Second Book of Chronicles 31

¹ When all this was over, all the Israelites who were there set off for the towns of Judah to smash the pillars, cut down the sacred poles, wreck the high places and the altars, and so do away with them altogether throughout Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh. Then all the Israelites returned to their towns, each man to his holding.

² Hezekiah re-established the priestly and levitical orders, each man in his proper order according to his duties, whether priest or Levite, whether for holocaust, communion sacrifice, liturgical service, thanksgiving or praise, within the gates of the camp of Yahweh.

³ The king set aside a portion of his own possessions for the morning and evening holocausts, and the holocausts of sabbath, New Moon, and solemn feast, as laid down in the Law of Yahweh.

⁴ He then told the people, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to give the priests and the Levites their share so that they might devote themselves to the Law of Yahweh.

⁵ As soon as the order had been promulgated, the Israelites amassed the first fruits of corn, wine, oil, honey, and all agricultural produce, and brought in a generous tithe of everything.

⁶ The Israelites and Judaeans living in the towns of Judah also brought in the tithe of cattle and sheep, and the tithe of the holy things dedicated to Yahweh their God, piling them up, heap after heap.

⁷ They began making these heaps in the third month and finished them in the seventh.

⁸ Hezekiah and his officials came to inspect the heaps and blessed Yahweh and his people Israel.

⁹ Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites about the heaps,

¹⁰ and Azariah, the chief priest, of the family of Zadok, answered him. ‘Since the contributions were first brought to the Temple of Yahweh,’ he said, ‘we have had enough to eat and still have plenty left over, for Yahweh has blessed his people; this huge pile is what is left.’

¹¹ Hezekiah then ordered them to have rooms prepared in the Temple of Yahweh. They did this,

¹² and then brought in the contributions, tithes and consecrated things, to keep them in a safe place. Conaniah the Levite was officer in charge of them, with Shimei his brother as his second.

¹³ Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were appointed overseers under the command of Conaniah and his brother Shimei, by order of King Hezekiah and of Azariah, ruler of the house of God.

¹⁴ Kore son of Imnah the Levite, keeper of the eastern gate, was made responsible for the voluntary offerings to God; he provided the portion set aside for Yahweh and the most holy offerings.

¹⁵ Under his command he had Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah and Shecaniah, who resided permanently in the towns of the priests to carry out the distributions to their kinsmen according to their orders whether more or less important.

¹⁶ Further to this, there was the organisation by related groups of all those men thirty years old and upwards who went to the Temple of Yahweh, by daily rotation, to perform the ritual duties appropriate to their orders.

¹⁷ There was also the organisation of priests by families; as also that of Levites twenty years old and upwards, by duties and orders.

¹⁸ There was also the organisation of all their families, wives, sons and daughters for the whole assembly, since they had an obligation to sanctify themselves faithfully by means of the holy things.

¹⁹ As regards the priests, the sons of Aaron, who lived in the pasture lands belonging to their towns, or in the towns themselves, there were men expressly named for the purpose of distributing portions to every male among the priests. Each group was organised by the Levites.

²⁰ Hezekiah enforced these arrangements throughout Judah. He did what is good and right and loyal before Yahweh his God.

²¹ All he undertook in the service of the Temple of God as concerning law or commandments, he performed while seeking God with all his heart, and he prospered.