Passover Celebrated

19 (A)On the fourteenth day of the first month, the returned exiles kept the Passover. 20 (B)For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were clean. (C)So they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the returned exiles, for their fellow priests, and for themselves. 21 It was eaten by the people of Israel who had returned from exile, and (D)also by every one who had joined them and separated himself (E)from the uncleanness of the peoples of the land to worship the Lord, the God of Israel. 22 And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread (F)seven days with joy, for the Lord had made them joyful (G)and had turned the heart of (H)the king of Assyria to them, so that he aided them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

Read full chapter

The Passover

19 On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles celebrated the Passover.(A) 20 The priests and Levites had purified themselves and were all ceremonially clean. The Levites slaughtered(B) the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their relatives the priests and for themselves. 21 So the Israelites who had returned from the exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves(C) from the unclean practices(D) of their Gentile neighbors in order to seek the Lord,(E) the God of Israel. 22 For seven days they celebrated with joy the Festival of Unleavened Bread,(F) because the Lord had filled them with joy by changing the attitude(G) of the king of Assyria so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel.

Read full chapter