for the Lord has chosen you to stand in his presence, to minister to him and to be his ministers and make offerings to him."

12 Then the Levites arose, w Mahath the son of Amasai, and Joel the son of Azariah, of the sons of x the Kohathites; and of the sons of x Merari, Kish the son of Abdi, and Azariah the son of Jehallelel; and of the x Gershonites, Joah the son of Zimmah, and Eden the son of Joah; 13 and of the sons of y Elizaphan, Shimri and Jeuel; and of the sons of z Asaph, Zechariah and Mattaniah; 14 and of the sons of a Heman, Jehuel and Shimei; and of the sons of b Jeduthun, Shemaiah and Uzziel. 15 They gathered their brothers and c consecrated themselves and went in as the king had commanded, d by the words of the Lord, e to cleanse the house of the Lord. 16 The priests went into the inner part of the house of the Lord to cleanse it, and they brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the Lord into the court of the house of the Lord. And the Levites took it and carried it out to f the brook Kidron. 17 They began to consecrate g on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they came to the vestibule of the Lord. Then for eight days they consecrated the house of the Lord, and on the sixteenth day of the first month they finished. 18 Then they went in to Hezekiah the king and said, "We have cleansed all the house of the Lord, the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the table for the showbread and all its utensils. 19 All the utensils h that King Ahaz discarded in his reign when he was faithless, we have made ready and consecrated, and behold, they are before the altar of the Lord."

Hezekiah Restores Temple Worship

20 Then Hezekiah the king rose early and gathered the officials of the city and went up to the house of the Lord. 21 And they brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats i for a sin offering for the kingdom and for the sanctuary and for Judah. And he commanded the priests, the sons of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the Lord. 22 So they slaughtered the bulls, and the priests received the blood j and threw it against the altar. And they slaughtered the rams, and their blood was thrown against the altar. And they slaughtered the lambs, and their blood was thrown against the altar. 23 Then the goats for the sin offering were brought to the king and the assembly, k and they laid their hands on them, 24 and the priests slaughtered them and made a sin offering with their blood on the altar, l to make atonement for all Israel. For the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering should be made for all Israel.

25 m And he stationed the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, harps, and lyres, n according to the commandment of David and of Gad o the king's seer and of p Nathan the prophet, for the commandment was from the Lord through his prophets. 26 The Levites stood with q the instruments of David, r and the priests with the trumpets. 27 Then Hezekiah commanded that the burnt offering be offered on the altar. And when the burnt offering began, s the song to the Lord began also, and the trumpets, accompanied by the instruments of David king of Israel. 28 The whole assembly worshiped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded. All this continued until the burnt offering was finished. 29 When the offering was finished, t the king and all who were present with him bowed themselves and worshiped. 30 And Hezekiah the king and the officials commanded the Levites to sing praises to the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed down and worshiped.

31 Then Hezekiah said, u "You have now consecrated yourselves to 2 the Lord. Come near; bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the house of the Lord." And the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all who were v of a willing heart brought burnt offerings. 32 The number of the burnt offerings that the assembly brought was 70 bulls, 100 rams, and 200 lambs; all these were for a burnt offering to the Lord. 33 And the consecrated offerings were 600 bulls and 3,000 sheep. 34 But the priests were too few and could not flay all the burnt offerings, so until other priests had consecrated themselves, w their brothers the Levites helped them, until the work was finished - x for the Levites were more upright in heart than the priests in consecrating themselves. 35 Besides the great number of burnt offerings, there was y the fat of the peace offerings, and there were z the drink offerings for the burnt offerings. Thus the service of the house of the Lord was restored. 36 And Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced because God had prepared for the people, for the thing came about suddenly.

  1. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 29:1 - 2
    Hezekiah began to reign when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abijah the daughter of Zechariah.
    2 Kings 18:1 - 3
    In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign.
  2. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 26:5
    He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God, and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper.
  3. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 29:7
    They also shut the doors of the vestibule and put out the lamps and have not burned incense or offered burnt offerings in the Holy Place to the God of Israel.
    2 Chronicles 28:24
    And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and he shut up the doors of the house of the Lord, and he made himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem.
  4. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 29:15
    They gathered their brothers and consecrated themselves and went in as the king had commanded, by the words of the Lord, to cleanse the house of the Lord.
    2 Chronicles 29:34
    But the priests were too few and could not flay all the burnt offerings, so until other priests had consecrated themselves, their brothers the Levites helped them, until the work was finished - for the Levites were more upright in heart than the priests in consecrating themselves.
    2 Chronicles 35:6
    And slaughter the Passover lamb, and consecrate yourselves, and prepare for your brothers, to do according to the word of the Lord by Moses.
    1 Chronicles 15:12
    And said to them, "You are the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites. Consecrate yourselves, you and your brothers, so that you may bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it.
    Ezra 6:20
    For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were clean. So they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the returned exiles, for their fellow priests, and for themselves.
  5. Cross References
    Jeremiah 2:27
    Who say to a tree, 'You are my father,' and to a stone, 'You gave me birth.' For they have turned their back to me, and not their face. But in the time of their trouble they say, 'Arise and save us!
    Ezekiel 8:16
    And he brought me into the inner court of the house of the Lord. And behold, at the entrance of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men, with their backs to the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east, worshiping the sun toward the east.
  6. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 28:24
    And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and he shut up the doors of the house of the Lord, and he made himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem.
  7. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 24:18
    And they abandoned the house of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols. And wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs.
  8. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 28:25
    The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them. And you shall be a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.
  9. Cross References
    Jeremiah 19:8
    And I will make this city a horror, a thing to be hissed at. Everyone who passes by it will be horrified and will hiss because of all its wounds.
    Jeremiah 25:9
    Behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north, declares the Lord, and for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants, and against all these surrounding nations. I will devote them to destruction, and make them a horror, a hissing, and an everlasting desolation.
    Jeremiah 25:18
    Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, its kings and officials, to make them a desolation and a waste, a hissing and a curse, as at this day.
    Jeremiah 29:18
    I will pursue them with sword, famine, and pestilence, and will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, a terror, a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them.
    Micah 6:16
    For you have kept the statutes of Omri, and all the works of the house of Ahab; and you have walked in their counsels, that I may make you a desolation, and your inhabitants a hissing; so you shall bear the scorn of my people.
  10. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 28:5 - 6
    Therefore the Lord his God gave him into the hand of the king of Syria, who defeated him and took captive a great number of his people and brought them to Damascus. He was also given into the hand of the king of Israel, who struck him with great force.
    2 Chronicles 28:8
    The men of Israel took captive 200,000 of their relatives, women, sons, and daughters. They also took much spoil from them and brought the spoil to Samaria.
    2 Chronicles 28:17
    For the Edomites had again invaded and defeated Judah and carried away captives.
  11. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 22:7
    David said to Solomon, "My son, I had it in my heart to build a house to the name of the Lord my God.
  12. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 15:12
    And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul.
  13. Cross References
    Numbers 3:6
    Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him.
    Numbers 8:14
    Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the people of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine.
    Numbers 18:2
    And with you bring your brothers also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may join you and minister to you while you and your sons with you are before the tent of the testimony.
    Numbers 18:6
    And behold, I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the people of Israel. They are a gift to you, given to the Lord, to do the service of the tent of meeting.
  14. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 31:13
    While Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers assisting Conaniah and Shimei his brother, by the appointment of Hezekiah the king and Azariah the chief officer of the house of God.
  15. Cross References
    Numbers 3:17
    And these were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon and Kohath and Merari.
  16. Cross References
    Numbers 3:17
    And these were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon and Kohath and Merari.
  17. Cross References
    Numbers 3:17
    And these were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon and Kohath and Merari.
  18. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 15:8
    Of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, with 200 of his brothers.
  19. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 6:39
    And his brother Asaph, who stood on his right hand, namely, Asaph the son of Berechiah, son of Shimea.
  20. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 6:33
    These are the men who served and their sons. Of the sons of the Kohathites: Heman the singer the son of Joel, son of Samuel.
  21. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 9:16
    And Obadiah the son of Shemaiah, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun, and Berechiah the son of Asa, son of Elkanah, who lived in the villages of the Netophathites.
  22. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 29:5
    And said to them, "Hear me, Levites! Now consecrate yourselves, and consecrate the house of the Lord, the God of your fathers, and carry out the filth from the Holy Place.
  23. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 30:12
    The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the Lord.
  24. Cross References
    Nehemiah 13:9
    Then I gave orders, and they cleansed the chambers, and I brought back there the vessels of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense.
  25. Cross References
    2 Samuel 15:23
    And all the land wept aloud as all the people passed by, and the king crossed the brook Kidron, and all the people passed on toward the wilderness.
  26. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 29:3
    In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them.
  27. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 28:24
    And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and he shut up the doors of the house of the Lord, and he made himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem.
  28. Cross References
    Leviticus 4:14
    When the sin which they have committed becomes known, the assembly shall offer a bull from the herd for a sin offering and bring it in front of the tent of meeting.
  29. Cross References
    Leviticus 8:15
    And he killed it, and Moses took the blood, and with his finger put it on the horns of the altar around it and purified the altar and poured out the blood at the base of the altar and consecrated it to make atonement for it.
    Leviticus 8:19
    And he killed it, and Moses threw the blood against the sides of the altar.
    Leviticus 8:24
    Then he presented Aaron's sons, and Moses put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. And Moses threw the blood against the sides of the altar.
    Hebrews 9:21
    And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship.
    2 Chronicles 35:11
    And they slaughtered the Passover lamb, and the priests threw the blood that they received from them while the Levites flayed the sacrifices.
  30. Cross References
    Leviticus 4:15
    And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the Lord, and the bull shall be killed before the Lord.
  31. Cross References
    Leviticus 4:26
    And all its fat he shall burn on the altar, like the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings. So the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin, and he shall be forgiven.
  32. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 16:4
    Then he appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the Lord, to invoke, to thank, and to praise the Lord, the God of Israel.
    1 Chronicles 25:6
    They were all under the direction of their father in the music in the house of the Lord with cymbals, harps, and lyres for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the order of the king.
    1 Chronicles 15:16
    David also commanded the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their brothers as the singers who should play loudly on musical instruments, on harps and lyres and cymbals, to raise sounds of joy.
  33. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 8:14
    According to the ruling of David his father, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their service, and the Levites for their offices of praise and ministry before the priests as the duty of each day required, and the gatekeepers in their divisions at each gate, for so David the man of God had commanded.
    1 Chronicles 23:5
    4,000 gatekeepers, and 4,000 shall offer praises to the Lord with the instruments that I have made for praise.
    1 Chronicles 25:1
    David and the chiefs of the service also set apart for the service the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who prophesied with lyres, with harps, and with cymbals. The list of those who did the work and of their duties was:
  34. Cross References
    1 Samuel 9:9
    (Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he said, "Come, let us go to the seer," for today's "prophet" was formerly called a seer.)
  35. Cross References
    2 Samuel 12:1
    And the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, "There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor.
  36. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 23:5
    4,000 gatekeepers, and 4,000 shall offer praises to the Lord with the instruments that I have made for praise.
    Amos 6:5
    Who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp and like David invent for themselves instruments of music.
  37. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 15:24
    Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, should blow the trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah were to be gatekeepers for the ark.
  38. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 23:18
    And Jehoiada posted watchmen for the house of the Lord under the direction of the Levitical priests and the Levites whom David had organized to be in charge of the house of the Lord, to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, as it is written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, according to the order of David.
  39. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 20:18
    Then Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord.
  40. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 13:9
    Have you not driven out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for yourselves like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes for ordination with a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest of what are no gods.
    Exodus 28:41
    And you shall put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him, and shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests.
  41. Cross References
    Exodus 35:5
    Take from among you a contribution to the Lord. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the Lord 's contribution: gold, silver, and bronze.
    Exodus 35:22
    So they came, both men and women. All who were of a willing heart brought brooches and earrings and signet rings and armlets, all sorts of gold objects, every man dedicating an offering of gold to the Lord.
  42. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 35:11
    And they slaughtered the Passover lamb, and the priests threw the blood that they received from them while the Levites flayed the sacrifices.
  43. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 30:3
    For they could not keep it at that time because the priests had not consecrated themselves in sufficient number, nor had the people assembled in Jerusalem -
  44. Cross References
    Leviticus 3:1
    If his offering is a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offers an animal from the herd, male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the Lord.
    Leviticus 3:16
    And the priest shall burn them on the altar as a food offering with a pleasing aroma. All fat is the Lord 's.
  45. Cross References
    Numbers 15:5
    And you shall offer with the burnt offering, or for the sacrifice, a quarter of a hin of wine for the drink offering for each lamb.
    Numbers 15:7
    And for the drink offering you shall offer a third of a hin of wine, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
    Numbers 15:10
    And you shall offer for the drink offering half a hin of wine, as a food offering, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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