30:1 Hezekiah sent messages throughout Israel and Judah; he even wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, summoning them to come to the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem 1 and observe a Passover celebration for the Lord God of Israel.
This royal edict read: 3 “O Israelites, return to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so he may return 4 to you who have been spared from the kings of Assyria. 5
30:10 The messengers journeyed from city to city through the land of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun, but people mocked and ridiculed them. 6
1 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
2 tn Heb “the runners.”
3 tn Heb “and according to the command of the king, saying.”
4 tn The jussive with vav conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
5 tn Heb “to the survivors who are left to you from the palm of the kings of Assyria.”
6 tn Heb “and they were mocking them and ridiculing them.”