Study Desk

Then the men who were designated by name arose, took charge of the captives, and provided from the plunder clothing for the naked. They clothed them, gave them sandals and food and drink, anointed their wounds, and put all the feeble on donkeys. So they brought them to Jericho, the City of Palms, to their brothers. Then they returned to Samaria.

In every city of Judah he built high places to offer incense to other gods, and so he provoked the LORD, the God of his fathers.

Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the LORD, the God of Israel, so that His fierce anger will turn away from us.

So the priests went inside the house of the LORD to cleanse it, and they brought out to the courtyard all the unclean things that they found in the temple of the LORD. Then the Levites took these things and carried them out to the Kidron Valley.

So they slaughtered the bulls, and the priests took the blood and sprinkled it on the altar. They slaughtered the rams and sprinkled the blood on the altar. And they slaughtered the lambs and sprinkled the blood on the altar.

Then King Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to sing praises to the LORD in the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness and bowed their heads and worshiped.

Then Hezekiah said, "Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the LORD, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the house of the LORD." So the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all whose hearts were willing brought burnt offerings.

Furthermore, the burnt offerings were abundant, along with the fat of the peace offerings and the drink offerings for the burnt offerings. So the service of the house of the LORD was established.

Then Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced at what God had prepared for the people, because everything had been accomplished so quickly.

So they established a decree to circulate a proclamation throughout Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, that the people should come to keep the Passover of the LORD, the God of Israel, in Jerusalem. For they had not observed it as a nation as prescribed.

So the couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and his officials, which read: "Children of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that He may return to those of you who remain, who have escaped the grasp of the kings of Assyria.

Do not be like your fathers and brothers who were unfaithful to the LORD, the God of their fathers, so that He made them an object of horror, as you can see.

Now do not stiffen your neck as your fathers did. Submit to the LORD and come to His sanctuary which He has consecrated forever. Serve the LORD your God, so that His fierce anger will turn away from you.

The whole assembly agreed to observe seven more days, so they observed seven days with joy.

So there was great rejoicing in Jerusalem, for nothing like this had happened since the days of Solomon son of David king of Israel.

Moreover, he commanded the people living in Jerusalem to make a contribution for the priests and Levites so that they could devote themselves to the Law of the LORD.

Then Hezekiah commanded them to prepare storerooms in the house of the LORD, and they did so.

So this is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah. He did what was good and upright and true before the LORD his God.

He was diligent in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law and the commandments, in order to seek his God. And so he prospered.

With him is only an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles." So the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.