2 Chronicles 31:1-21 NIV
1When
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.
Contributions
for Worship
2Hezekiah
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. 3The
king contributed from his own possessions for the morning and evening burnt
offerings and for the burnt offerings on the Sabbaths, at the New Moons and at
the appointed festivals as written in The Law
of The Lord.
4He
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. 5As soon
as the order went out, the Israelites generously gave the firstfruits of their
grain, new wine, olive oil and honey and all that the fields produced. They
brought a great amount, a tithe of everything. 6The
people 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. 7They
began doing this in the third month and finished in the seventh month. 8When
Hezekiah and his officials came and saw the heaps, they praised The Lord and blessed His people Israel.
9Hezekiah
asked the priests and Levites about the heaps; 10and
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.”
11Hezekiah
gave orders to prepare storerooms in the Temple of The Lord, and this was done. 12Then
they faithfully brought in the contributions, tithes and dedicated gifts.
Konaniah, a Levite, was the overseer in charge of these things, and his brother
Shimei was next in rank. 13Jehiel,
Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismakiah, Mahath and Benaiah
were assistants of Konaniah and Shimei his brother. All these served by
appointment of King Hezekiah and Azariah the official in charge of the Temple
of GOD.
14Kore
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. 15Eden,
Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah and Shekaniah assisted him faithfully in
the towns of the priests, distributing to their fellow priests according to
their divisions, old and young alike.
16In
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. 17And
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. 18They
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.
19As 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.
20This is
what Hezekiah did throughout Judah, doing what was good and right and faithful Before The Lord his GOD. 21In
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.
Chapter 31
We have here a further account of that blessed
reformation of which Hezekiah was a glorious instrument, and of the happy
advances he made in it.
I. All the remnants of idolatry were destroyed
and abolished (v. 1).
II. The priests and Levites were set to work
again, every man in his place (v. 2).
III. Care was taken for their maintenance.
1. The royal bounty to the Levites, and for the
support of the Temple service, was duly paid (v. 3).
2. Orders were given for the raising of the people’s quota (v. 4).
3. The people, thereupon, brought in their dues abundantly (v. 5–10).
4. Commissioners were appointed for the due distribution of what was brought in (v. 11–19).
Lastly, Here is the general praise of
Hezekiah’s sincerity in all his undertakings (v. 20, 21).
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