The Scriptures (ISR 1998) 1And at the completion of all this, all Yisra’ĕl who were present went out to the cities of Yehuḏah and broke down the pillars, and cut down the Ashĕrim, and tore down the high places and the altars, from all Yehuḏah, and Binyamin, and in Ephrayim and Menashsheh, even to completion. Then all the children of Yisra’ĕl returned to their own cities, each to his possession. 2And Ḥizqiyahu appointed the divisions of the priests and of the Lĕwites according to their divisions, each according to his service of the priests and Lĕwites for burnt offerings and peace offerings, to serve and to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the camp of יהוה. 3And the sovereign appointed a portion of his possessions for the burnt offerings, for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths and for the New Moons and for the appointed times, as it is written in the Torah of יהוה. 4And he said to the people, those who dwelt in Yerushalayim, to give the portion for the priests and the Lĕwites, so that they are strengthened in the Torah of יהוה. 5And as the word spread, the children of Yisra’ĕl brought large quantities of the first-fruits of grain and wine, and oil and honey, and of all the increase of the field. And they brought in the tithe of all, a large amount. 6And the children of Yisra’ĕl and Yehuḏah, those who dwelt in the cities of Yehuḏah, brought the tithe of cattle and sheep. Even the tithe of set-apart gifts which were set apart to יהוה their Elohim were brought in, and they gave heaps, heaps. 7In the third month they began to pile up the heaps, and they finished in the seventh month. 8And Ḥizqiyahu and the leaders came and saw the heaps, and they blessed יהוה and His people Yisra’ĕl. 9And Ḥizqiyahu asked the priests and the Lĕwites about the heaps. 10And Azaryahu the chief priest, from the house of Tsaḏoq, answered him and said, “Since they began to bring the offerings into the House of יהוה, we have had enough to eat and have plenty left, for יהוה has blessed His people. And this great amount is left over.” 11And Ḥizqiyahu ordered them to prepare rooms in the House of יהוה, and they prepared them. 12Then they brought in the contribution, and the tithes, and the set-apart gifts, trustworthily. And Konanyahu the Lĕwite was leader over them, and Shim‛i his brother was the next. 13And Yeḥi’ĕl, and Azazyahu, and Naḥath, and Asah’ĕl, and Yerimoth, and Yozaḇaḏ, and Eli’ĕl, and Yismaḵyahu, and Maḥath, and Benayahu were overseers under the hand of Konanyahu and Shim‛i his brother, by order of Ḥizqiyahu the sovereign and Azaryahu the ruler of the House of Elohim. 14And Qorĕ son of Yimnah the Lĕwite, the keeper of the East Gate, was over the voluntary offerings to Elohim, to distribute the offerings of יהוה and the most set-apart gifts. 15And under his hand were Ěḏen, and Minyamin, and Yĕshua, and Shemayahu, Amaryahu, and Sheḵanyahu, in the cities of the priests, to distribute trustworthily to their brothers by divisions, to the great as well as the small. 16Besides those males from three years old and up who were written in the genealogy, they distributed to everyone who entered the House of יהוה his daily portion for the work of his service, by his division, 17and to the priests who were written in the genealogy according to their father’s house, and to the Lĕwites from twenty years old upward, by their duties in their divisions, 18and to all listed in the genealogy, their little ones and their wives, their sons and daughters, all the company of them. For in their trustworthiness they set themselves apart in set-apartness. 19And for the sons of Aharon the priests, who were in the fields of the open land of their cities, in each and every city, there were men who were called by name to distribute portions to all the males among the priests and to all who were listed by genealogies among the Lĕwites. 20And Ḥizqiyahu did this in all Yehuḏah, and he did what was good and what was right and what was true before יהוה his Elohim. 21And in every work that he began in the service of the House of Elohim, in the Torah and in the command, to seek his Elohim, with all his heart, he did and prospered. |