2 Chronicles 29:16
New International Version
The priests went into the sanctuary of the LORD to purify it. They brought out to the courtyard of the LORD’s temple everything unclean that they found in the temple of the LORD. The Levites took it and carried it out to the Kidron Valley.

New Living Translation
The priests went into the sanctuary of the Temple of the LORD to cleanse it, and they took out to the Temple courtyard all the defiled things they found. From there the Levites carted it all out to the Kidron Valley.

English Standard Version
The priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD to cleanse it, and they brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the LORD into the court of the house of the LORD. And the Levites took it and carried it out to the brook Kidron.

Berean Standard Bible
So the priests went inside the house of the LORD to cleanse it, and they brought out to the courtyard all the unclean things that they found in the temple of the LORD. Then the Levites took these things and carried them out to the Kidron Valley.

King James Bible
And the priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD, to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the LORD into the court of the house of the LORD. And the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad into the brook Kidron.

New King James Version
Then the priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD to cleanse it, and brought out all the debris that they found in the temple of the LORD to the court of the house of the LORD. And the Levites took it out and carried it to the Brook Kidron.

New American Standard Bible
So the priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD to cleanse it, and they brought every unclean thing which they found in the temple of the LORD out to the courtyard of the house of the LORD. Then the Levites received it to carry out to the Kidron Valley.

NASB 1995
So the priests went in to the inner part of the house of the LORD to cleanse it, and every unclean thing which they found in the temple of the LORD they brought out to the court of the house of the LORD. Then the Levites received it to carry out to the Kidron valley.

NASB 1977
So the priests went in to the inner part of the house of the LORD to cleanse it, and every unclean thing which they found in the temple of the LORD they brought out to the court of the house of the LORD. Then the Levites received it to carry out to the Kidron valley.

Legacy Standard Bible
So the priests went in to the inner part of the house of Yahweh to cleanse it, and every unclean thing which they found in the temple of Yahweh they brought out to the court of the house of Yahweh. Then the Levites received it to bring out to the Kidron valley, to an outer area.

Amplified Bible
The priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD to cleanse it, and every unclean thing they found in the temple of the LORD they brought out to the courtyard of the LORD’S house. Then the Levites received it to take out to the Kidron Valley [for disposal].

Christian Standard Bible
The priests went to the entrance of the LORD’s temple to cleanse it. They took all the unclean things they found in the LORD’s sanctuary to the courtyard of the LORD’s temple. Then the Levites received them and took them outside to the Kidron Valley.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The priests went to the entrance of the LORD’s temple to cleanse it. They took all the unclean things they found in the LORD’s sanctuary to the courtyard of the LORD’s temple. Then the Levites received them and took them outside to the Kidron Valley.

American Standard Version
And the priests went in unto the inner part of the house of Jehovah, to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of Jehovah into the court of the house of Jehovah. And the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad to the brook Kidron.

Contemporary English Version
The priests went into the temple and carried out everything that was unclean. They put these things in the courtyard, and from there, the Levites carried them outside the city to Kidron Valley.

English Revised Version
And the priests went in unto the inner part of the house of the LORD, to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the LORD into the court of the house of the LORD. And the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad to the brook Kidron.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The priests entered the LORD's temple to make it clean. They carried into the courtyard every unclean thing that they found in the LORD's temple. Then the Levites took the unclean items outside the city to the Kidron Brook.

Good News Translation
The priests went inside the Temple to purify it, and they carried out into the Temple courtyard everything that was ritually unclean. From there the Levites took it all outside the city to Kidron Valley.

International Standard Version
The priests entered the inner courts of the LORD's Temple to cleanse it, and they brought out everything unclean that they found there to the outer court of the LORD's Temple. Then the descendants of Levi carried everything from there out to the Kidron Valley.

Majority Standard Bible
So the priests went inside the house of the LORD to cleanse it, and they brought out to the courtyard all the unclean things that they found in the temple of the LORD. Then the Levites took these things and carried them out to the Kidron Valley.

NET Bible
The priests then entered the LORD's temple to purify it; they brought out to the courtyard of the LORD's temple every ceremonially unclean thing they discovered inside. The Levites took them out to the Kidron Valley.

New Heart English Bible
The priests went in to the inner part of the house of the LORD, to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the LORD's temple into the court of the house of the LORD. The Levites took it, to carry it out abroad to the brook Kidron.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD, to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the LORD into the court of the house of the LORD. And the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad into the brook Kidron.

World English Bible
The priests went into the inner part of Yahweh’s house to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in Yahweh’s temple into the court of Yahweh’s house. The Levites took it from there to carry it out to the brook Kidron.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and the priests come into the inner part of the house of YHWH to cleanse [it], and bring out all the uncleanness that they have found in the temple of YHWH to the court of the house of YHWH, and the Levites receive [it], to take [it] out to the Brook of Kidron outside.

Young's Literal Translation
and the priests come in to the inner part of the house of Jehovah to cleanse it, and bring out all the uncleanness that they have found in the temple of Jehovah to the court of the house of Jehovah, and the Levites receive it, to take it out to the brook Kidron without.

Smith's Literal Translation
And the priests will come to within the house of Jehovah to cleanse, and they will bring forth all the uncleanness which they found in the temple of Jehovah to the enclosure of the house of Jehovah. And the Levites will take to bring forth to the torrent Kidron without.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the priests went into the temple of the Lord to sanctify it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found within to the entrance of the house of the Lord, and the Levites took it away, and carried it out abroad to the torrent Cedron.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And the priests, entering the temple of the Lord so that they might sanctify it, took every uncleanness, which they had found inside, out to the vestibule of the house of the Lord; and the Levites took it away and transported it outside, to the torrent Kidron.

New American Bible
The priests entered the interior of the LORD’s house to cleanse it. Whatever they found in the LORD’s temple that was unclean they brought out to the court of the LORD’s house, where the Levites took it from them and carried it out to the Wadi Kidron.

New Revised Standard Version
The priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD to cleanse it, and they brought out all the unclean things that they found in the temple of the LORD into the court of the house of the LORD; and the Levites took them and carried them out to the Wadi Kidron.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD, to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the LORD into the court of the house of the LORD. And the Levites took it to carry it out into the brook Kidron.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the priests went in unto the inner part of the house of the LORD, to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the LORD into the court of the house of the LORD. And the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad to the brook Kidron.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the priests entered into the house of the Lord, to purify it, and they cast out all the uncleanness that was found in the house of the Lord, even into the court of the house of the Lord: and the Levites received it to cast into the brook of Kedron without.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Hezekiah Cleanses the Temple
15When they had assembled their brothers and consecrated themselves, they went in to cleanse the house of the LORD, according to the command of the king by the words of the LORD. 16So the priests went inside the house of the LORD to cleanse it, and they brought out to the courtyard all the unclean things that they found in the temple of the LORD. Then the Levites took these things and carried them out to the Kidron Valley. 17They began the consecration on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they reached the portico of the LORD. For eight more days they consecrated the house of the LORD itself, finishing on the sixteenth day of the first month.…

Cross References
2 Kings 23:4
Then the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, the priests second in rank, and the doorkeepers to remove from the temple of the LORD all the articles made for Baal, Asherah, and all the host of heaven. And he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron and carried their ashes to Bethel.

2 Chronicles 34:5
Then he burned the bones of the priests on their altars. So he cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 30:14
They proceeded to remove the altars in Jerusalem and to take away the incense altars and throw them into the Kidron Valley.

2 Chronicles 15:8
When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded the prophet, he took courage and removed the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. He then restored the altar of the LORD that was in front of the portico of the LORD’s temple.

2 Chronicles 35:3
To the Levites who taught all Israel and were holy to the LORD, Josiah said: “Put the holy ark in the temple built by Solomon son of David king of Israel. It is not to be carried around on your shoulders. Now serve the LORD your God and His people Israel.

2 Kings 18:4
He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He also demolished the bronze snake called Nehushtan that Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had burned incense to it.

2 Kings 23:6
He brought the Asherah pole from the house of the LORD to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem, and there he burned it, ground it to powder, and threw its dust on the graves of the common people.

2 Chronicles 28:24
Then Ahaz gathered up the articles of the house of God, cut them into pieces, shut the doors of the house of the LORD, and set up altars of his own on every street corner in Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 31:1
When all this had ended, the Israelites in attendance went out to the cities of Judah and broke up the sacred pillars, chopped down the Asherah poles, and tore down the high places and altars throughout Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the Israelites returned to their cities, each to his own property.

2 Kings 23:12
He pulled down the altars that the kings of Judah had set up on the roof near the upper chamber of Ahaz, and the altars that Manasseh had set up in the two courtyards of the house of the LORD. The king pulverized them there and threw their dust into the Kidron Valley.

2 Kings 23:15
He even pulled down the altar at Bethel, the high place set up by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin. Then he burned the high place, ground it to powder, and burned the Asherah pole.

2 Kings 23:24
Furthermore, Josiah removed the mediums and spiritists, the household gods and idols, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem. He did this to carry out the words of the law written in the book that Hilkiah the priest had found in the house of the LORD.

2 Chronicles 33:15
He removed the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the LORD, along with all the altars he had built on the temple mount and in Jerusalem, and he dumped them outside the city.

Matthew 21:12-13
Then Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves. / And He declared to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer.’ But you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”

John 2:14-16
In the temple courts He found men selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and money changers seated at their tables. / So He made a whip out of cords and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle. He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. / To those selling doves He said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn My Father’s house into a marketplace!”


Treasury of Scripture

And the priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD, to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the LORD into the court of the house of the LORD. And the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad into the brook Kidron.

the inner part

2 Chronicles 3:8
And he made the most holy house, the length whereof was according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits: and he overlaid it with fine gold, amounting to six hundred talents.

2 Chronicles 5:7
And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto his place, to the oracle of the house, into the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims:

Exodus 26:33,34
And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy…

all the uncleanness

Ezekiel 36:29
I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you.

Matthew 21:12,13
And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, …

Matthew 23:27
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.

kidron

2 Chronicles 15:16
And also concerning Maachah the mother of Asa the king, he removed her from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove: and Asa cut down her idol, and stamped it, and burnt it at the brook Kidron.

2 Kings 23:4-6
And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Bethel…

John 18:1
When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples.

Cedron

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2 Chronicles 29
1. Hezekiah's good reign.
3. He restores religion
5. He exhorts the Levites
12. They sanctify themselves, and cleanse the house of God
20. Hezekiah offers solemn sacrifices,
24. wherein the Levites are more forward than the priests














The priests went into the temple of the LORD
The role of the priests in ancient Israel was of utmost importance, as they were the mediators between God and the people. The Hebrew word for "priests" is "kohen," which signifies someone who is set apart for sacred duties. The temple, referred to here as "the temple of the LORD," was the central place of worship and sacrifice, symbolizing God's presence among His people. The priests entering the temple signifies a return to proper worship and reverence for God, a theme that resonates with the call for holiness and dedication in the life of believers.

to cleanse it
The act of cleansing the temple is both literal and symbolic. The Hebrew root for "cleanse" is "taher," which means to purify or make clean. This cleansing was necessary because the temple had been defiled by idolatry and neglect. Spiritually, this act represents repentance and the removal of sin, a call for believers to purify their hearts and lives, aligning with the New Testament call to be holy as God is holy (1 Peter 1:16).

and they brought out to the courtyard of the house of the LORD
The courtyard was a significant area in the temple complex where the people could gather. By bringing the unclean items to the courtyard, the priests were making a public declaration of the removal of impurity. This act of bringing out symbolizes transparency and accountability in the process of purification, reminding believers of the importance of confessing and forsaking sin openly.

everything unclean that they found in the temple of the LORD
The term "unclean" in Hebrew is "tame," which refers to anything that is ritually impure or defiled. The presence of unclean items in the temple was a direct violation of God's commands and a hindrance to true worship. This phrase underscores the necessity of identifying and removing anything that defiles our relationship with God, echoing the call to examine our lives and rid ourselves of anything that hinders our spiritual growth.

Then the Levites received it
The Levites, from the tribe of Levi, were appointed to assist the priests and care for the temple. Their involvement in receiving the unclean items highlights the communal effort required in the process of purification. It serves as a reminder that the body of Christ must work together in maintaining purity and holiness within the church, supporting one another in the journey of faith.

and took it outside to the Kidron Valley
The Kidron Valley, located east of Jerusalem, was historically a place where impurities and idols were disposed of. By taking the unclean items to the Kidron Valley, the Levites were ensuring that these defilements were permanently removed from the sacred space. This act symbolizes the complete and final removal of sin, pointing to the ultimate sacrifice of Christ, who bore our sins outside the city gates (Hebrews 13:12), offering us complete cleansing and redemption.

(16) The priests went into the inner part.--Ezekiel 41:3. The interior of the Temple proper is meant, which the Levites might not enter, but only the priests, according to the legal rule.

Brought out all the uncleanness.--Tum'ah (Leviticus 5:3; Judges 13:7). See the Note on the synonymous expression niddah (2Chronicles 29:5).

Took.--Received it; from the hands of the priests (qibb ??l a late word).

Abroad.--Outside (of the Temple precincts). . . .

Verse 16. - The inner part. That is to say, only the priests were warranted to enter inside the temple, while the Levites' sphere of work and service lay in the courts and round about the temple. Kidron, as we have seen (note 2 Chronicles 27:3), lay on the east of the temple mount.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So the priests
הַ֠כֹּהֲנִים (hak·kō·hă·nîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3548: Priest

went
וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ (way·yā·ḇō·’ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

inside
לִפְנִ֣ימָה (lip̄·nî·māh)
Preposition-l | Adverb
Strong's 6441: Toward the side or inside, within

the house
בֵית־ (ḇêṯ-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

of the LORD
יְהוָה֮ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

to cleanse [it],
לְטַהֵר֒ (lə·ṭa·hêr)
Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Strong's 2891: To be clean or pure

and they brought out
וַיּוֹצִ֗יאוּ (way·yō·w·ṣî·’ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

to the courtyard
לַחֲצַ֖ר (la·ḥă·ṣar)
Preposition-l | Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 2691: A yard, a hamlet

all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the unclean things
הַטֻּמְאָה֙ (haṭ·ṭum·’āh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2932: Religious impurity

that
אֲשֶׁ֤ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

they found
מָֽצְאוּ֙ (mā·ṣə·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present

in the temple
בְּהֵיכַ֣ל (bə·hê·ḵal)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1964: A large public building, palace, temple

of the LORD.
יְהוָ֔ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

Then the Levites
הַלְוִיִּ֔ם (hal·wî·yim)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 3881: Levites -- descendant of Levi

took [these things]
וַֽיְקַבְּלוּ֙ (way·qab·bə·lū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 6901: To receive, take

and carried [them]
לְהוֹצִ֥יא (lə·hō·w·ṣî)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

out
חֽוּצָה׃ (ḥū·ṣāh)
Noun - masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 2351: Separate by a, wall, outside, outdoors

to the Kidron
קִדְר֖וֹן (qiḏ·rō·wn)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 6939: Kidron -- perhaps 'dusky', a wadi East of Jerusalem

Valley.
לְנַֽחַל־ (lə·na·ḥal-)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5158: A stream, a winter torrent, a, valley, a shaft


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OT History: 2 Chronicles 29:16 The priests went in to the inner (2 Chron. 2Ch iiCh ii ch 2 chr 2chr)
2 Chronicles 29:15
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