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29.30 the princes commanded the Levites to sing praises unto the with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves.

Then Hezekiah answered and said: 'Now ye have consecrated yourselves unto the, come near and bring sacrifices and thank-offerings into the house of the .' And the congregation brought in sacrifices and thank-offerings; and as many as were of a willing heart brought burnt-offerings. And the number of the burnt-offerings, which the congregation brought, was threescore and ten bullocks, a hundred rams, and two hundred lambs; all these were for a burnt-offering to the. And the consecrated things were six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep. But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt-offerings; wherefore their brethren the Levites did help them, till the work was ended, and until the priests had sanctified themselves; for the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests. And also the burnt-offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace-offerings, and the drink-offerings for every burnt-offering. So the service of the house of the was firmly established. And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, because of that which God had prepared for the people; for the thing was done suddenly.

And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the at Jerusalem, to keep the passover unto the, the God of Israel. For the king had taken counsel, and his princes, and all the congregation in Jerusalem, to keep the passover in the second month. 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. And the thing was right in the eyes of the king and of all the congregation. So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beer-sheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the passover unto the, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem; for they had not kept it in great numbers according as it is written.

So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying: 'Ye children of Israel, turn back unto the, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that He may return to the remnant that are escaped of you out of the hand of the kings of Assyria. And be not ye like your fathers, and like your brethren, who acted treacherously against the, the God of their fathers, so that He delivered them to be an astonishment, as ye see. Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were; but yield yourselves unto the, and enter into His sanctuary, which He hath sanctified for ever, and serve the your God, that His fierce anger may turn away from you. For if ye turn back unto the, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that led them captive, and shall come back into this land; for the your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away His face from you, if ye return unto Him.'

So the posts passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim