They will be as numerous as the sacred flocks that fill Jerusalem’s streets at the time of her festivals. The ruined cities will be crowded with people once more, and everyone will know that I am the Lord.”

耶路撒冷在守节作祭物所献的羊群怎样多，照样，荒凉的城邑必被人群充满。他们就知道我是耶和华。”

在耶路撒冷守节时，作为祭物所献的羊群有多少，照样，荒凉的城镇必为人群所充满；他们就知道我是耶和华。”

在耶路撒冷守节时，作为祭物所献的羊群有多少，照样，荒凉的城镇必为人群所充满；他们就知道我是耶和华。”

我要使毁坏的城邑住满人，多如耶路撒冷在节期所献上的羊群。这样，他们就知道我是耶和华。’”

守节的时候，在耶路撒冷作祭牲的羊群是怎样多，那些荒废了的城市也必照样满了人群。他们就知道我是耶和华。’”

耶路撒冷在守節作祭物所獻的羊羣怎樣多，照樣，荒涼的城邑必被人羣充滿。他們就知道我是耶和華。」

在耶路撒冷守節時，作為祭物所獻的羊羣有多少，照樣，荒涼的城鎮必為人羣所充滿；他們就知道我是耶和華。」

在耶路撒冷守節時，作為祭物所獻的羊羣有多少，照樣，荒涼的城鎮必為人羣所充滿；他們就知道我是耶和華。」

我要使毀壞的城邑住滿人，多如耶路撒冷在節期所獻上的羊群。這樣，他們就知道我是耶和華。』」

守節的時候，在耶路撒冷作祭牲的羊群是怎樣多，那些荒廢了的城市也必照樣滿了人群。他們就知道我是耶和華。’”

像做祭牲的羊羣，像在制定節期中耶路撒冷的羊羣；照樣，這些荒廢城市也必充滿着人羣。他們就知道我乃是永恆主。』

使荒涼之邑充滿人羣、若於耶路撒冷節期、犧牲之羣、則知我乃耶和華、

昔大會之日、聖民群詣耶路撒冷厥後傾圮之邑、人咸集焉、俾知我乃耶和華。

今傾圮之邑、我將使之滿以人群、多若在耶路撒冷節期之際、區別為聖之羊群、彼則知我乃主、

as numerous as the flocks for offerings at Jerusalem during her appointed festivals. So will the ruined cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

Large flocks of animals are sacrificed at Jerusalem during the appointed feasts there. In the same way, the destroyed cities will be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

Like the flock for sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

So the ruined cities will be filled with a flock of people, just as Jerusalem is filled with a flock of sheep for sacrifice during its appointed festivals. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’”

Like the flock for sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so will the waste cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”

Like a flock offered as holy sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem on its feast days, so shall the ruined cities be filled with flocks of men. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.”’”

As the flock for sacrifice, as the flock of Jerusalem in her appointed feasts, so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men; and they shall know that I am Jehovah.

So the ruined cities will be filled with a flock of people, just as the flock of sheep for sacrifice is filled in Jerusalem during its appointed festivals. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.”

As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I[ am] the LORD.

Like the sheep for offerings, like the sheep of Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so will the ruined cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”

As the flock for sacrifice, as the flock of Jerusalem in her appointed feasts, so the waste cities will be filled with flocks of men. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.’”

At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem.When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers.They were completely amazed.“ How can this be?” they exclaimed.“ These people are all from Galilee,and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages!Here we are— Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia,Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome( both Jews and converts to Judaism), Cretans, and Arabs. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!”

I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.

“ This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: The traditional fasts and times of mourning you have kept in early summer, midsummer, autumn, and winter are now ended. They will become festivals of joy and celebration for the people of Judah. So love truth and peace.“ This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: People from nations and cities around the world will travel to Jerusalem.The people of one city will say to the people of another,‘ Come with us to Jerusalem to ask the Lord to bless us. Let’s worship the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. I’m determined to go.’Many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord of Heaven’s Armies and to ask for his blessing.“ This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: In those days ten men from different nations and languages of the world will clutch at the sleeve of one Jew. And they will say,‘ Please let us walk with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’”

At these three times each year, every man in Israel must appear before the Sovereign, the Lord.

“ Each year every man in Israel must celebrate these three festivals: the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Harvest, and the Festival of Shelters. On each of these occasions, all men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he chooses, but they must not appear before the Lord without a gift for him.

Three times each year every man in Israel must appear before the Sovereign, the Lord, the God of Israel.

For the next seven days Solomon and all Israel celebrated the Festival of Shelters. A large congregation had gathered from as far away as Lebo hamath in the north and the Brook of Egypt in the south.

And I heard how many were marked with the seal of God— 144,000 were sealed from all the tribes of Israel:from Judah 12,000 from Reuben 12,000 from Gad 12,000from Asher 12,000 from Naphtali 12,000 from Manasseh 12,000from Simeon 12,000 from Levi 12,000 from Issachar 12,000from Zebulun 12,000 from Joseph 12,000 from Benjamin 12,000After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands.

You are my flock, the sheep of my pasture. You are my people, and I am your God. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”

“ This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When I cleanse you from your sins, I will repopulate your cities, and the ruins will be rebuilt.The fields that used to lie empty and desolate in plain view of everyone will again be farmed.And when I bring you back, people will say,‘ This former wasteland is now like the Garden of Eden! The abandoned and ruined cities now have strong walls and are filled with people!’

“ The day is coming,” says the Lord,“ when I will greatly increase the human population and the number of animals here in Israel and Judah.In the past I deliberately uprooted and tore down this nation. I overthrew it, destroyed it, and brought disaster upon it. But in the future I will just as deliberately plant it and build it up. I, the Lord, have spoken!

So the people of Israel who were present in Jerusalem joyously celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days. Each day the Levites and priests sang to the Lord, accompanied by loud instruments.Hezekiah encouraged all the Levites regarding the skill they displayed as they served the Lord. The celebration continued for seven days. Peace offerings were sacrificed, and the people gave thanks to the Lord, the God of their ancestors.The entire assembly then decided to continue the festival another seven days, so they celebrated joyfully for another week.King Hezekiah gave the people 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep and goats for offerings, and the officials donated 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep and goats. Meanwhile, many more priests purified themselves.The entire assembly of Judah rejoiced, including the priests, the Levites, all who came from the land of Israel, the foreigners who came to the festival, and all those who lived in Judah.There was great joy in the city, for Jerusalem had not seen a celebration like this one since the days of Solomon, King David’s son.Then the priests and Levites stood and blessed the people, and God heard their prayer from his holy dwelling in heaven.

There will be joy and songs of thanksgiving, and I will multiply my people, not diminish them; I will honor them, not despise them.

Solomon offered to the Lord a peace offering of 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep and goats. And so the king and all the people of Israel dedicated the Temple of the Lord.

Then Josiah provided 30,000 lambs and young goats for the people’s Passover offerings, along with 3,000 cattle, all from the king’s own flocks and herds.The king’s officials also made willing contributions to the people, priests, and Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, the administrators of God’s Temple, gave the priests 2,600 lambs and young goats and 300 cattle as Passover offerings.The Levite leaders— Conaniah and his brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel, as well as Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad— gave 5,000 lambs and young goats and 500 cattle to the Levites for their Passover offerings.When everything was ready for the Passover celebration, the priests and the Levites took their places, organized by their divisions, as the king had commanded.The Levites then slaughtered the Passover lambs and presented the blood to the priests, who sprinkled the blood on the altar while the Levites prepared the animals.They divided the burnt offerings among the people by their family groups, so they could offer them to the Lord as prescribed in the Book of Moses. They did the same with the cattle.Then they roasted the Passover lambs as prescribed; and they boiled the holy offerings in pots, kettles, and pans, and brought them out quickly so the people could eat them.Afterward the Levites prepared Passover offerings for themselves and for the priests— the descendants of Aaron— because the priests had been busy from morning till night offering the burnt offerings and the fat portions. The Levites took responsibility for all these preparations.The musicians, descendants of Asaph, were in their assigned places, following the commands that had been given by David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, the king’s seer. The gatekeepers guarded the gates and did not need to leave their posts of duty, for their Passover offerings were prepared for them by their fellow Levites.The entire ceremony for the Lord’s Passover was completed that day. All the burnt offerings were sacrificed on the altar of the Lord, as King Josiah had commanded.All the Israelites present in Jerusalem celebrated Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days.Never since the time of the prophet Samuel had there been such a Passover. None of the kings of Israel had ever kept a Passover as Josiah did, involving all the priests and Levites, all the people of Jerusalem, and people from all over Judah and Israel.This Passover was celebrated in the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign.