1
When all this had ended, the Israelites who were there went out to the towns of Judah,
smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah ples. They destroyed
the high places and the altars throughout Judah and Benjamin and in Ephraim
and Manasseh. After they had destroyed all of them, the Israelites returned
to their own towns and to their own property.
Contributions for Worship
2
Hezekiah assigned the priests and Levites to divisions - each of them according
to their duties as priests or Levites - to offer burnt offerings and fellowship
offerings, to minister to give thanks and to sing praises
at the gates of LORD's dwelling.
3
The king contributed from his own possessions for the morning and evening
burnt offerings and for the burnt offerings on the Sabbaths, New Moons
and appointed feasts as written in the Law of the LORD.
4
He ordered the people living in Jerusalem to give the portion due
the priests and Levites so they could devote themselves to the Law of the LORD.
5
As soon as the order went out, the Israelites generously gave the firstfruits
of their grain, new wine, oil and honey and all that the fields produced.
They brought a great amount, a tithe of everything.
6
The men of Israel and Judah who lived in the towns of Judah also brought
a tithe of their herds and flocks and a tithe of the holy things dedicated to
the LORD their God, and they piled them in heaps.
7
They began doing this in the third month and finished in the seventh month.
8
When Hezekiah and his officials came and saw the heaps,
they praised the LORD and blessed his people Israel.
9
Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the heaps;
10
and Azariah the chief priest, from the family of Zadok, answered,
"Since the people began to bring their contributions to the temple of
the LORD, we have had enough to eat and plenty to spare,
because the LORD has blessed his people, and this great amount is left over."
11
Hezekiah gave orders to prepare storerooms in the temple of the LORD,
and this was done.
12
Then they faithfully brought in the contributions, tithes and dedicated gifts.
Cananiah, a Levite, was in charge of these things,
and his brother Shimei was next in rank.
13
Jehiel, Azariah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismakiah, Mahath and
Benaiah were supervisors under Conaniah and Shimei his brother,
by appointment of King Hezekiah and Azariah the official in charge of
the temple of God.
14
Kore son of Imnah the Levite, keeper of the East Gate, was in charge of the
freewill offerings given to God, distributing the contrubutions made to the LORD
and also the consecrated gfts.
15
Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah and Shecaniah assisted him
faithfully in the towns of the priests, distributing to their fellow priests
according to their divisions, old and young alike.
16
In addition, they distributed to the males three years old or more whose names
were in the genealogical records - all who would enter the temple of the LORD
to perform daily duties of their various tasks,
according to their responsibilities and their divisions.
17
And they distributed to the priests enrolled by their families in the genealogical
records and likewise to the Levites twenty years old or more,
according to their responsibilities and their divisions.
18
They included all the little ones, the wives, and the sons and daughters of
the whole community listed in these genealogical records.
For they were faithful in consecrating themselves.
19
As for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who lived on the farm lands
around their towns or in any other towns, men were designated by name
to distribute portions to every male among them and to all who were recorded
in the genealogies of the Levites.
20
This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah, doing what was good and right
and faithful before the LORD his God.
21
In everything that he undertook in the service of God's temple and
in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and
worked wholehartedly. And so he prospered.
