2. Tarihler 30

¹Hizkiya bütün İsrail ve Yahuda'ya haber gönderdi; ayrıca Efraim ve Manaşe'ye de mektuplar yazdılar; onları, İsrail'in Tanrısı Rab'be Fısıh bayramını kutlamak üzere Yeruşalim'deki Rab'bin evine gelmeye çağırdılar.

²Kral, önderler ve Yeruşalim'deki bütün topluluk, Fısıh bayramını ikinci ayda kutlamak üzere meclis kurup karar aldı.

³Çünkü o vakit bunu kutlayamamışlardı; zira kâhinler kendilerini layıkıyla arındırmamıştı ve halk Yeruşalim'de toplanmamıştı.

⁴Bu karar kralın ve topluluğun gözünde uygun görüldü.

⁵Beer-Şeva'dan Dan'a kadar bütün İsrail'de, Yeruşalim'e gelip İsrail'in Tanrısı Rab'be Fısıh bayramını kutlamaları için bir duyuru yapılmasına karar verdiler; çünkü büyük bir kalabalık bunu yazılana göre uzun zamandır yapmamıştı.

⁶Ulaklar, kralın buyruğu uyarınca, kraldan ve önderlerden aldıkları mektuplarla bütün İsrail ve Yahuda'yı dolaşarak şöyle dediler: "Ey İsrail oğulları! İbrahim'in, İshak'ın ve İsrail'in Tanrısı Rab'be dönün ki, O da Asur kralının elinden kurtulup aranızda sağ kalanlara dönsün.

⁷Atalarının Tanrısı Rab'den sapan ve O'nun, kendilerini şimdi gördüğünüz gibi viraneye çevirmesine yol açan atalarınız ve kardeşleriniz gibi olmayın.

⁸Şimdi atalarınız gibi yüreklerinizi katılaştırmayın; Rab Tanrı'ya görkem sunun ve O'nun sonsuza dek kutsal kıldığı tapınağına girin. Tanrınız Rab'be kulluk edin ki, kızgın öfkesi üzerinizden uzaklaşsın.

⁹Çünkü siz Rab'be dönerseniz, kardeşleriniz ve çocuklarınız kendilerini tutsak edenlerin önünde merhamet bulacak ve bu toprağa geri döneceklerdir. Çünkü Tanrımız Rab lütufkâr ve merhametlidir; eğer O'na dönersek, yüzünü bizden çevirmeyecektir."

¹⁰Ulaklar Efraim ve Manaşe dağlık bölgesinde kent kent dolaşarak Zebulun'a kadar gittiler; fakat insanlar onlarla alay ediyor ve onları küçümsüyorlardı.

¹¹Yine de Aşer, Manaşe ve Zebulun halkından bazıları pişmanlık duyup saygı göstererek Yeruşalim'e ve Yahuda'ya geldiler.

¹²Yahuda'da da Rab'bin eli onların üzerindeydi; Rab'bin sözü uyarınca kralın ve önderlerin buyruğunu yerine getirmeleri için onlara tek bir yürek verdi.

¹³İkinci ayda Mayasız Ekmek Bayramı'nı kutlamak üzere Yeruşalim'de son derece büyük bir topluluk, büyük bir halk kitlesi bir araya geldi.

¹⁴Harekete geçip Yeruşalim'deki sunakları ve sahte ilahlara buhur yaktıkları her şeyi yıktılar; hepsini parçalayıp Kidron Deresi'ne attılar.

¹⁵İkinci ayın on dördüncü günü Fısıh kurbanını kestiler. Kâhinler ve Levililer pişmanlık duyup utandılar, kendilerini arındırdılar ve Rab'bin evine yakmalık sunular getirdiler.

¹⁶Tanrı adamı Musa'nın yasası uyarınca, kendilerine belirlenen yerlerde kurallara göre durdular. Kâhinler de kanı Levililerin elinden alıp döktüler.

¹⁷Çünkü topluluktan birçoğu kendini arındırmamıştı; bu yüzden Levililer, Rab için kendilerini arındıramayan herkes adına Fısıh kurbanlarını kesmekle görevliydiler.

¹⁸Çünkü Efraim, Manaşe, İssakar ve Zebulun'dan gelen halkın büyük çoğunluğu kendini arındırmamıştı; buna rağmen Fısıh kurbanını yazılana aykırı olarak yediler. Hizkiya onlar için şöyle dua etti: "İyi olan Rab bağışlasın,

¹⁹Kutsal yerin arınma kurallarına göre arınmamış olsa bile, atalarının Tanrısı Rab'bi aramaya yüreğini yönelten herkesi."

²⁰Rab Hizkiya'nın duasını işitti ve halkı iyileştirdi.

²¹Yeruşalim'de bulunan İsrail oğulları Mayasız Ekmek Bayramı'nı yedi gün boyunca büyük bir sevinçle kutladılar. Kâhinler ve Levililer her gün Rab'be çalgılar eşliğinde ilahiler söyleyerek O'nu yücelttiler.

²²Hizkiya, Rab'be hizmette derin bir anlayışa sahip olan bütün Levilileri yüreklendirdi. Böylece esenlik kurbanları sunarak ve atalarının Tanrısı Rab'be şükrederek Mayasız Ekmek Bayramı'nı yedi gün boyunca tam anlamıyla kutladılar.

²³Sonra bütün topluluk bayramı bir yedi gün daha kutlamaya karar verdi ve yedi günü daha sevinçle kutladılar.

²⁴Çünkü Yahuda kralı Hizkiya topluluk için bin boğa ve yedi bin koyun adamıştı; önderler de halk için bin boğa ve on bin koyun bağışladılar. Kâhinlerin kutsal sunuları da bol boldu.

²⁵Bütün topluluk, kâhinler, Levililer, Yahuda'nın bütün topluluğu, Yeruşalim'de bulunanlar, İsrail topraklarından gelen yabancılar ve Yahuda'da yaşayanlar büyük sevinç içindeydiler.

²⁶Yeruşalim'de büyük bir sevinç yaşandı; çünkü İsrail Kralı Davut oğlu Süleyman'ın günlerinden beri Yeruşalim'de böyle bir bayram kutlanmamıştı.

²⁷Sonra Levili kâhinler ayağa kalkıp halkı kutsadılar. Onların sesleri işitildi ve duaları O'nun göklerdeki kutsal konutuna ulaştı.

¹ΚΑΙ ἀπέστειλεν ᾿Εζεκίας ἐπὶ πάντα ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ ᾿Ιούδα καὶ ἐπιστολὰς ἔγραψαν ἐπὶ τὸν ᾿Εφραὶμ καὶ Μανασσῆ ἐλθεῖν εἰς οἶκον Κυρίου εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ ποιῆσαι τὸ φασὲκ τῷ Κυρίῳ Θεῷ ᾿Ισραήλ.

²καὶ ἐβουλεύσατο ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες καὶ πᾶσα ἡ ἐκκλησία ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ ποιῆσαι τὸ φασὲκ τῷ μηνὶ τῷ δευτέρῳ·

³οὐ γὰρ ἠδυνάσθησαν ποιῆσαι αὐτὸ ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, ὅτι οἱ ἱερεῖς οὐχ ἡγνίσθησαν ἱκανοί, καὶ ὁ λαὸς οὐ συνήχθη εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλήμ.

⁴καὶ ἤρεσεν ὁ λόγος ἐναντίον τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ ἐναντίον τῆς ἐκκλησίας.

⁵καὶ ἔστησαν λόγον διελθεῖν κήρυγμα ἐν παντὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ ἀπὸ Βηρσαβεὲ ἕως Δάν, ἐλθόντας ποιῆσαι τὸ φασὲκ Κυρίῳ Θεῷ ᾿Ισραὴλ εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλήμ, ὅτι πλῆθος οὐκ ἐποίησε κατά τὴν γραφήν.

⁶καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν οἱ τρέχοντες σὺν ταῖς ἐπιστολαῖς παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ τῶν ἀρχόντων εἰς πάντα ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ ᾿Ιούδαν κατὰ τὸ πρόσταγμα τοῦ βασιλέως λέγοντες· οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ ἐπιστρέψατε πρὸς Κύριον Θεὸν ῾Αβραὰμ καὶ ᾿Ισαὰκ καὶ ᾿Ισραήλ, καὶ ἐπιστρέψει τοὺς ἀνασεσωσμένους τοὺς καταλειφθέντας ἀπὸ χειρὸς βασιλέως ᾿Ασσούρ·

⁷καὶ μὴ γίνεσθε καθὼς οἱ πατέρες ὑμῶν καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ ὑμῶν, οἳ ἀπέστησαν ἀπὸ Κυρίου Θεοῦ πατέρων αὐτῶν, καὶ παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς εἰς ἐρήμωσιν, καθὼς ὑμεῖς ὁρᾶτε.

⁸καὶ νῦν μὴ σκληρύνητε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν ὡς οἱ πατέρες ὑμῶν· δότε δόξαν Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ καὶ εἰσέλθετε εἰς τὸ ἁγίασμα αὐτοῦ, ὃ ἡγίασεν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, καὶ δουλεύσατε τῷ Κυρίῳ Θεῷ ὑμῶν, καὶ ἀποστρέψει ἀφ’ ὑμῶν θυμὸν ὀργῆς.

⁹ὅτι ἐν τῷ ἐπιστρέφειν ὑμᾶς πρὸς Κύριον οἱ ἀδελφοὶ ὑμῶν καὶ τὰ τέκνα ὑμῶν ἔσονται ἐν οἰκτιρμοῖς ἔναντι πάντων τῶν αἰχμαλωτισάντων αὐτούς, καὶ ἀποστρέψει εἰς τὴν γῆν ταύτην, ὅτι ἐλεήμων καὶ οἰκτίρμων Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, καὶ οὐκ ἀποστρέψει τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἀφ’ ὑμῶν, ἐάν ἐπιστρέψωμεν πρὸς αὐτόν.

¹⁰καὶ ἦσαν οἱ τρέχοντες διαπορευόμενοι πόλιν ἐκ πόλεως ἐν τῷ ὄρει ᾿Εφραὶμ καὶ Μανασσῆ καὶ ἕως Ζαβουλών, καὶ ἐγένοντο ὡς καταγελῶντες αὐτῶν καὶ καταμωκώμενοι·

¹¹ἀλλὰ ἄνθρωποι ᾿Ασὴρ καὶ ἀπὸ Μανασσῆ καὶ ἀπὸ Ζαβουλὼν ἐνετράπησαν καὶ ἦλθον εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ καὶ εἰς ᾿Ιούδα.

¹²καὶ ἐγένετο χεὶρ Κυρίου δοῦναι αὐτοῖς καρδίαν μίαν ἐλθεῖν τοῦ ποιῆσαι κατὰ τὰ προστάγματα τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ τῶν ἀρχόντων ἐν λόγῳ Κυρίου,

¹³καὶ συνήχθησαν εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ λαὸς πολὺς τοῦ ποιῆσαι τὴν ἑορτὴν τῶν ἀζύμων ἐν τῷ μηνὶ τῷ δευτέρῳ, ἐκκλησία πολλὴ σφόδρα.

¹⁴καὶ ἀνέστησαν καὶ καθεῖλαν τὰ θυσιαστήρια τὰ ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλήμ καὶ πάντα, ἐν οἷς ἐθυμίων τοῖς ψευδέσι, κατέσπασαν καὶ ἔρριψαν εἰς τὸν χειμάρρουν Κέδρων.

¹⁵καὶ ἔθυσαν τὸ φασὲκ τῇ τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτῃ τοῦ μηνὸς τοῦ δευτέρου· καὶ οἱ ἱερεῖς καὶ οἱ Λευῖται ἐνετράπησαν καὶ ἡγνίσθησαν καὶ εἰσήνεγκαν ὁλοκαυτώματα ἐν οἴκῳ Κυρίου.

¹⁶καὶ ἔστησαν ἐπὶ τὴν στάσιν αὐτῶν κατὰ τὸ κρίμα αὐτῶν, κατὰ τὴν ἐντολὴν Μωυσῆ ἀνθρώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ οἱ ἱερεῖς ἐδέχοντο τὰ αἵματα ἐκ χειρὸς τῶν Λευιτῶν·

¹⁷ὅτι πλῆθος τῆς ἐκκλησίας οὐχ ἡγνίσθη, καὶ οἱ Λευῖται ἦσαν τοῦ θύειν τὸ φασὲκ παντὶ τῷ μὴ δυναμένῳ ἁγνισθῆναι τῷ Κυρίῳ.

¹⁸ὅτι τὸ πλεῖστον τοῦ λαοῦ ἀπὸ ᾿Εφραὶμ καὶ Μανασσῆ καὶ ᾿Ισσάχαρ καὶ Ζαβουλὼν οὐχ ἡγνίσθησαν, ἀλλ’ ἔφαγον τὸ φασὲκ παρὰ τὴν γραφήν. καὶ προσηύξατο ᾿Εζεκίας περὶ αὐτῶν λέγων· Κύριος ἀγαθὸς ἐξιλασάσθω

¹⁹ὑπὲρ πάσης καρδίας κατευθυνούσης ἐκζητῆσαι Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν τῶν πατέρων αὐτῶν καὶ οὐ κατὰ τὴν ἁγνείαν τῶν ἁγίων.

²⁰καὶ ἐπήκουσε Κύριος τῷ ᾿Εζεκίᾳ καὶ ἰάσατο τὸν λαόν.

²¹καὶ ἐποίησαν οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ οἱ εὑρεθέντες ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ τὴν ἑορτὴν τῶν ἀζύμων ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ μεγάλῃ καὶ καθυμνοῦντες τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμέραν καθ’ ἡμέραν καὶ οἱ ἱερεῖς καὶ οἱ Λευῖται ἐν ὀργάνοις τῷ Κυρίῳ.

²²καὶ ἐλάλησεν ᾿Εζεκίας ἐπὶ πᾶσαν καρδίαν τῶν Λευιτῶν καὶ τῶν συνιόντων σύνεσιν ἀγαθὴν τῷ Κυρίῳ· καὶ συνετέλεσαν τὴν ἑορτὴν τῶν ἀζύμων ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας θύοντες θυσίαν σωτηρίου καὶ ἐξομολογούμενοι τῷ Κυρίῳ Θεῷ τῶν πατέρων αὐτῶν.

²³καὶ ἐβουλεύσατο ἡ ἐκκλησία ἅμα ποιῆσαι ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας ἄλλας· καὶ ἐποίησαν ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ.

²⁴ὅτι ᾿Εζεκίας ἀπήρξατο τῷ ᾿Ιούδᾳ τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ χιλίους μόσχους καὶ ἑπτακισχίλια πρόβατα, καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες ἀπήρξαντο τῷ λαῷ μόσχους χιλίους καὶ πρόβατα δέκα χιλιάδας, καὶ τὰ ἅγια τῶν ἱερέων εἰς πλῆθος.

²⁵καὶ ηὐφράνθη πᾶσα ἡ ἐκκλησία, οἱ ἱερεῖς καὶ οἱ Λευῖται καὶ πᾶσα ἡ ἐκκλησία ᾿Ιούδα καὶ οἱ εὑρεθέντες ἐξ ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ καὶ οἱ προσήλυτοι οἱ ἐλθόντες ἀπὸ γῆς ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ οἱ κατοικοῦντες ᾿Ιούδα.

²⁶καὶ ἐγένετο εὐφροσύνη μεγάλη ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλήμ· ἀπὸ ἡμερῶν Σαλωμὼν υἱοῦ Δαυὶδ βασιλέως ᾿Ισραὴλ οὐκ ἐγένετο τοιαύτη ἑορτὴ ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλήμ.

²⁷καὶ ἀνέστησαν οἱ ἱερεῖς οἱ Λευῖται καὶ εὐλόγησαν τὸν λαόν· καὶ ἐπηκούσθη ἡ φωνὴ αὐτῶν, καὶ ἦλθεν ἡ προσευχὴ αὐτῶν εἰς τὸ κατοικητήριον τὸ ἅγιον αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν.

¹And Ezekias sent to all Israel and Juda, and wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasse, that they should come into the house of the Lord to Jerusalem, to keep the passover to the Lord God of Israel.

²For the king, and the princes, and all the congregation in Jerusalem, designed to keep the passover in the second month.

³For they could not keep it at that time, because a sufficient number of priest had not purified themselves, and the people was not gathered to Jerusalem.

⁴And the proposal pleased the king and the congregation.

⁵And they established a decree that a proclamation should go through all Israel, from Bersabee to Dan, that they should come and keep the passover to the Lord God of Israel at Jerusalem: for the multitude had not done it lately according to the scripture.

⁶And the posts went with the letters from the king and the princes to all Israel and Juda, according to the command of the king, saying, Children of Israel, return to the Lord God of Abraam, and Isaac, and Israel, and bring back them that have escaped [even] those that were left of the hand of the king of Assyria.

⁷And be not as your fathers, and your brethren, who revolted from the Lord God of their fathers, and he gave them up to desolation, as ye see.

⁸And now harden not your hearts, as your fathers [did]: give glory to the Lord God, and enter into his sanctuary, which he has sanctified for ever: and serve the Lord your God, and he shall turn away [his] fierce anger from you.

⁹For when ye turn to the Lord, your brethren and your children shall be pitied before all that have carried them captives, and he will restore [you] to this land: for the Lord our God is merciful and pitiful, and will not turn away his face from you, if we return to him.

¹⁰So the posts went through from city to city in mount Ephraim, and Manasse, and as far as Zabulon: and they as it were laughed them to scorn, and mocked them.

¹¹But the men of Aser, and [some] of Manasses and of Zabulon, were ashamed, and came to Jerusalem and Juda.

¹²And the hand of the Lord was [present] to give them one heart to come, to do according to the commands of the king and of the princes, by the word of the Lord.

¹³And a great multitude were gathered to Jerusalem to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great congregation.

¹⁴And they arose, and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all on which they burnt incense to false [gods] they tore down and cast into the brook Kedron.

¹⁵Then they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the second month: and the priests and the Levites repented, and purified [themselves], and brought whole-burnt-offerings into the house of the Lord.

¹⁶And they stood at their post, according to their ordinance, according to the commandment of Moses the man of God: and the priests received the blood from the hand of the Levites.

¹⁷For a great part of the congregation was not sanctified; and the Levites were [ready] to kill the passover for every one who could not sanctify himself to the Lord.

¹⁸For the greatest part of the people of Ephraim, and Manasse, and Issachar, and Zabulon, had not purified [themselves], but ate the passover contrary to the scripture. On this account also Ezekias prayed concerning them, saying,

¹⁹The good Lord be merciful with regard to every heart that sincerely seeks the Lord God of their fathers, and [is] not [purified] according to the purification of the sanctuary.

²⁰And the Lord hearkened to Ezekias, and healed the people.

²¹And the children of Israel who were present in Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great joy; and they continued to sing hymns to the Lord daily, and the priests and the Levites [played] on instruments to the Lord.

²²And Ezekias encouraged all the Levites, and those that had good understanding of the Lord: and they completely kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days, offering peace-offerings, and confessing to the Lord God of their fathers.

²³And the congregation purposed together to keep other seven days: and they kept seven days with gladness.

²⁴For Ezekias set apart for Juda, [even] for the congregation, a thousand calves and seven thousand sheep; and the princes set apart for the people a thousand calves and ten thousand sheep: and the holy things of the priests abundantly.

²⁵And all the congregation, the priests and the Levites, rejoiced, and all the congregation of Juda, and they that were present of Jerusalem, and the strangers that came from the land of Israel, and the dwellers in Juda.

²⁶And there was great joy in Jerusalem: from the days of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was not such a feast in Jerusalem.

²⁷Then the priests the Levites rose up and blessed the people: and their voice was heard, and their prayer came into his holy dwelling-place, [even] into heaven.