13 ⇔The next month, a huge crowd gathered in Yerushalem (Jerusalem) to celebrate the Festival of Flat Bread. 14 They took action and removed the altars to Ba’al in Yerushalem, and all the incense altars, and threw them down into the Kidron valley to be burnt there. 15 In the middle of the month, they slaughtered the Passover lambs. The priests and Levites had been ashamed, so they’d consecrated themselves, then they brought the burnt offerings into the temple. 16 They stood at their stations, following the instructions written by Mosheh (Moses), then the Levites handed the bowls of blood to the priests to sprinkle on the altar. 17 Because many people in the assembly hadn’t consecrated themselves, the Levites assisted them by slaughtering the lambs and consecrating them to Yahweh. 18 Although most of the people who’d travelled down from Efrayim (Ephraim), Menasheh (Manasseh), Yisakar (Issachar), and Zevulun hadn’t purified themselves, they ate the Passover food anyway despite the written instructions, because Hizkiyah (Hezekiah) had prayed to Yahweh for them, “May Yahweh, who is good, declare as innocent 19 everyone who sincerely wants to honour and obey Yahweh, their ancestors’ god, even if they haven’t completed the formal purification ceremonies for the temple.” 20 Yahweh took notice of Hizkiyah’s request, and forgave the people, 21 so the Israelis who’d come to Yerushalem celebrated the Festival of Flat Bread for seven days with great excitement. The Levites and priests enthusiastically praised Yahweh every day using their musical instruments. 22 Hizkiyah sincerely thanked all the Levites who were very insightful about worshipping Yahweh. Then everyone ate for the prescribed seven days—sacrificing peace offerings and confessing to Yahweh, their ancestors’ god.