2 Chronicles 30
1 The king and his officials and all the other people who had gathered in Jerusalem wanted to celebrate the Passover Festival. But they were not able to celebrate it at the usual time, because many of the priests had still not performed the rituals to purify themselves; therefore they were not allowed to do serve in the festival. Also, everyone had still not come to Jerusalem [to celebrate the Passover]. So they decided to celebrate it one month later than usual.
Και απέστειλεν ο Εζεκίας προς πάντα τον Ισραήλ και Ιούδαν· έγραψεν έτι επιστολάς προς Εφραΐμ και Μανασσή, διά να έλθωσιν εις τον οίκον του Κυρίου εν Ιερουσαλήμ, να κάμωσι πάσχα εις Κύριον τον Θεόν του Ισραήλ.
Διότι συνεβουλεύθη ο βασιλεύς και οι άρχοντες αυτού και πάσα η σύναξις εν Ιερουσαλήμ να κάμωσι το πάσχα εν τω δευτέρω μηνί.
Επειδή δεν ηδυνήθησαν να κάμωσιν αυτό εν τω καιρώ εκείνω, διότι οι ιερείς δεν ήσαν αρκετά ηγιασμένοι και ο λαός δεν ήτο συνηγμένος εν Ιερουσαλήμ.
4 The king and all the other people who had gathered thought that was a good plan.
Και ήρεσε το πράγμα εις τον βασιλέα και εις πάσαν την σύναξιν.
5 So they decided to send messages to all the towns in Judah and in Israel, from Beersheba [in the far south] to Dan [in the far north], including towns in the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, to invite people to come to the temple in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover [Festival] to [honor] Yahweh, the God whom the Israeli people [worshiped/belonged to]. Many of the people had not previously celebrated that festival, even though it had been written [in the laws of Moses that they should do that].
Όθεν απεφάσισαν να διακηρύξωσι διά παντός του Ισραήλ, από Βηρ-σαβεέ έως Δαν, να έλθωσι διά να κάμωσι πάσχα εις Κύριον τον Θεόν του Ισραήλ εν Ιερουσαλήμ· διότι από πολλού χρόνου δεν είχον κάμει κατά το γεγραμμένον.
6 Obeying what the king commanded, messengers went throughout Judah and Israel, taking messages that had been written by the king and his officials. This is what they wrote: “You Israeli people, you who survived after being slaves of the kings of Assyria, return to Yahweh, the God whom [our great ancestors] Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob [worshiped/belonged to], in order that he may return to you. Your fathers and brothers did not faithfully obey Yahweh, the God whom our ancestors [worshiped].
Και υπήγαν οι ταχυδρόμοι μετά των επιστολών παρά του βασιλέως και των αρχόντων αυτού, διά παντός του Ισραήλ και Ιούδα, και κατά την προσταγήν του βασιλέως, λέγοντες, υιοί Ισραήλ, επιστρέψατε προς Κύριον τον Θεόν του Αβραάμ, Ισαάκ και Ισραήλ· και αυτός θέλει επιστρέψει εις τους εναπολειφθέντας από σας, όσοι διεσώθητε εκ χειρός των βασιλέων της Ασσυρίας·
7 Do not act like they did, because what they did caused other people to become disgusted with them.
και μη γίνεσθε καθώς οι πατέρες σας και καθώς οι αδελφοί σας, οίτινες ησέβησαν εις Κύριον τον Θεόν των πατέρων αυτών· και παρέδωκεν αυτούς εις ερήμωσιν, ως βλέπετε·
8 Do not be stubborn as our ancestors were. Do what Yahweh desires. Come [to Jerusalem] to the temple, which he has set apart forever. Do what pleases Yahweh our God, in order that he will no longer be angry with you.
τώρα μη σκληρύνητε τον τράχηλόν σας, καθώς οι πατέρες σας· υποτάχθητε εις τον Κύριον και εισέλθετε εις το αγιαστήριον αυτού, το οποίον ηγίασεν εις τον αιώνα· και δουλεύσατε Κύριον τον Θεόν σας, διά να αποστρέψη την έξαψιν του θυμού αυτού αφ' υμών·
9 If you return to Yahweh, the people who have captured our brothers [and sisters] and our children will be kind to them, and allow them to return to this land. Do not forget that Yahweh our God is kind and merciful. If you return to him, he will no longer reject you.”
διότι εάν επιστρέψητε προς τον Κύριον, οι αδελφοί σας και τα τέκνα σας θέλουσιν ευρεί έλεος έμπροσθεν των αιχμαλωτισάντων αυτούς, και θέλουσιν επανέλθει εις την γην ταύτην· διότι οικτίρμων και ελεήμων είναι Κύριος ο Θεός σας και δεν θέλει αποστρέψει το πρόσωπον αυτού από σας, εάν επιστρέψητε προς αυτόν.
10 The messengers went to all the towns in the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, as far [north] as the tribe of Zebulun, [and gave them this message, ] but most of the people there scorned them and ridiculed them.
Και διήλθον οι ταχυδρόμοι από πόλεως εις πόλιν διά της γης του Εφραΐμ και Μανασσή και έως Ζαβουλών· πλην εκείνοι κατεγέλασαν αυτούς και εμυκτήρισαν αυτούς.
11 But some of the people of [the tribes of] Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem.
Τινές όμως εκ του Ασήρ και Μανασσή και Ζαβουλών υπέκλιναν και ήλθον εις Ιερουσαλήμ.
12 Also in Judah God motivated the people to be united in wanting to do what Yahweh wanted them to do, which is what the king and his officials had told them to do in the message that they sent.
Και επί Ιούδαν ήτο χειρ Θεού, ώστε να δώση εις αυτούς καρδίαν μίαν, διά να κάμωσι την προσταγήν του βασιλέως και των αρχόντων, κατά τον λόγον του Κυρίου.
13 So a huge crowd of people gathered in Jerusalem in May, to celebrate the Festival of Eating Unleavened Bread.
Και συνήχθησαν εις Ιερουσαλήμ λαός πολύς, διά να κάμωσι την εορτήν των αζύμων εν τω μηνί τω δευτέρω, σύναξις μεγάλη σφόδρα.
14 They removed the altars [of Baal] in Jerusalem and took away the altars for burning incense [to honor other gods, and burned them] in Kidron Valley.
Και σηκωθέντες, αφήρεσαν τα θυσιαστήρια τα εν Ιερουσαλήμ· και πάντα τα θυσιαστήρια του θυμιάματος αφήρεσαν και έρριψαν αυτά εις τον χείμαρρον Κέδρων.
15 They slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of that month. Some of the priests and the other descendants of Levi were ashamed [because they had not performed the rituals to cause them to be acceptable to work for Yahweh]. So they performed those rituals, and brought to the temple animals to be completely burned [on the altar].
Και εθυσίασαν το πάσχα τη δεκάτη τετάρτη του δευτέρου μηνός· και εντράπησαν οι ιερείς και οι Λευΐται, και αγιασθέντες εισέφεραν ολοκαυτώματα εις τον οίκον του Κυρίου.
16 Then they stood at the places where Moses had written in his laws that they should stand. Then the descendants of Levi gave to the priests [bowls containing blood of the animals that were being sacrificed], and the priests sprinkled [the altar] with some of the blood.
Και εστάθησαν εν τω τόπω αυτών, κατά την τάξιν αυτών, κατά τον νόμον Μωϋσέως του ανθρώπου του Θεού· και ερράντιζον οι ιερείς το αίμα, λαμβάνοντες εκ της χειρός των Λευϊτών.
17 Many people in the crowd had not purified themselves, and therefore they were not able to kill the lambs [and dedicate them] to Yahweh. So it was necessary for the descendants of Levi to kill the lambs for them.
Διότι ήσαν πολλοί εν τη συνάξει, οι μη αγιασθέντες· διά τούτο έλαβον οι Λευΐται το φορτίον να σφάξωσι τα αρνία του πάσχα διά πάντα τον μη καθαρόν, διά να αγιάσωσιν αυτούς εις τον Κύριον.
18 Although most of the people who had come from [the tribes of] Ephraim, Manasseh, and Issachar had not purified themselves, they ate the food of the Passover Festival anyway, ignoring the rules written [by Moses]. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying “Yahweh, you always do what is good; I pray that you will forgive everyone
Επειδή μέγα μέρος εκ του λαού, πολλοί εκ του Εφραΐμ και Μανασσή, Ισσάχαρ και Ζαβουλών δεν είχον καθαρισθή, αλλ' έτρωγον το πάσχα ουχί κατά το γεγραμμένον· ο Εζεκίας όμως εδεήθη υπέρ αυτών, λέγων, Ο αγαθός Κύριος ας γείνη ίλεως εις πάντα,
19 who sincerely wants to honor you, the God whom our ancestors [worshiped], even if they have not purified themselves by obeying the sacred laws that you gave to us.”
όστις κατευθύνει την καρδίαν αυτού εις το να εκζητή τον Θεόν, Κύριον τον Θεόν των πατέρων αυτού, και αν δεν εκαθαρίσθη κατά τον καθαρισμόν του αγιαστηρίου.
20 And Yahweh heard what Hezekiah prayed; he forgave the people, [and did not punish them].
Και επήκουσεν ο Κύριος του Εζεκίου και συνεχώρησε τον λαόν.
21 The Israeli people who were there in Jerusalem celebrated the Festival of Eating Unleavened Bread for seven days. They rejoiced greatly as they celebrated, while the priests and other descendants of Levi sang to Yahweh every day, and played musical instruments to [praise] God.
Και έκαμον οι υιοί Ισραήλ οι ευρεθέντες εν Ιερουσαλήμ την εορτήν των αζύμων επτά ημέρας εν ευφροσύνη μεγάλη· και ύμνουν οι Λευΐται και οι ιερείς τον Κύριον καθ' εκάστην ημέραν, τον Κύριον, με όργανα δυνατά.
22 Hezekiah thanked all the descendants of Levi for doing this work for Yahweh, and for very skillfully leading the people who were worshiping. For those seven days the people ate the Passover food and brought offerings to maintain fellowship with Yahweh and praised Yahweh, the God whom their ancestors [belonged to/had worshiped].
Και ελάλησεν ο Εζεκίας κατά την καρδίαν πάντων των Λευϊτών των εχόντων σύνεσιν αγαθήν περί του Κυρίου· και έτρωγον εν τη εορτή επτά ημέρας, θυσιάζοντες θυσίας ειρηνικάς και δοξολογούντες Κύριον τον Θεόν των πατέρων αυτών.
23 Then the whole group decided to celebrate for seven more days, so they did: They celebrated joyfully for seven more days.
Και συνεβουλεύθη πάσα η σύναξις να κάμωσιν άλλας επτά ημέρας· και έκαμον άλλας επτά ημέρας ευφροσύνην.
24 King Hezekiah provided 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep to be slaughtered for the people [to eat during the festival], and the officials also gave them 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep and goats. Many priests consecrated themselves.
Διότι προσέφερεν Εζεκίας, ο βασιλεύς του Ιούδα, εις την σύναξιν χιλίους βόας και επτά χιλιάδας προβάτων· και οι άρχοντες προσέφεραν εις την σύναξιν χιλίους βόας και δέκα χιλιάδας προβάτων· και ηγιάσθησαν πολλοί ιερείς.
25 All the people of Judah rejoiced, including the priests and other descendants of Levi and all the people from Israel who had come, and including some from other countries who were living in Israel and some from other countries who were living in Judah.
Και ευφράνθησαν πάσα η σύναξις του Ιούδα και οι ιερείς και οι Λευΐται και πάσα η σύναξις η συνελθούσα εκ του Ισραήλ και οι ξένοι οι ελθόντες εκ της γης του Ισραήλ και οι κατοικούντες εν Ιούδα.
26 Everyone in Jerusalem was very joyful, because nothing like this had happened in Jerusalem since the time when David’s son Solomon was the king of Israel.
Και έγεινεν ευφροσύνη μεγάλη εν Ιερουσαλήμ· διότι από των ημερών του Σολομώντος υιού του Δαβίδ βασιλέως του Ισραήλ, δεν έγεινε τοιούτον πράγμα εν Ιερουσαλήμ.
27 The priests and the other descendants of Levi stood up to bless the people, and God heard them in heaven, the holy place where he lives.
Μετά ταύτα σηκωθέντες οι ιερείς οι Λευΐται ηυλόγησαν τον λαόν· και επηκούσθη η φωνή αυτών, και ήλθεν η προσευχή αυτών εις τον ουρανόν, το άγιον κατοικητήριον του Κυρίου.
