The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Chronicles 31
1 Now when all this was finished, all
Israel who were present went out to the
cities of Judah and broke the pillars in
pieces, cut down the Asherah poles, and
broke down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, also
in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had
destroyed them all. Then all the children
of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities.
2 Hezekiah appointed the divisions of
the priests and the Levites after their divisions, every man according to his service,
both the priests and the Levites, for burnt
offerings and for peace offerings, to minister, to give thanks, and to praise in the
gates of Yahweh’s camp.
3 He also appointed the king’s portion of
his possessions for the burnt offerings: for
the morning and evening burnt offerings,
and the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths,
for the new moons, and for the set feasts,
as it is written in Yahweh’s law.
4 Moreover he commanded the people
who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion
of the priests and the Levites, that they
might give themselves to Yahweh’s law.
5 As soonas the commandment went out,
the children of Israel gave in abundance
the first fruits of grain, new wine, oil, honey, and of all the increase of the field;
and they brought in the tithe of all things
abundantly.
6 The children of Israel and Judah, who
lived in the cities of Judah, also brought
in the tithe of cattle and sheep, and the
tithe of dedicated things which were consecrated to Yahweh their God, and laid
them in heaps.
7 In the third month, they began to lay
the foundation of the heaps, and finished
them in the seventh month.
8 When Hezekiah and the princes came
and saw the heaps, they blessed Yahweh
and his people Israel.
9 Then Hezekiah questioned the priests
and the Levites about the heaps.
10 Azariah the chief priest, of the house
of Zadok, answered him and said, “Since
people began to bring the offerings into
Yahweh’s house, we have eaten and had
enough, and have plenty left over, for Yahweh has blessed
his people; and that which
is left is this great store.”
11 Then Hezekiah commanded them to
prepare rooms in Yahweh’s house, and
they prepared them.
12 They brought in the offerings, the
tithes, and the dedicated things faithfully.
Conaniah the Levite was ruler over them,
and Shimei his brother was second.
13 Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath,
and Benaiah were overseers under the
hand of Conaniah and Shimei his brother,
by the appointment of Hezekiah the king
and Azariah the ruler of God’s house.
14 Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the
gatekeeper at the east gate, was over the
free will offerings of God,to distribute Yahweh’s offerings and the most holy things.
15 Under him were Eden, Miniamin,
Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, in the cities of the priests, in their
office of trust, to give to their brothers by
divisions, to the great as well as to the
small;
16 in addition to those who were listed by
genealogy of males, from three years old
and upward, even everyone who entered
into Yahweh’s house, as the duty of every
day required, for their service in their offices according to their divisions;
17 and those who were listed by genealogy of the priests by their fathers’ houses,
and the Levites from twenty years old and
upward, in their offices by their divisions;
18 and those who were listed by genealogy of all their little ones, their wives, their
sons, and their daughters, through all the
congregation; for in their office of trust
they sanctified themselves in holiness.
19 Also for the sons of Aaron the priests,
who were in the fields of the pasture lands
of their cities, in every city, there were
men who were mentioned by name to give
portions to all the males among the priests
and to all who were listed by genealogy
among the Levites.
20 Hezekiah did so throughout all Judah;
and he did that which was good, right, and
faithful before Yahweh his God.
21 In every work that he began in the
service of God’s house, in the law, and in
the commandments,to seekhis God, hedid
it with all his heart and prospered.