2 Chronicles 31 | New International Reader’s Version

New International Reader’s Version

1 The Passover Feast came to an end. The people of Israel who were in Jerusalem went out to the towns of Judah. They smashed the sacred stones. They cut down the poles used to worship the female god named Asherah. They destroyed the high places and the altars. They did those things all through Judah and Benjamin. They also did them in Ephraim and Manasseh. They destroyed all the objects used to worship other gods. Then the Israelites returned to their own towns and property.

The people bring gifts to the Lord

2 Hezekiah put the priests and Levites in groups based on their duties. The priests sacrificed burnt offerings and friendship offerings. The Levites served the LORD by giving thanks and singing praises at the gates of his house. 3 The king gave some of his own possessions to the temple. He gave them for the morning and evening burnt offerings. He gave them for the burnt offerings for every Sabbath day. He gave them for the burnt offerings for every New Moon feast. And he gave them for the burnt offerings for every yearly appointed feast. He did it in keeping with what is written in the Law of the LORD. 4 Hezekiah gave an order to the people who were living in Jerusalem. He commanded them to give to the priests and Levites the share they owed them. Then the priests and Levites could give their full attention to the Law of the LORD. 5 The order went out. Right away the people of Israel began to give freely. They gave the first share of the harvest of their corn, fresh wine, olive oil and honey. They also gave the first share of everything else their fields produced. They brought a large amount. It was a tenth of everything. 6 Here is what the people of Israel and Judah who lived in the towns of Judah brought. They brought a tenth of their herds and flocks. They also brought a tenth of the holy things they had set apart to the LORD their God. They put them in piles. 7 They began doing it in the third month. They finished in the seventh month. 8 Hezekiah and his officials came and saw the piles. When they did, they praised the LORD. And they blessed his people Israel. 9 Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the piles. 10 Azariah the chief priest answered him. He said, ‘The people have been bringing their gifts to the LORD’s temple. Ever since they began to bring them, we’ve had enough to eat. We have even had plenty to spare. That’s because the LORD has blessed his people. So we have a large amount left over.’ Azariah was from the family line of Zadok. 11 Hezekiah gave orders to prepare storerooms in the LORD’s temple. And it was done. 12 The people were faithful. They brought in their offerings and a tenth of everything they produced. They also brought the gifts they had set apart to the LORD. Konaniah the Levite was in charge of everything they brought. His brother Shimei was next in command after him. 13 Konaniah and his brother Shimei had helpers who worked with them. Their names were Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismakiah, Mahath and Benaiah. King Hezekiah and Azariah had appointed them. Azariah was the official in charge of God’s temple. 14 Kore the Levite guarded the East Gate. He was in charge of the offerings people chose to give to God. He handed out the offerings made to the LORD. He also handed out the gifts that had been set apart to the LORD. Kore was the son of Imnah. 15 Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah and Shekaniah helped Kore. They were faithful in helping him in the towns of the priests. They handed out gifts to their brother priests, group by group. They gave the gifts to old men and young men alike. 16 In addition to that, they handed out gifts to the males who were three years old or more. The names of those males were listed in their family history. All of them would enter the LORD’s temple. They would carry out their duties each day. Each group did all the different things it was supposed to do. 17 Kore and his Levite companions also handed out gifts to the priests. The priests were listed by their families in their family history. Those Levites also handed out gifts to the Levites who were 20 years old or more. Each group did all the different things it was supposed to do. 18 Those groups included all the little ones, the wives, and the sons and daughters of the whole community. All of them were listed in their family history. They were faithful in setting themselves apart to serve the LORD. 19 Some of the priests lived in other towns or on farms around their towns. They were from the family line of Aaron. Men were chosen by name to hand out shares to those priests. They gave a share to every male among them. They also gave a share to everyone whose name was written down in the family history of the Levites. 20 That’s what Hezekiah did all through Judah. He did what was good and right. He was faithful to the LORD his God. 21 He tried to obey his God. He worked for him with all his heart. That’s the way he worked in everything he did to serve God’s temple. He obeyed the law. He followed the LORD’s commands. So he had success.

English Standard Version

Hezekiah Organizes the Priests

1 Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke in pieces the pillars and cut down the Asherim and broke down the high places and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, and in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the people of Israel returned to their cities, every man to his possession. (De 16:21; De 16:22; 2Ki 18:4) 2 And Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and of the Levites, division by division, each according to his service, the priests and the Levites, for burnt offerings and peace offerings, to minister in the gates of the camp of the Lord and to give thanks and praise. (1Ch 23:6; 1Ch 23:30; 1Ch 24:1) 3 The contribution of the king from his own possessions was for the burnt offerings: the burnt offerings of morning and evening, and the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths, the new moons, and the appointed feasts, as it is written in the Law of the Lord. (Nu 28:3; 2Ch 35:7) 4 And he commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion due to the priests and the Levites, that they might give themselves to the Law of the Lord. (Nu 18:8; Ne 13:10) 5 As soon as the command was spread abroad, the people of Israel gave in abundance the firstfruits of grain, wine, oil, honey, and of all the produce of the field. And they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything. (Ne 13:12) 6 And the people of Israel and Judah who lived in the cities of Judah also brought in the tithe of cattle and sheep, and the tithe of the dedicated things that had been dedicated to the Lord their God, and laid them in heaps. (Le 27:30; De 14:28) 7 In the third month they began to pile up the heaps, and finished them in the seventh month. 8 When Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed the Lord and his people Israel. 9 And Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites about the heaps. 10 Azariah the chief priest, who was of the house of Zadok, answered him, “Since they began to bring the contributions into the house of the Lord, we have eaten and had enough and have plenty left, for the Lord has blessed his people, so that we have this large amount left.” (1Ch 6:8; Mal 3:10) 11 Then Hezekiah commanded them to prepare chambers in the house of the Lord, and they prepared them. (2Ki 23:11; 1Ch 9:26; 1Ch 9:33; Ne 10:39)

2Ki 23:111Ch 9:261Ch 9:33Ne 10:39

12 And they faithfully brought in the contributions, the tithes, and the dedicated things. The chief officer in charge of them was Conaniah the Levite, with Shimei his brother as second, (2Ch 29:12; 2Ch 29:14; 2Ch 35:9; Ne 13:13)

2Ch 29:122Ch 29:142Ch 35:9Ne 13:13

13 while Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers assisting Conaniah and Shimei his brother, by the appointment of Hezekiah the king and Azariah the chief officer of the house of God. (2Ch 31:10; 2Ch 31:12) 14 And Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, keeper of the east gate, was over the freewill offerings to God, to apportion the contribution reserved for the Lord and the most holy offerings. 15 Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah were faithfully assisting him in the cities of the priests, to distribute the portions to their brothers, old and young alike, by divisions, (Jos 21:9; 2Ch 31:12) 16 except those enrolled by genealogy, males from three years old and upward—all who entered the house of the Lord as the duty of each day required—for their service according to their offices, by their divisions. (1Ki 8:59; Ezr 3:4; Ne 11:23; Ne 12:47)

1Ki 8:59Ezr 3:4Ne 11:23Ne 12:47

17 The enrollment of the priests was according to their fathers’ houses; that of the Levites from twenty years old and upward was according to their offices, by their divisions. (1Ch 23:24; 1Ch 23:27) 18 They were enrolled with all their little children, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, the whole assembly, for they were faithful in keeping themselves holy. 19 And for the sons of Aaron, the priests, who were in the fields of common land belonging to their cities, there were men in the several cities who were designated by name to distribute portions to every male among the priests and to everyone among the Levites who was enrolled. (Nu 1:17; 2Ch 28:15; 2Ch 31:12) 20 Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God. (2Ki 18:3; 2Ki 20:3) 21 And every work that he undertook in the service of the house of God and in accordance with the law and the commandments, seeking his God, he did with all his heart, and prospered.