4. And he brought in the Kohanim and the Levi'im, and gathered them together into the rechov hamizrach (eastern plaza),
5. And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levi'im, set yourselves apart as kodesh now and consecrate the Beis Hashem Elohei Avoteichem, and remove the niddah (contamination) from HaKodesh.
6. For Avoteinu have been unfaithful, and have done that which is rah in the eyes of Hashem Eloheinu, have forsaken Him, have turned away their faces from the Mishkan Hashem, and to it they have turned their backs.
7. Also they have shut the daletot of the Ulam, and put out the nerot, and have not burned ketoret nor offered olah in HaKodesh unto Elohei Yisroel.
8. Therefore the wrath of Hashem was upon Yehudah and Yerushalayim, and he hath caused them to be a horror and an object of scorn and hissing, as ye see with your eyes.
9. For, hinei, Avoteinu have fallen by the cherev, our banim, our banot, our nashim are in captivity for this.
10. Now it is in mine lev to make a Brit with Hashem Elohei Yisroel, that His fierce wrath may turn away from us.
11. My banim, be not now negligent, for Hashem hath chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, and that ye should minister unto Him, and burn ketoret.
12. Then the Levi'im arose: Machat ben Amasai, and Yoel ben Azaryahu, of the Bnei HaKehati; and of the Bnei Merari, Kish ben Avdi, Azaryahu ben Yehallelel; and, of the Gershoni, Yoach ben Zimmah, and Eden ben Yoach;
13. And of the Bnei Elitzaphan, Shimri, and Ye'i'el; and of the Bnei Asaph; Zecharyahu, and Matanyahu;
14. And of the Bnei Heman, Yechiel, and Shimei; and of the Bnei Yedutun, Shemayah, and Uzziel.
15. And they gathered their achim, and set themselves apart as kodesh, and went in, according to the mitzvat HaMelech, by the words of Hashem, to make tahor the Beis Hashem.
16. And the Kohanim went into the penimah (inner part) Beis Hashem, to make it tahor, and brought out all tumah that they found in the Heikhal Hashem into the khatzer (courtyard) of the Beis Hashem. And the Levi'im took it, to carry it outside into the Wadi Kidron.
17. Now they began on the first day of the chodesh harishon to set apart as kodesh, and on the eighth day of the month they came to the Ulam Hashem; so they set apart as kodesh the Beis Hashem in eight days; and in the sixteenth day of the first month they finished.
18. Then they went penimah to Chizkiyah HaMelech, and said, We have made tahor all the Beis Hashem, and the Mizbe'ach HaOlah, with all the vessels thereof, and the Shulchan HaMa'arechet (Table of the Stacks of Showbread), with all the vessels thereof.
19. Moreover all the kelim (vessels), which HaMelech Achaz in his reign did remove in his unfaithfulness, have we prepared and set apart as kodesh, and, hinei, they are before the Mizbe'ach Hashem.