^{2 Ref} For the king, after discussion with his chiefs and all the body of the people in Jerusalem, had made a decision to keep the Passover in the second month.

^{3 Ref} It was not possible to keep it at that time, because not enough priests had made themselves holy, and the people had not come together in Jerusalem.

^{4 Ref} And the thing was right in the eyes of the king and all the people.

^{5 Ref} So it was ordered that word was to be sent out through all Israel, from Beer-sheba to Dan, that they were to come to keep the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem: because they had not kept it in great numbers in agreement with the law.

^{6 Ref} So runners went with letters from the king and his chiefs through all Israel and Judah, by the order of the king, saying, O children of Israel, come back again to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that he may come again to that small band of you which has been kept safe out of the hands of the kings of Assyria.

^{7 Ref} Do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who were sinners against the Lord, the God of their fathers, so that he made them a cause of fear, as you see.

^{8 Ref} Now do not be hard-hearted, as your fathers were; but give yourselves to the Lord, and come into his holy place, which he has made his for ever, and be the servants of the Lord your God, so that the heat of his wrath may be turned away from you.

^{9 Ref} For if you come back to the Lord, those who took away your brothers and your children will have pity on them, and let them come back to this land: for the Lord your God is full of grace and mercy, and his face will not be turned away from you if you come back to him.

^{10 Ref} So the runners went from town to town through all the country of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun: but they were laughed at and made sport of.

^{11 Ref} However, some of Asher and Manasseh and Zebulun put away their pride and came to Jerusalem.

^{12 Ref} And in Judah the power of God gave them one heart to do the orders of the king and the captains, which were taken as the word of the Lord.

^{13 Ref} So a very great number of people came together at Jerusalem to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month.

^{14 Ref} And they got to work and took away all the altars in Jerusalem, and they put all the vessels for burning perfumes into the stream Kidron.

^{15 Ref} Then on the fourteenth day of the second month they put the Passover lambs to death: and the priests and the Levites were shamed, and made themselves holy and took burned offerings into the house of the Lord.