The Daily Audio Bible
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Hezekiah Keeps the Passover
30 Hezekiah sent word to all Israel and Judah. He wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh also, that they should come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover to the Lord God of Israel. 2 For the king and his rulers and all the people in Jerusalem had decided to keep the Passover in the second month. 3 For they could not keep it at the set time, because there had not been enough religious leaders who had made themselves holy. And the people had not been gathered to Jerusalem. 4 So the new time pleased the king and all the people. 5 And they made it known in all Israel, from Beer-sheba to Dan, that they should come to keep the Passover to the Lord God of Israel at Jerusalem. For great numbers of people had not kept it, as they were told to do. 6 Men were sent through all Israel and Judah with the letters from the hand of the king and his rulers, as the king had told them. The letters said, “O sons of Israel, return to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that He may return to those of you who have not been taken away by the kings of Assyria. 7 Do not be like your fathers and your brothers. They were not faithful to the Lord God of their fathers, so He gave them a reason to fear, as you see. 8 Now do not make your hearts hard like your fathers, but give yourselves to the Lord. Come to His holy place which He has set apart forever. And worship the Lord your God, that His burning anger may turn away from you. 9 For if you return to the Lord, your brothers and your sons will be shown pity by those who took them away, and will return to this land. For the Lord your God is kind and loving. He will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him.”
10 So the men took the letters from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun. But the people laughed at them and made fun of them. 11 Only a few men of Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun put away their pride and came to Jerusalem. 12 The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the rulers told them by the Word of the Lord.
The People Keep the Passover
13 Many people gathered together at Jerusalem to keep the Special Supper of Bread Without Yeast in the second month. There were very many people. 14 They took away the altars which were in Jerusalem. And they also took away all the special perfume altars and threw them into the river of Kidron. 15 Then they killed the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of the second month. The religious leaders and Levites were ashamed and made themselves holy, and brought burnt gifts to the house of the Lord. 16 They stood in their places as they should, as given by the Law of Moses the man of God. The religious leaders placed the blood which they received from the hand of the Levites. 17 For there were many of the people who had not made themselves holy. So the Levites had to kill the Passover lambs for every one who was unclean, to make them holy to the Lord. 18 For many of the people, many of them from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not made themselves clean. Yet they ate the Passover in a different way than had been written. For Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the good Lord forgive everyone 19 who makes his heart ready to look for God, the Lord God of his fathers, even if he does not follow the rules of the holy place for making himself clean.” 20 And the Lord heard Hezekiah, and healed the people. 21 The people of Israel who were there in Jerusalem kept the Special Supper of Bread Without Yeast for seven days with great joy. The Levites and the religious leaders praised the Lord day after day, singing with loud music to the Lord. 22 Then Hezekiah spoke comforting words to all the Levites who had good understanding in the Lord’s work. So the people ate the food of the Special Supper for seven days, giving peace gifts and thanks to the Lord God of their fathers.
23 Then all the people decided to keep the Special Supper for another seven days. So they kept it for another seven days with joy. 24 For King Hezekiah of Judah had given the people 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep. And the rulers had given the people 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep. And a large number of religious leaders made themselves holy. 25 All the people of Judah were filled with joy, with the religious leaders and the Levites, and all the people who came from Israel. Both the people who came from the land of Israel and those living in Judah were filled with joy. 26 So there was great joy in Jerusalem, because there was nothing like this in Jerusalem since the days of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel. 27 Then the religious leaders and Levites stood and prayed that good would come to the people. And their voice was heard. Their prayer came to the Lord’s holy place in heaven.
Changes Made by Hezekiah
31 Now when all this was finished, all the people of Israel who were there went out to the cities of Judah. They broke in pieces the pillars set up for the false gods. They cut down the objects of the false goddess Asherah. And they pulled down the high places and the altars through all Judah and Benjamin, and in Ephraim and Manasseh. They destroyed all of them. Then all the people of Israel returned to their cities, every man to his land.
2 Hezekiah divided the religious leaders and the Levites into groups, each by the work he was to do. He chose the religious leaders and Levites for giving the burnt gifts and peace gifts, for serving and giving thanks, and for praising in the gates of the camp of the Lord. 3 He decided what the king should give of his own animals for the burnt gifts, for the morning and evening, for the Days of Rest and the New Moons and the Special Suppers, as it is written in the Law of the Lord. 4 And he told the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the share that should go to the religious leaders and the Levites, that they might give themselves to the Law of the Lord. 5 As soon as the news spread, the people of Israel gave much of the first-fruits of grain, new wine, oil, honey, and of all the food of the field. They brought in more than a tenth part of everything. 6 The people of Israel and Judah, who lived in the cities of Judah, also brought in a tenth part of the cattle and sheep. And they brought a tenth part of the holy things which were set apart for the Lord their God. They laid them one on top of the other. 7 They began to lay them on top of each other in the third month, and finished by the seventh month.
8 And when Hezekiah and the rulers came and saw all the things, they praised the Lord and His people Israel. 9 Then Hezekiah asked the religious leaders and the Levites about all the things which had been brought. 10 Azariah the head religious leader of the family of Zadok said to him, “Since the gifts began to be brought into the Lord’s house, we have had much more than enough to eat. For the Lord has brought good to His people, and we have all this much left.”
11 Then Hezekiah told them to make rooms ready in the house of the Lord, and they made them ready. 12 And they were faithful to bring in the gifts and the tenth part and the holy things. Conaniah the Levite was the captain over them, and his brother Shimei was second. 13 The leaders under Conaniah and his brother Shimei were Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah. They were chosen by King Hezekiah. Azariah was the head captain of the house of God. 14 Kore, the son of Imnah the Levite, who watched over the east gate, was captain of the free-will gifts to God. He divided the gifts for the Lord and the most holy things. 15 Under his rule were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, in the cities of the religious leaders. They were faithful to give shares to their brothers by their groups, large and small alike.
16 Also they gave to those whose names were written down by families, from three years old and older. They gave to everyone who went into the Lord’s house for each day’s duty, for the work each of their groups was to do. 17 The names of the religious leaders were written down by their family groups, and the Levites from twenty years old and older, by their duties and their groups. 18 Also written down were the names of their little children, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, for all the people. For they were faithful to set themselves apart to be holy. 19 Also the sons of Aaron, the religious leaders who were in the fields around their cities, or in each and every city, were taken care of. There were men chosen by name to give shares to every male among the religious leaders and to everyone whose name was written down among the Levites.
20 Hezekiah did this through all Judah. He did what was good and right and true before the Lord his God. 21 All the work he began in the house of God, obeying the Laws and looking to his God, he did with all his heart and all went well for him.
15 We who have strong faith should help those who are weak. We should not live to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should live to please his neighbor. This will help him grow in faith. 3 Even Christ did not please Himself. The Holy Writings say, “The sharp words spoken against you fell on Me.” (A) 4 Everything that was written in the Holy Writings long ago was written to teach us. By not giving up, God’s Word gives us strength and hope. 5 Now the God Who helps you not to give up and gives you strength will help you think so you can please each other as Christ Jesus did. 6 Then all of you together can thank the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7 Receive each other as Christ received you. This will honor God. 8 Christ came to help the Jews. This proved that God had told the truth to their early fathers. This proved that God would do what He promised. 9 This was done so the people who are not Jews can thank God for His loving-kindness. The Holy Writings say, “This is why I will give thanks to you among the people who are not Jews. I will sing to Your name.” (B) 10 It says also, “You who are not Jews, be happy with His people, the Jews.” (C) 11 And, “Honor and give thanks to the Lord, you who are not Jews. Let everyone honor Him.” (D) 12 And Isaiah says, “There will be One from the family of Jesse Who will be a leader over the people who are not Jews. Their hope will be in Him.” (E) 13 Our hope comes from God. May He fill you with joy and peace because of your trust in Him. May your hope grow stronger by the power of the Holy Spirit.
14 I am sure you are wise in all things and full of much good. You are able to help and teach each other. 15 I have written to you with strong words about some things. I have written so you would remember. God helped me write like this. 16 I am able to write these things because God made me a missionary to the people who are not Jews. I work as a servant of Jesus Christ. I preach the Good News of God so the people who are not Jews may be as a gift to God. The Holy Spirit will set them apart so God will be pleased with them. 17 I have reason to be proud of my work for God. It is because I belong to Christ Jesus. 18 I can only speak of what Christ has done through me. I have helped the people who are not Jews to obey Him. I have done it by words and by living with them. 19 God showed them His power through me. The Holy Spirit did powerful works through me in front of them. From Jerusalem to the country of Illyricum I have preached the Good News of Christ. 20 It is my desire to preach the Good News where it has never been preached. I want to preach only where Christ is not known. 21 The Holy Writings say, “Those who have never known about Him will see. And those who have never heard about Him will understand.” (F)
22 This is why I have been kept many times from coming to you.
Prayer to Be Kept Safe from Enemies
25 I lift up my soul to You, O Lord. 2 O my God, I trust in You. Do not let me be ashamed. Do not let those who fight against me win. 3 Yes, let no one who hopes in You be put to shame. But put to shame those who hurt others without a reason.
4 Show me Your ways, O Lord. Teach me Your paths. 5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me. For You are the God Who saves me. I wait for You all day long. 6 Remember Your loving-pity and Your loving-kindness, O Lord. For they have been from old. 7 Do not remember my sins from when I was young, or my sinful ways. By Your loving-kindness remember me for You are good, O Lord.
8 Good and right is the Lord. So He teaches sinners in His ways. 9 He leads those without pride into what is right, and teaches them His way. 10 All the paths of the Lord are loving and true for those who keep His agreement and keep His Laws. 11 For the good of Your name, O Lord, forgive my sin, even as big as it is.
12 Who is the man who fears the Lord? He will teach him in the way he should choose. 13 His soul will live a rich life. And his children will be given the land. 14 The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him. And He will make them know His agreement. 15 My eyes are always on the Lord. For He will take my feet out of the net.
13 Do not love sleep, or you will become poor. Open your eyes, and you will be filled with food.
14 “It is bad, it is bad,” says the one who buys, but when he goes away, he talks much about his good buy.
15 There is gold and many stones of great worth, but the lips of much learning are worth more.
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