2 Chronicles 31

1 Now when all this was finished, all the people of Israel who were there went out to the cities of Judah and broke to pieces the stone pillars and they cut down the Asherah poles, and they broke down the high places and the altars in all of Judah and Benjamin, and in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the people of Israel returned, every one to his own possession and his own city.

And when all these things were finished, all Israel that were found in the cities of Juda went out, and broke in pieces the pillars, and cut down the groves, and tore down the high places and the altars out of all Judea and Benjamin, also of Ephraim and Manasse, till they made an end: and all Israel returned, every one to his inheritance, and to their cities.

2 Hezekiah assigned the divisions of the priests and the Levites organized by their divisions, each man assigned to his work, both the priests and the Levites. He assigned them to make the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, to serve, to give thanks, and to praise at the gates of Yahweh's temple.

And Ezekias appointed the courses of the priests and the Levites, and the courses of each one according to his ministry, to the priests and to the Levites, for the whole-burnt-offering, and for the peace-offering, and to praise, and to give thanks, and to minister in the gates, [and] in the courts of the house of the Lord.

3 He also assigned the king's portion for the burnt offerings from his own possessions, that is, for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the Sabbath days, the new moons, and the fixed festivals, as it was written in the law of Yahweh.

And the king's proportion out of his substance [was appointed] for the whole-burnt-offerings, the morning and the evening one, and the whole-burnt-offerings for the sabbaths, and for the new moons, and for the feasts that were ordered in the law of the Lord.

4 Moreover, he commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion for the priests and the Levites, so that they might concentrate on obeying the law of Yahweh.

And they told the people who dwelt in Jerusalem, to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might be strong in the ministry of the house of the Lord.

5 As soon as the command was sent out, the people of Israel generously gave the firstfruits of grain, new wine, oil, honey, and from all their harvest of the field. They brought in a tithe of everything, which was a great quantity.

And as he gave the command, Israel brought abundantly first-fruits of corn, and wine, and oil, and honey, and every fruit of the field: and the children of Israel and Juda brought tithes of everything abundantly.

6 The people of Israel and Judah who lived in the cities of Judah also brought in the tithe of cattle and sheep, and the tithe of the holy things that were set apart to Yahweh their God, and they piled them up in heaps.

And they that dwelt in the cities of Juda themselves also brought tithes of calves and sheep, and tithes of goats, and consecrated them to the Lord their God, and they brought them and laid them in heaps.

7 It was in the third month when they began piling up their contribution in heaps, and they finished in the seventh month.

In the third month the heaps began to be piled, and in the seventh month they were finished.

8 When Hezekiah and the leaders came and saw the heaps, they blessed Yahweh and his people Israel.

And Ezekias and the princes came and saw the heaps, and blessed the Lord, and his people Israel.

9 Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites about the heaps.

Then Ezekias enquired of the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps.

10 Azariah, the chief priest, of the house of Zadok, answered him and said, “Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of Yahweh, we have eaten and had enough, and have plenty left over, for Yahweh has blessed his people. What was left over is this large amount here.”

And Azarias the priest, the chief over the house of Sadoc, spoke to him, and said, From the time that the first-fruits began to be brought into the house of the Lord, we have eaten and drunk, and left even abundantly; for the Lord has blessed his people, and we have left to this amount.

11 Then Hezekiah commanded storerooms to be prepared in the house of Yahweh, and they prepared them.

And Ezekias told them yet farther to prepare chambers for the house of the Lord; and they prepared [them],

12 Then they faithfully brought in the offerings, the tithes and the things that belonged to Yahweh. Konaniah the Levite was the manager in charge of them, and his brother Shimei was second to him.

and they brought thither the first-fruits and the tithes faithfully: and Chonenias the Levite was superintendent over them, and Semei his brother was next.

13 Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismakiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were managers under the hand of Konaniah and Shimei his brother, by appointment of Hezekiah, the king, and Azariah, the official over the house of God.

and Jeiel, and Ozias, and Naeth, and Asael, and Jerimoth, and Jozabad, and Eliel, and Samachia, and Maath, and Banaias, and his sons, were appointed by Chonenias and Semei his brother, as Ezekias the king, and Azarias who was over the house of the Lord commanded.

14 Kore son of Imnah the Levite, the porter at the east gate, was over the free will offerings of God, in charge of distributing the offerings to Yahweh and the most holy offerings.

And Core, the [son] of Jemna the Levite, the porter eastward, [was] over the gifts, to distribute the first-fruits of the Lord, and the most holy things,

15 Under him were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, in the cities of the priests. They filled offices of trust, in order to give these offerings to their brothers division by division, to both the important and the unimportant.

by the hand of Odom, and Benjamin, and Jesus, and Semei, and Amarias, and Sechonias, by the hand of the priests faithfully, to give to their brethren according to the courses, as well to great as small;

16 They also gave to those males three years old and up, who were listed in the records of their ancestors who entered the house of Yahweh, as required by the daily schedule, to do the work in their offices and their divisions.

besides the increase of males from three years old and upward, to every one entering into the house of the Lord, [a portion] according to a daily rate, for service in the daily courses of their order.

17 They distributed to the priests according to the records of their ancestors, and the same to the Levites twenty years old and more, according to their offices and their divisions.

This [is] the distribution of the priests according to the houses of their families; and the Levites in their daily courses from twenty years old and upward [were] in [their] order,

18 They included all their little ones, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, through the whole community, for they were faithful in keeping themselves holy.

to assign stations for all the increase of their sons and their daughters, for the whole number: for they faithfully sanctified the holy place.

19 For the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who were in the fields of the villages belonging to their cities, or in every city, there were men assigned by name to give portions to all the males among the priests, and to all who were listed in the records of their ancestors as being among the Levites.

As for the sons of Aaron that executed the priests' office, —even those from their cities the men in each several city who were named expressly, —[were appointed] to give a portion to every male among the priests, and to every one reckoned among the Levites.

20 Hezekiah did this throughout all Judah. He accomplished what was good, right, and faithful before Yahweh, his God.

And Ezekias did so through all Juda, and did that which was good and right before the Lord his God.

21 In every project that he began in the service of the house of God, the law, and the commandments, to seek his God, he performed it with all his heart, and he succeeded.

And in every work which he began in service in the house of the Lord, and in the law, and in the ordinances, he sought his God with all his soul, and wrought, and prospered.