31:1 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 poles. 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.
31:2 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 the LORD’S dwelling.
31:3 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.
31:4 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.
31:5 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.
31:6 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.
31:7 They began doing this in the third month and finished in the seventh month.
31:8 When Hezekiah and his officials came and saw the heaps, they praised the LORD and blessed his people Israel.
31:9 Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the heaps;
31:10 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.”
31:11 Hezekiah gave orders to prepare storerooms in the temple of the LORD, and this was done.
31:12 Then they faithfully brought in the contributions, tithes and dedicated gifts. Conaniah, a Levite, was in charge of these things, and his brother Shimei was next in rank.
31:13 Jehiel, Azaziah, 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.
31:14 Kore son of Imnah the Levite, keeper of the East Gate, was in charge of the freewill offerings given to God, distributing the contributions made to the LORD and also the consecrated gifts.
31:15 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.
31:16 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 the daily duties of their various tasks, according to their responsibilities and their divisions.
31:17 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.
31:18 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.
31:19 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.
31:20 This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah, doing what was good and right and faithful before the LORD his God.
31:21 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 wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.
31:1 And when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke down the pillars and hewed down the Asherahs and pulled down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin and in Ephraim and Manasseh until they destroyed them all. And all the children of Israel returned to their cities, each man to his own possessions.
31:2 And Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites by their divisions, each of the priests and the Levites according to his service, for the burnt offering and for the peace offerings, to minister and give thanks and praise in the gates of the temple of Jehovah.
31:3 Also he appointed the king’s portion of his substance for the burnt offerings, the morning and evening burnt offerings and the burnt offerings of the Sabbaths and the new moon and the appointed feasts, as written in the law of Jehovah.
31:4 And he commanded the people who dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion for the priests and the Levites, that they might devote themselves to the law of Jehovah.
31:5 And when the commandment went out, the children of Israel gave in abundance the firstfruits of the grain and of the new wine and of the fresh oil and of the honey and of all the produce of the field; and they brought the tithe of everything in abundance.
31:6 And the children of Israel and Judah who dwelt in the cities of Judah also brought the tithe of the herd and of the flock and the tithe of the dedicated things, which had been dedicated to Jehovah their God, and laid them heap upon heap.
31:7 In the third month they began to lay the foundation of the heaps, and in the seventh month they finished.
31:8 And when Hezekiah and the leaders came and saw the heaps, they blessed Jehovah and His people Israel.
31:9 And Hezekiah inquired of the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps;
31:10 And Azariah the chief priest, of the house of Zadok, spoke to him and said, Since the time that the people began to bring the contributions into the house of Jehovah, there has been eating and satisfaction and an abundance left over, for Jehovah has blessed His people and this great amount is left over.
31:11 Then Hezekiah gave orders to prepare storechambers in the house of Jehovah, and they prepared them.
31:12 And they brought in the contribution and the tithe and dedicated things faithfully. And Conaniah the Levite was ruler over them, and Shimei his brother was second,
31:13 And Jehiel and Azaziah and Nahath and Asahel and Jerimoth and Jozabad and Eliel and Ismachiah and Mahath and Benaiah were overseers under Conaniah and Shimei his brother by appointment of Hezekiah the king and Azariah the ruler of the house of God.
31:14 And Kore the son of Imna the Levite, the gatekeeper on the east, was over the freewill offerings of God, to distribute the contributions of Jehovah and the most holy things.
31:15 And under him were Eden and Miniamin and Jeshua and Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, serving faithfully in the cities of the priests, to distribute the portion to their brothers by divisions, great and small alike,
31:16 Except for those who were enrolled by genealogy, males from three years old and upward, all who went to the house of Jehovah for their day-to-day duties, for their service in their offices by their divisions.
31:17 Now concerning the enrollment of the priests by genealogy, it was by their fathers’ houses; and that of the Levites of those twenty years old and upward was by their offices in their divisions.
31:18 And the enrollment by genealogy included all their little ones, their wives, and their sons and daughters, the whole congregation of them; for they sanctified themselves faithfully in holiness.
31:19 And for the sons of Aaron the priests, who were in the pasture lands of their cities, in each and every city, there were men who were mentioned by name, to distribute portions to all the males among the priests and to all who were enrolled by genealogy among the Levites.
31:20 And Hezekiah did this throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and upright and faithful before Jehovah his God.
31:21 And in every work that he began in service to the house of God and in accordance with the law and the commandment, to seek after his God, he did it with all his heart and prospered.