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Bible in Basic English

2 Chronicles 30:3

It was not possible to keep it at that time, because not enough priests had made themselves holy, and the people had not come together in Jerusalem.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Backsliders;   Derision;   Form;   Liberality;   Minister, Christian;   Month;   Passover;   Proclamation;   Thompson Chain Reference - Awakenings and Religious Reforms;   Awakenings, Religious;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Feast of the Passover, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Hezekiah;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Judah, Kingdom of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Letter;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Chronicles, I;   Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Hezekiah;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Sama'ria, Country of;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Passover;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
because they were not able to observe it at the appropriate time. Not enough of the priests had consecrated themselves, and the people hadn’t been gathered together in Jerusalem.
Hebrew Names Version
For they could not keep it at that time, because the Kohanim had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Yerushalayim.
King James Version
For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.
English Standard Version
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—
New Century Version
They could not celebrate it at the normal time, because not enough priests had made themselves ready to serve the Lord , and the people had not yet gathered in Jerusalem.
New English Translation
They were unable to observe it at the regular time because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not assembled in Jerusalem.
Amplified Bible
since they could not celebrate it at that time because a sufficient number of priests had not consecrated themselves, nor had the people assembled at Jerusalem.
New American Standard Bible
since they could not celebrate it at that time, because the priests had not consecrated themselves in sufficient numbers, nor had the people been gathered to Jerusalem.
World English Bible
For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.
Geneva Bible (1587)
For they could not keepe it at this time, because there were not Priests enow sanctified, neither was the people gathered to Ierusalem.
Legacy Standard Bible
since they could not celebrate it at that time, because the priests had not set themselves apart as holy in sufficient numbers, nor had the people been gathered to Jerusalem.
Berean Standard Bible
since they had been unable to observe it at the regular time, because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not been gathered in Jerusalem.
Complete Jewish Bible
They had not been able to observe it at the proper time because the cohanim had not consecrated themselves in sufficient number; also the people had not assembled in Yerushalayim.
Darby Translation
For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not hallowed themselves in sufficient number, neither had the people been gathered together to Jerusalem.
Easy-to-Read Version
They could not celebrate the Passover Festival at the regular time, because not enough priests had made themselves ready for holy service and the people had not gathered in Jerusalem.
George Lamsa Translation
For they could not keep it at the appointed time because the priests had not sanctified themselves, neither had the instructors of the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.
Lexham English Bible
but they were not able to make it at that time, for the priests had not consecrated themselves in sufficient numbers, and the people had not been assembled in Jerusalem—
Literal Translation
since they could not do it at that time, for the priests had not cleansed themselves enough. And the people had not been gathered to Jerusalem.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
for at that tyme they coulde not kepe it, because the prestes were not sanctified ynough, and the people were not yet come together vnto Ierusalem.
American Standard Version
For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
For they coulde not kepe it at that time, because the priestes were not sanctified sufficiently, neither was the people gathered together to Hierusalem.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.
King James Version (1611)
For they could not keepe it at that time, because the Priests had not sanctified themselues sufficiently, neither had the people gathered themselues together to Ierusalem.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For they could not keep it at that time, because a sufficient number of priest had not purified themselves, and the people was not gathered to Jerusalem.
English Revised Version
For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For thei demyden not to do in his tyme; for the preestis that myyten suffice weren not halewid, and the puple was not yit gaderid in to Jerusalem.
Update Bible Version
For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.
Webster's Bible Translation
For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently, neither had the people assembled themselves at Jerusalem.
New King James Version
For they could not keep it at the regular time, Leviticus 23:5); literally at that time">[fn] because a sufficient number of priests had not consecrated themselves, nor had the people gathered together at Jerusalem.
New Living Translation
They were unable to celebrate it at the prescribed time because not enough priests could be purified by then, and the people had not yet assembled at Jerusalem.
New Life Bible
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.
New Revised Standard
(for they could not keep it at its proper time because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, nor had the people assembled in Jerusalem).
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For they were unable to keep it at that time, - because, the priests, had not hallowed themselves in sufficient numbers, and, the people, had not gathered themselves unto Jerusalem.
Douay-Rheims Bible
For they could not keep it in its time; because there were not priests enough sanctified, and the people was not as yet gathered together to Jerusalem.
Revised Standard Version
for they could not keep it in its time because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, nor had the people assembled in Jerusalem--
Young's Literal Translation
for they have not been able to make it at that time, for the priests have not sanctified themselves sufficiently, and the people have not been gathered to Jerusalem.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
since they could not celebrate it at that time, because the priests had not consecrated themselves in sufficient numbers, nor had the people been gathered to Jerusalem.

Contextual Overview

1 Then Hezekiah sent word to all Israel and Judah, and sent letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, requesting them to come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel. 2 For the king, after discussion with his chiefs and all the body of the people in Jerusalem, had made a decision to keep the Passover in the second month. 3 It was not possible to keep it at that time, because not enough priests had made themselves holy, and the people had not come together in Jerusalem. 4 And the thing was right in the eyes of the king and all the people. 5 So it was ordered that word was to be sent out through all Israel, from Beer-sheba to Dan, that they were to come to keep the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem: because they had not kept it in great numbers in agreement with the law. 6 So runners went with letters from the king and his chiefs through all Israel and Judah, by the order of the king, saying, O children of Israel, come back again to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that he may come again to that small band of you which has been kept safe out of the hands of the kings of Assyria. 7 Do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who were sinners against the Lord, the God of their fathers, so that he made them a cause of fear, as you see. 8 Now do not be hard-hearted, as your fathers were; but give yourselves to the Lord, and come into his holy place, which he has made his for ever, and be the servants of the Lord your God, so that the heat of his wrath may be turned away from you. 9 For if you come back to the Lord, those who took away your brothers and your children will have pity on them, and let them come back to this land: for the Lord your God is full of grace and mercy, and his face will not be turned away from you if you come back to him. 10 So the runners went from town to town through all the country of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun: but they were laughed at and made sport of.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

at that time: Exodus 12:6, Exodus 12:18

because: 2 Chronicles 29:34

Reciprocal: Exodus 19:22 - break 2 Chronicles 35:6 - sanctify

Cross-References

Genesis 30:2
But Jacob was angry with Rachel, and said, Am I in the place of God, who has kept your body from having fruit?
Genesis 30:3
Then she said, Here is my servant Bilhah, go in to her, so that she may have a child on my knees, and I may have a family by her.
Genesis 30:9
When it was clear to Leah that she would have no more children for a time, she gave Zilpah, her servant, to Jacob as a wife.
Genesis 50:23
And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third generation: and the children of Machir, the son of Manasseh, came to birth on Joseph's knees.
Ruth 4:11
And all the people who were in the public place, and the responsible men, said, We are witnesses. May the Lord make this woman, who is about to come into your house, like Rachel and Leah, which two were the builders of the house of Israel: and may you have wealth in Ephrathah, and be great in Beth-lehem;
Job 3:12
Why did the knees take me, or why the breasts that they might give me milk?

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For they could not keep it at the time,.... In the month Nisan, as the Targum adds, on the fourteenth day of the month, as the law enjoined, because the cleansing of the temple was not finished until the sixteenth day, see 2 Chronicles 29:17 and, besides this, two other reasons follow:

because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently; that is, a sufficient number of them were not sanctified, to slay all the passover lambs the people that came to the feast would want:

neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem; they had no notice of it, nor summons for it; and it was required that, at such a time, all the males in the land should appear at Jerusalem; but this custom having been long disused, it required time to acquaint them of the revival of it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

At that time - i. e. in the first month, at the time of the events mentioned in 2 Chronicles 29:0.


 
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