18 In addition, many of those who had come from the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun had not performed the ritual of purification, and so they were observing Passover improperly. King Hezekiah offered this prayer for them:
19 “O Lord, the God of our ancestors, in your goodness forgive those who are worshiping you with all their heart, even though they are not ritually clean.”
20 The Lord answered Hezekiah's prayer; he forgave the people and did not harm them.
21 For seven days the people who had gathered in Jerusalem celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread with great joy, and day after day the Levites and the priests praised the Lord with all their strength.
22 Hezekiah praised the Levites for their skill in conducting the worship of the Lord.After the seven days during which they offered sacrifices in praise of the Lord, the God of their ancestors,
23 they all decided to celebrate for another seven days. So they celebrated with joy.
24 King Hezekiah contributed 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep for the people to kill and eat, and the officials gave them another 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep. A large number of priests went through the ritual of purification.