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20 The Lord responded favorably[a] to Hezekiah and forgave[b] the people.

21 The Israelites who were in Jerusalem observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy. The Levites and priests were praising the Lord every day with all their might.[c] 22 Hezekiah expressed his appreciation to all the Levites,[d] who demonstrated great skill in serving the Lord.[e] They feasted for the seven days of the festival,[f] and were making peace offerings and giving thanks to the Lord God of their ancestors.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 30:20 tn Heb “listened.”
  2. 2 Chronicles 30:20 tn Heb “healed.”
  3. 2 Chronicles 30:21 tn Heb “and they were praising the Lord day by day, the Levites and the priests with instruments of strength to the Lord.” The phrase בִּכְלֵי־עֹז (bikhle ʿoz, “with instruments of strength”) might refer to loud sounding musical instruments (NASB “with loud instruments”; NEB “with unrestrained fervour”). The present translation assumes an emendation to בְּכָל־עֹז (bekhol ʿoz, “with all strength”); see 1 Chr 13:8, as well as HALOT 805 s.v. I עֹז and BDB 739 s.v. עֹז).
  4. 2 Chronicles 30:22 tn Heb “and Hezekiah spoke to the heart of all the Levites.” On the meaning of the idiom “speak to the heart of” here, see HALOT 210 s.v. II דבר 8.d.
  5. 2 Chronicles 30:22 tn Heb “who demonstrated skill [with] good skill for the Lord.”
  6. 2 Chronicles 30:22 tn Heb “and they ate [during] the appointed time [for] seven days.” מוֹעֵד (moʿed, “appointed time”) is probably an adverbial accusative of time referring to the festival. However, some understand it as metonymically referring to the food eaten during the festival. See BDB 417 s.v.