THE SECOND BOOK OF THE
CHRONICLES
2 Chronicles 31 ©
Hezekiah causes all idolatrous works to be broken down, v. 1, etc. He places the priests and the Levites in their office, 2. He also takes order for their maintenance, 4. He causes chambers to be made to gather in their revenues, and appoints of the Levites certain persons to be recorders and treasurers, 11. Hezekiah continues to be godly and blessed, 20.
NOW when all 1this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and brakea the 2images in pieces, and cut down 3the groves, and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, 4in Ephraim also and Manasseh, 5until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities.
¶And Hezekiah appointed the 6courses of the priests and the Levites after their courses, every man according to his service, the priests and Levites for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister, and to give thanks, and to 7praise in 8the gates of the tents of the LORD.
9He appointed also the king's portion of his substance for the 10burnt offerings, to wit, for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings 11for the sabbaths, and for the 12new moons, and for the 13set feasts, asbit is written in the law of the LORD.
Moreover he commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give 14the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might be 15encouraged 16in the law of the LORD.
¶ 17And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel 18brought in abundance the 19firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and 20honey, and of all the increase of the field; and 21the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly.
And concerning the children of Israel and Judah, that dwelt in the cities of Judah, they also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the tithe of holy things which were consecrated unto the LORD their God, and laid them by 22heaps.
In the 23third month they began to lay the 24foundation of the heaps, and finished them in the 25seventh month.
And when Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they 26blessed the LORD, 27and his people Israel.
Then Hezekiah questioned with the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps.
And Azariah the 28chief priest of the house of Zadok answered him, and said, Since the people began to bring 29the offerings into the house of the LORD, we have had enough to eat, and have left plenty: for the LORD hath 30blessed his people; and 31that which is left is this great store.
¶Then Hezekiah commanded to 32prepare chambers in the house of the LORD; and they prepared them,
And brought in the offerings and the tithes and the dedicated things faithfully: over which Cononiah the Levite was 33ruler, and Shimei his brother was the next.
And 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 Cononiah and Shimei his brother, at the commandment of Hezekiah the king, and Azariah 34the ruler of the house of God.
And Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the porter 35toward the east, was over the freewill offerings of God, to 36distribute the oblations of the LORD, and the 37most holy things.
And 38next him were Eden, and Miniamin, and Jeshua, and Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, inc the cities of the priests, in their set office, to give to their brethren by courses, 39as well to the great as to the small:
40Beside their genealogy of males, from three years old and upward, even unto 41every one that entereth into the house of the LORD, his 42daily portion for their service in their charges according to their courses;
Both to the 43genealogy of the priests by the house of their fathers, and the Levites fromd twenty years old and upward, in their charges by their courses;
And to the genealogy of all their little ones, their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, 44through all the congregation: for 45in their set office they sanctified themselves in 46holiness:
Also of the sons of Aaron the priests, which were in the fields of the suburbs of their cities, 47in every several city, the men that were 48expressed by name, to give portions to all the males among the priests, and to 49all that were reckoned by genealogies among the Levites.
¶And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought that which was good and right and 50truth before the LORD his God.
And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and 51in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.