Study Desk

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

Hezekiah did this through all Judah. He did what was good and right and true before the Lord his God.

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.

He has only man with him. But we have the Lord our God with us, to help us and to fight our battles." And the people trusted the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

Is not Hezekiah leading you the wrong way to let you die by hunger and thirst, saying, "The Lord our God will save us from the king of Assyria"?

Who among all the gods could save his people from me in all those nations which my fathers destroyed? Would your God be able to save you from me?

So now do not let Hezekiah lie to you or lead you in the wrong way like this. Do not believe him. For no god of any nation was able to save his people from me or from my fathers. How much less will your God save you from me!'"

Sennacherib's men said still more against the Lord God and against His servant Hezekiah.

The Assyrian king also wrote letters to say things against the Lord God of Israel, saying, "As the gods of the other nations of the lands have not saved their people from me, so the God of Hezekiah will not save His people from me."