Misit quoque Ezechias ad omnem Israël et Judam: scripsitque epistolas ad Ephraim et Manassen ut venirent ad domum Domini in Jerusalem, et facerent Phase Domino Deo Israël.

And Ezechias sent to all Israel and Juda: and he wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasses, that they should come to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, and keep the phase to the Lord the God of Israel.

Then Ezechias sent out a summons to Juda and all Israel (for his word went out by letter even to Ephraim and Manasses), bidding them come up to the Lord’s house at Jerusalem, and keep his paschal feast there.

Inito ergo consilio regis et principum, et universi cœtus Jerusalem, decreverunt ut facerent Phase mense secundo.

For the king, taking counsel, and the princes, and all the assembly of Jerusalem, decreed to keep the phase the second month.

The king and his nobles and all Jerusalem were of this advice, that the pasch should be kept in the second month;

Non enim potuerant facere in tempore suo, quia sacerdotes qui possent sufficere, sanctificati non fuerant, et populus nondum congregatus fuerat in Jerusalem.

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.

keep it at the appointed time they might not, but must wait till priests had cleansed themselves in sufficient number, and the people could assemble at Jerusalem.

Placuitque sermo regi, et omni multitudini.

And the thing pleased the king, and all the people.

Such was the resolve taken by the king and his subjects;

Et decreverunt ut mitterent nuntios in universum Israël, de Bersabee usque Dan, ut venirent, et facerent Phase Domino Deo Israël in Jerusalem: multi enim non fecerant sicut lege præscriptum est.

And they decreed to send messengers to all Israel from Bersabee even to Dan, that they should come, and keep the phase to the Lord the God of Israel in Jerusalem: for many had not kept it as it is prescribed by the law.

and because so many had long neglected the law’s injunction, the summons should go out to all Israel, from Bersabee to Dan, bidding them keep the pasch there at Jerusalem, in the Lord’s honour, that was all Israel’s God.

Perrexeruntque cursores cum epistolis ex regis imperio, et principum ejus, in universum Israël et Judam, juxta id quod rex jusserat, prædicantes: Filii Israël, revertimini ad Dominum Deum Abraham, et Isaac, et Israël: et revertetur ad reliquias quæ effugerunt manum regis Assyriorum.

And the posts went with letters by commandment of the king, and his princes, to all Israel and Juda, proclaiming according to the king’s orders: Ye children of Israel, turn again to the Lord the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Israel: and he will return to the remnant of you that have escaped the hand of the king of the Assyrians.

So couriers went out in the king’s service, bearing letters in his name and in the name of his nobles to Israel and Juda alike, and this was their purport; Come back, Israelites, to the Lord, all that remnant of you the Assyrian king has spared; and he, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, will come back to your side.

Nolite fieri sicut patres vestri et fratres, qui recesserunt a Domino Deo patrum suorum, qui tradidit eos in interitum, ut ipsi cernitis.

Be not like your fathers, and brethren, who departed from the Lord the God of their fathers, and he hath given them up to destruction, as you see.

See how your fathers and brethren have deserted the Lord, the God of their race, and been left to their doom; be wiser than they.

Nolite indurare cervices vestras, sicut patres vestri: tradite manus Domino, et venite ad sanctuarium ejus quod sanctificavit in æternum: servite Domino Deo patrum vestrorum, et avertetur a vobis ira furoris ejus.

Harden not your necks, as your fathers did: yield yourselves to the Lord, and come to his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: serve the Lord the God of your fathers, and the wrath of his indignation shall be turned away from you.

Do not rebel, as your fathers did, against his yoke; surrender to the Lord, and come up to this sanctuary, which he has hallowed for all time; obey him, the Lord, the God of your fathers, and his fierce anger will be appeased.

Si enim vos reversi fueritis ad Dominum, fratres vestri et filii habebunt misericordiam coram dominis suis, qui illos duxerunt captivos, et revertentur in terram hanc: pius enim et clemens est Dominus Deus vester, et non avertet faciem suam a vobis, si reversi fueritis ad eum.

For if you turn again to the Lord: your brethren, and children shall find mercy before their masters, that have led them away captive, and they shall return into this land: for the Lord your God is merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him.

When you have come back to the Lord, the victors will relent, and allow your banished sons and brethren to return home; so gracious the Lord is, so merciful; turn back to him, and his face shall be hidden from you no more.

Igitur cursores pergebant velociter de civitate in civitatem per terram Ephraim et Manasse usque ad Zabulon, illis irridentibus et subsannantibus eos.

So the posts went speedily from city to city, through the land of Ephraim, and of Manasses, even to Zabulon, whilst they laughed at them and mocked them.

Swiftly the couriers went from city to city of Ephraim and Manasses, right up to Zabulon, meeting everywhere with scorn and derision;

Attamen quidam viri ex Aser, et Manasse, et Zabulon acquiescentes consilio, venerunt Jerusalem.

Nevertheless some men of Aser, and of Manasses, and of Zabulon, yielding to the counsel, came to Jerusalem.

but there were some tribesmen of Aser, Manasses and Zabulon that fell in with the proposal, and came.

In Juda vero facta est manus Domini ut daret eis cor unum, ut facerent juxta præceptum regis et principum verbum Domini.

But the hand of God was in Juda, to give them one heart to do the word of the Lord, according to the commandment of the king, and of the princes.

In Juda, such was the Lord’s enabling power, they had but one thought, to obey the Lord’s will, obey the command of the king and of his nobles.

Congregatique sunt in Jerusalem populi multi ut facerent solemnitatem azymorum, in mense secundo:

And much people were assembled to Jerusalem to celebrate the solemnity of the unleavened bread in the second month:

So it was a great throng that came to Jerusalem to keep this feast of unleavened bread in the second month.

et surgentes destruxerunt altaria quæ erant in Jerusalem, atque universa in quibus idolis adolebatur incensum, subvertentes, projecerunt in torrentem Cedron.

And they arose and destroyed the altars that were in Jerusalem, and took away all things in which incense was burnt to idols, and cast them into the torrent Cedron.

First they set about destroying the altars up and down Jerusalem, overthrowing all the shrines at which incense had been burned to false gods; and these they threw down into Cedron valley.

Immolaverunt autem Phase quartadecima die mensis secundi. Sacerdotes quoque atque Levitæ tandem sanctificati, obtulerunt holocausta in domo Domini:

And they immolated the phase on the fourteenth day of the second month. And the priests and the Levites being at length sanctified offered holocausts in the house of the Lord.

Then, on the fourteenth day of the second month, they slew the paschal victim. Priest and Levite, cleansed of their defilement at last, offered burnt-sacrifice in the Lord’s house,

steteruntque in ordine suo juxta dispositionem et legem Moysi hominis Dei: sacerdotes vero suscipiebant effundendum sanguinem de manibus Levitarum,

And they stood in their order according to the disposition, and law of Moses the man of God: but the priests received the blood which was to be poured out, from the hands of the Levites,

keeping their due order, according to the terms of that law which God’s servant Moses gave. Only it was the Levites that must hand over to the priests the blood which was to be poured out,

eo quod multa turba sanctificata non esset: et idcirco immolarent Levitæ Phase his qui non occurrerant sanctificari Domino.

Because a great number was not sanctified: and therefore the Levites immolated the phase for them that came not in time to be sanctified to the Lord.

so many of the worshippers were still uncleansed; for all those who had not come in time to rid themselves of their defilement, the Levites must slay the victim.

Magna etiam pars populi de Ephraim, et Manasse, et Issachar, et Zabulon, quæ sanctificata non fuerat, comedit Phase non juxta quod scriptum est: et oravit pro eis Ezechias, dicens: Dominus bonus propitiabitur

For a great part of the people from Ephraim, and Manasses, and Issachar, and Zabulon, that had not been sanctified, ate the phase otherwise than it is written: and Ezechias prayed for them, saying: The Lord who is good will shew mercy,

There were many from Ephraim, Manasses, Issachar and Zabulon that must overstep the bounds of the law by eating their paschal meal while they were yet defiled; but Ezechias made intercession for these; surely the Lord, in his goodness, would pardon

cunctis, qui in toto corde requirunt Dominum Deum patrum suorum: et non imputabit eis quod minus sanctificati sunt.

To all them, who with their whole heart, seek the Lord the God of their fathers: and will not impute it to them that they are not sanctified.

such as made the Lord God of their fathers their whole heart’s quest; cleansed or no, he would not find fault with them.

Quem exaudivit Dominus, et placatus est populo.

And the Lord heard him, and was merciful to the people.

In answer to this prayer, the Lord gave his people quittance.

Feceruntque filii Israël, qui inventi sunt in Jerusalem, solemnitatem azymorum septem diebus in lætitia magna, laudantes Dominum per singulos dies: Levitæ quoque et sacerdotes per organa quæ suo officio congruebant.

And the children of Israel, that were found at Jerusalem, kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great joy, praising the Lord every day: the Levites also, and the priests, with instruments that agreed to their office.

So, amid great rejoicing, for seven days together, all the Israelites assembled at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread. Day by day priest and Levite stood there praising the Lord as best their music might;

Et locutus est Ezechias ad cor omnium Levitarum qui habebant intelligentiam bonam super Domino: et comederunt septem diebus solemnitatis, immolantes victimas pacificorum, et laudantes Dominum Deum patrum suorum.

And Ezechias spoke to the heart of all the Levites, that had good understanding concerning the Lord: and they ate during the seven days of the solemnity, immolating victims of peace offerings, and praising the Lord the God of their fathers.

Ezechias himself spoke to hearten them, sons of Levi that had such skill in the Lord’s service. All the seven days of the feast they ate the victims of their own welcome-offerings, giving thanks to the Lord, their fathers’ God.

Placuitque universæ multitudini ut celebrarent etiam alios dies septem: quod et fecerunt cum ingenti gaudio.

And it pleased the whole multitude to keep other seven days: which they did with great joy.

And now the whole multitude resolved to keep festival seven days more, and right gladly they did it.

Ezechias enim rex Juda præbuerat multitudini mille tauros, et septem millia ovium: principes vero dederant populo tauros mille, et oves decem millia: sanctificata est ergo sacerdotum plurima multitudo.

For Ezechias the king of Juda had given to the multitude a thousand bullocks, and seven thousand sheep: and the princes had given the people a thousand bullocks, and ten thousand sheep: and a great number of priests was sanctified.

A thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep were given to them by king Ezechias, a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep by the nobles; task enough for the many priests that had cleansed themselves by now.

Et hilaritate perfusa omnis turba Juda, tam sacerdotum et Levitarum, quam universæ frequentiæ quæ venerat ex Israël: proselytorum quoque de terra Israël, et habitantium in Juda.

And all the multitude of Juda with the priests and Levites, and all the assembly, that came out of Israel; and the proselytes of the land of Israel, and that dwelt in Juda were full of joy.

Glad was Juda that day, glad were priest and Levite, and new-comers from Israel, and men of alien birth from Israel’s domain and Juda’s alike;

Factaque est grandis celebritas in Jerusalem, qualis a diebus Salomonis filii David regis Israël in ea urbe non fuerat.

And there was a great solemnity in Jerusalem, such as had not been in that city since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel.

such high festival was kept in Jerusalem as the city had never seen since the days of David’s son Solomon, that was king of all Israel.

Surrexerunt autem sacerdotes atque Levitæ benedicentes populo: et exaudita est vox eorum, pervenitque oratio in habitaculum sanctum cæli.

And the priests and the Levites rose up and blessed the people: and their voice was heard: and their prayer came to the holy dwelling place of heaven.

Then priests and Levites stood up to bless the people, nor did their voices go unheard; heaven’s holy dwelling-place echoed to their prayer.