2 Chronicles
Chapter Thirty-One
1 ¶ Now when all
this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah
and broke the sacred pillars in pieces, cut down the wooden images, and threw
down the high places and the altars-from all Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh-until
they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned
to their own cities, every man to his possession.
2 And Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites according
to their divisions, each man according to his service, the priests and Levites
for burnt offerings and peace offerings, to serve, to give thanks, and to praise
in the gates of the camp of the LORD.
3 The king also appointed a portion of his possessions for the burnt offerings:
for the morning and evening burnt offerings, the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths
and the New Moons and the set feasts, as it is written in the Law of the LORD.
4 Moreover he commanded the people who dwelt in Jerusalem to contribute support
for the priests and the Levites, that they might devote themselves to the Law
of the LORD.
5 As soon as the commandment was circulated, the children of Israel brought
in abundance the firstfruits of grain and wine, oil and honey, and of all the
produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything.
6 And the children of Israel and Judah, who dwelt in the cities of Judah, brought
the tithe of oxen and sheep; also the tithe of holy things which were consecrated
to the LORD their God they laid in heaps.
7 In the third month they began laying them in heaps, and they finished in the
seventh month.
8 And when Hezekiah and the leaders came and saw the heaps, they blessed the
LORD and His people Israel.
9 Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps.
10 And Azariah the chief priest, from the house of Zadok, answered him and said,
"Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the LORD,
we have had enough to eat and have plenty left, for the LORD has blessed His
people; and what is left is this great abundance."
11 ¶ Now Hezekiah commanded them to prepare rooms in the house of the LORD,
and they prepared them.
12 Then they faithfully brought in the offerings, the tithes, and the dedicated
things; Cononiah the Levite had charge of them, and Shimei his brother was the
next.
13 Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath,
and Benaiah were overseers under the hand of Cononiah and Shimei his brother,
at the commandment of Hezekiah the king and Azariah the ruler of the house of
God.
14 Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the keeper of the East Gate, was over the
freewill offerings to God, to distribute the offerings of the LORD and the most
holy things.
15 And under him were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah,
his faithful assistants in the cities of the priests, to distribute allotments
to their brethren by divisions, to the great as well as the small.
16 Besides those males from three years old and up who were written in the genealogy,
they distributed to everyone who entered the house of the LORD his daily portion
for the work of his service, by his division,
17 and to the priests who were written in the genealogy according to their father's
house, and to the Levites from twenty years old and up according to their work,
by their divisions,
18 and to all who were written in the genealogy-their little ones and their
wives, their sons and daughters, the whole company of them-for in their faithfulness
they sanctified themselves in holiness.
19 Also for the sons of Aaron the priests, who were in the fields of the common-lands
of their cities, in every single city, there were men who were designated by
name to distribute portions to all the males among the priests and to all who
were listed by genealogies among the Levites.
20 Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right
and true before the LORD his God.
21 And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the
law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So
he prospered.
Go to Chapter Thirty-Two
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