Verse 17

Because many in the assembly had not consecrated themselves, the Levites slaughtered the Passover lambs of all who were ceremonially unclean and could not consecrate their sacrifice to the LORD.

Referenced Verses

• 2 Chr 29:34 : 34 But there were not enough priests to skin all the animals, so their brothers, the Levites, helped them until the work was finished and the priests could consecrate themselves.(The Levites had been more conscientious about consecrating themselves than the priests.)
• 2 Chr 35:3-6 : 3 He told the Levites, who instructed all Israel about things consecrated to the LORD,“Place the holy ark in the temple which King Solomon son of David of Israel built. Don’t carry it on your shoulders. Now serve the LORD your God and his people Israel! 4 Prepare yourselves by your families according to your divisions, as instructed in writing by King David of Israel and his son Solomon. 5 Stand in the sanctuary and, together with the Levites, represent the family divisions of your countrymen. 6 Slaughter the Passover lambs, consecrate yourselves, and make preparations for your countrymen to celebrate according to the LORD’s message which came through Moses.”
• Exod 12:6 : 6 You must care for it until the fourteenth day of this month, and then the whole community of Israel will kill it around sundown.