1Hezekiah began to reign in Judah when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. 2And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that David, his father, had done.

3In the first month of the first year of his reign, he opened the doors of the Temple of the LORD (which Ahaz, his father had shut (28:24)), and repaired them. 4And he ordered the priests and Levites to meet him at the courtyard east of the Temple. 5And he said to them, “Hear me, you Levites, sanctify yourselves, and sanctify the Temple of the LORD God of your fathers, and remove the filth from the holy place. 6Our fathers have been unfaithful, and done what is evil in the eyes of the LORD, our God; they have forsaken Him, and have turned their backs to Him, and their faces from the habitation of the LORD. 7They have also shut up the doors of the Temple portico, and put out the lamps, nor have they burned incense nor offered burnt offerings unto the God of Israel in the holy place. 8Therefore, the wrath of the LORD was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and He has made them an object of dread, horror, and ridicule, as you can see with your own eyes. 9That is why our fathers have died by the sword, and our sons, daughters and wives are in captivity. 10Now it is my intent to make a covenant with the LORD God of Israel, so that His fierce wrath may turn away from us. 11My sons, do not be negligent; for the LORD has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, and to minister unto Him, and burn incense.”

12Then these Levites arose: Mahath, son of Amasai, and Joel, son of Azariah, both of the Kohathites; Kish, son of Abdi, and Azariah, son of Jehallelel, both of Merari; Joah, son of Zimmah, and Eden, son of Joah, both of the Gershonites; 13Shimri, and Jeiel, both sons of Elizaphan; Zechariah, and Mattaniah, both sons of Asaph; 14Jehiel, and Shimei, both sons of Heman; Shemaiah, and Uzziel, both sons of Jeduthun. 15And they gathered their brethren, and sanctified themselves, and came, as Hezekiah commanded, by the words of the LORD, to cleanse the Temple of the LORD. 16And the priests entered the inner part of the Temple of the LORD, to cleanse it, and brought out all the filth that they found in the Temple of the LORD into the court of the Temple of the LORD. And the Levites carried it to the brook, Kidron. 17Then they began the sanctification on first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they reached the porch of the LORD; so they sanctified the Temple of the LORD for eight days; and on the sixteenth day of the first month they finished. 18Then they went before King Hezekiah, and said, “We have cleansed all the Temple of the LORD, and the altar of burnt offering, with all its vessels, and the showbread table, with all its vessels. 19Moreover, have we prepared and sanctified all the utensils which King Ahaz had discarded in his reign of transgression, and, they are set before the altar of the LORD.”

20Then early the next morning, Hezekiah assembled the rulers of the city, and went up to the Temple of the LORD. 21And they brought seven bullocks, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats, for a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And he commanded the priests, the sons of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the LORD. 22So they killed the bullocks, and the priests received the blood, and sprinkled it on the altar; likewise, when they had killed the rams, they sprinkled the blood upon the altar; they also killed the lambs, and sprinkled their blood upon the altar. 23And they brought forth the male goats for the sin offering before the king and the congregation; and they laid their hands upon them, 24And the priests killed them, and they made reconciliation with their blood upon the altar, to make an atonement for all Israel; for the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering should be made for all Israel.

25And Hezekiah stationed the Levites in the Temple of the LORD with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad, the king's seer, and Nathan, the prophet; for so was the commandment of the LORD by His prophets. 26The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets. 27And Hezekiah commanded them to offer the burnt offering upon the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD began with the trumpets, and the instruments ordained by David, king of Israel. 28And all the congregation worshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded; and all this continued until the burnt offering was finished. 29And when they had finished with offering, Hezekiah and all those present with him bowed and worshipped. 30Moreover, King Hezekiah, and the leaders commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the LORD with the words of David, and of Asaph, the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped.

31Then Hezekiah said, “Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the LORD, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the Temple of the LORD.” And the congregation brought in sacrifices and thank offerings; and as many as had willing hearts brought burnt offerings. 32And the number of the burnt offerings which the congregation brought was seventy bullocks, a hundred rams, and two hundred lambs; all these were for a burnt offering to the LORD. 33And the animals consecrated were six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep. 34But there were too few priests, so that they could not flay all the burnt offerings: therefore, their brethren, the Levites helped them, till the work was ended, and until the other priests had sanctified themselves; for the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests. 35And the burnt offerings were also in abundance, with the fat of the peace offerings, and the drink offerings for every burnt offering. So the service of the Temple of the LORD was set in order. 36And Hezekiah, and all the people rejoiced, that God had prepared the people; for the thing was done spontaneously.