2 Chronicles 31

Modern

Literal

The Destruction of Idols

¹When all this had ended, the Israelites in attendance went out to the cities of Judah and broke up the sacred pillars, chopped down the Asherah poles, and tore down the high places and altars throughout Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the Israelites returned to their cities, each to his own property.

¹And at the completion of all this, went out all Israel who were present to the cities of Judah, and they broke in pieces the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles, and threw down the high places and the altars from all Judah and Benjamin, and Ephraim and Manasseh, even to completion, and all the sons of Israel returned, each man to his possession, to their cities.

²Hezekiah reestablished the divisions of the priests and Levites—each of them according to their duties as priests or Levites—for the burnt offerings and peace offerings, for ministry, for giving thanks, and for singing praises at the gates of the LORD’s dwelling.

²And Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and Levites according to their divisions, each man according to his service, the priests and the Levites, for burnt offerings and peace offerings, to serve, and to give thanks, and to give praise in the gates of the camps of YHWH.

Contributions for Worship

³The king contributed from his own possessions for the regular 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.

³And a portion of the king was from his possessions for the burnt offerings, for burnt offerings of the morning and of the evening, and the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths and the New Moons and for the appointed times, as it is written in the Law of YHWH.

⁴Moreover, he commanded the people living in Jerusalem to make a contribution for the priests and Levites so that they could devote themselves to the Law of the LORD.

⁴And he told the people who dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and of the Levites, that they might devote themselves to the Law of YHWH.

⁵As soon as the order went out, the Israelites generously provided the firstfruits of the grain, new wine, oil, and honey, and of all the produce of the field, and they brought in an abundance—a tithe of everything.

⁵And at the spreading forth of the word, the sons of Israel multiplied the firstfruits of grain, and wine, and oil, and honey, and all the produce of the field; and they brought in the tithe of all the abundance.

⁶And the Israelites and Judahites who lived in the cities of Judah also brought a tithe of their herds and flocks and a tithe of the holy things consecrated to the LORD their God, and they laid them in large heaps.

⁶And the sons of Israel and Judah who dwelt in the cities of Judah, even they, brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the tithe of the holy things which were consecrated to YHWH their God, and they placed them in heaps upon heaps.

⁷In the third month they began building up the heaps, and they finished in the seventh month.

⁷In the third month they began laying them in heaps, and in the seventh month they finished.

⁸When Hezekiah and his officials came and viewed the heaps, they blessed the LORD and His people Israel.

⁸And the leaders came, and Hezekiah, and they saw the heaps, and they blessed YHWH and His people Israel.

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

⁹And Hezekiah inquired with the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps.

¹⁰and Azariah, the chief priest of the household of Zadok, answered him, “Since the people began to bring their contributions into the house of the LORD, we have had enough to eat, and there is plenty left over, because the LORD has blessed His people; this great abundance is what is left over.”

¹⁰And Azariah the chief priest from the house of Zadok answered him and said, “From the beginning of the bringing of the contribution to the house of YHWH, there is an abundance to eat and to be satisfied and to leave over, for YHWH has blessed His people; and this store is left over.”

Hezekiah Organizes the Priests

¹¹Then Hezekiah commanded them to prepare storerooms in the house of the LORD, and they did so.

¹¹And Hezekiah commanded them to prepare rooms in the house of YHWH, and they prepared them.

¹²And they faithfully brought in the contributions, tithes, and dedicated gifts. Conaniah the Levite was the officer in charge of them, and his brother Shimei was second.

¹²And they brought in the contribution and the tithes and the holy things in faithfulness. And over them was a leader, Conaniah the Levite, and Shimei his brother second.

¹³Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers under the authority of Conaniah and his brother Shimei, by appointment of King Hezekiah and of Azariah the chief official of the house of God.

¹³And Jehiel, and Azaziah, and Nahath, and Asahel, and Jerimoth, and Jozabad, and Eliel, and Ismachiah, and 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 the house of God.

¹⁴Kore son of Imnah the Levite, the keeper of the East Gate, was in charge of the freewill offerings given to God, distributing the contributions to the LORD and the consecrated gifts.

¹⁴And Kore son of Imnah the Levite, the gatekeeper at the east, was over the freewill offerings to God, to give the contribution of YHWH, and the holy of holies.

¹⁵Under his authority, Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah faithfully distributed portions to their fellow priests in their cities, according to their divisions, old and young alike.^a

¹⁵And under him were Eden, and Minjamin, and Jeshua, and Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, in the cities of the priests, in faithfulness to give to their brothers by divisions, to the great as well as the small,

¹⁶In addition, they distributed portions to the males registered by genealogy who were three years of age or older—to all who would enter the house of the LORD for their daily duties for service in the responsibilities of their divisions—

¹⁶apart from their genealogy, to males from a son of three years and up—to everyone who entered the house of YHWH, by the matter of a day in its day, for their service in their charges, by their divisions—

¹⁷and to the priests enrolled according to their families in the genealogy, as well as to the Levites twenty years of age or older, according to their responsibilities and divisions.

¹⁷and to the priests in the genealogy according to the house of their fathers, and to the Levites from a son of twenty years and up, according to their work, by their divisions,

¹⁸The genealogy included all the little ones, wives, sons, and daughters of the whole assembly. For they had faithfully consecrated themselves as holy.

¹⁸and to the genealogy among all their little ones, and their wives, and their sons and daughters, the whole company of them. For in their faithfulness they sanctified themselves in holiness.

¹⁹As for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who lived on the farmlands around each of their cities or in any other city, men were designated by name to distribute a portion to every male among the priests and to every Levite listed by the genealogies.

¹⁹And for the sons of Aaron, the priests, in the fields of the pasturelands of their cities, in every city and city, were men who were designated by name to distribute portions to all the males among the priests and to all who were reckoned by genealogies among the Levites.

²⁰So this is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah. He did what was good and upright and true before the LORD his God.

²⁰And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and he did the good and the right and the true before YHWH his God.

²¹He acted with all his heart in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law and the commandments, in order to seek his God. And so he prospered.

²¹And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandment, to seek his God with all his heart, he did it. And he prospered.