Priests and People Are Renewed
2 Chronicles 31, verse 1. Now when all was completed, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke the sacred pillars in pieces, cut down the groves, and cast down the high places and the altars—from all Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh—until they utterly destroyed them all. Then all the sons of Israel returned to their own possessions and their own cities. 2 Chronicles 31, verse 2. And Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites according to their divisions, each man according to his service: the priests and Levites for burnt offerings and peace offerings, to praise, to give thanks, and to serve in the gates and the courts of the house of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 31, verse 3. The king also appointed a portion of his possessions for the burnt offerings, for the morning and evening burnt offerings, the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths and the New Moons, and the feasts prescribed in the Law of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 31, verse 4. Moreover, he commanded the people who dwelt in Jerusalem to contribute a portion for the priests and the Levites so that they might devote themselves to the service of the house of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 31, verse 5. As soon as the commandment was circulated, the sons of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of grain and wine, olive oil and honey, and of all the produce of the field. And they brought in abundantly the tithe of everything. 2 Chronicles 31, verse 6. And the sons of Israel and Judah who dwelt in the cities of Judah brought the tithe of calves and sheep and the tithe of goats and consecrated them to the Lord their God, and they brought in offerings and laid them in heaps. 2 Chronicles 31, verse 7. In the third month the heaps began to accumulate, and in the seventh month they were finished. 2 Chronicles 31, verse 8. And when Hezekiah and the leaders came and saw the heaps, they blessed the Lord and His people Israel. 2 Chronicles 31, verse 9. Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites about the heaps. 2 Chronicles 31, verse 10. And Azariah, the chief priest from the house of Zadok, answered him and said, “Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the Lord, we have had enough to eat and drink and have plenty left, for the Lord blessed His people. What is left is this great abundance.” 2 Chronicles 31, verse 11. Now Hezekiah commanded them to prepare rooms in the house of the Lord, and they prepared them. 2 Chronicles 31, verse 12. Then they faithfully brought in the offerings and tithes. Cononiah the Levite had charge of them, and Shimei his brother was his helper. 2 Chronicles 31, verse 13. Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers under the hand of Cononiah and Shimei his brother, at the commandment of Hezekiah the king and Azariah the ruler of the house of God. 2 Chronicles 31, verse 14. Kore, the son of Imnah the Levite, the keeper of the East Gate, was over the freewill offerings to God, to distribute the offerings of the Lord and the most holy things. 2 Chronicles 31, verse 15. Under him were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, his faithful assistants among the priests, to distribute to their brethren by divisions, great and small. 2 Chronicles 31, verse 16. Apart from those, males from three years old and up were listed in the book of days, for daily service by division. 2 Chronicles 31, verse 17. This was the register of the priests by their father's house, and the Levites from twenty years old and up according to their daily duties by divisions; 2 Chronicles 31, verse 18. and in the register of all their sons and daughters, their whole company, for in their faithfulness they sanctified the holy place. 2 Chronicles 31, verse 19. Also for the sons of Aaron the priests, who were from their cities and in every single city, there were men designated by name to distribute portions to all the males among the priests and to all who were listed by genealogies among the Levites. 2 Chronicles 31, verse 20. Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right before the Lord his God. 2 Chronicles 31, verse 21. And in every task he undertook in the service of the house of God, he sought his God in the law and in the commandment with all his heart. So he prospered.