17. They began the work in early spring, on the first day of the new year, and in eight days they had reached the entry room of the lord’s Temple. Then they purified the Temple of the lord itself, which took another eight days. So the entire task was completed in sixteen days.
18. Then the Levites went to King Hezekiah and gave him this report: “We have cleansed the entire Temple of the lord, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the table of the Bread of the Presence with all its utensils.
19. We have also recovered all the items discarded by King Ahaz when he was unfaithful and closed the Temple. They are now in front of the altar of the lord, purified and ready for use.”
20. Early the next morning King Hezekiah gathered the city officials and went to the Temple of the lord.
21. They brought seven bulls, seven rams, and seven male lambs as a burnt offering, together with seven male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, for the Temple, and for Judah. The king commanded the priests, who were descendants of Aaron, to sacrifice the animals on the altar of the lord.
22. So they killed the bulls, and the priests took the blood and sprinkled it on the altar. Next they killed the rams and sprinkled their blood on the altar. And finally, they did the same with the male lambs.
23. The male goats for the sin offering were then brought before the king and the assembly of people, who laid their hands on them.