2 Chronicles 31

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 When al this was complete, al Israel present went out to the towns of Judah, broke the pil ars, cutdown the sacred poles, wrecked the high places and the altars, and did away with them entirely throughoutJudah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh. Then al the Israelites returned to their towns, everyone to hisproperty.	1 And when these things had been celebrated according to ritual, all of Israel who had been found in the cities of Judah went forth, and they broke apart the idols and cut down the sacred groves. They demolished the high places and destroyed the altars, not only out of all Judah and Benjamin, but also out of Ephraim as well as Manasseh, until they utterly destroyed them. And all the sons of Israel returned to their possessions and cities.
2 Hezekiah re-established the priestly and levitical orders, each man in his proper order according to hisduties, whether priest or Levite, to bring burnt offerings and communion sacrifices, to serve and to give thanksand praise within the gates of Yahweh's camp.	2 Then Hezekiah appointed the companies of the priests and Levites by their divisions, each man in his proper office, certainly as much for the priests as for the Levites, for the sake of holocausts and peace offerings, so that they might minister and confess and sing, at the gates of the camp of the Lord.
3 He also established a king's portion from his possessions for the morning and evening burnt offerings,and the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths, New Moons and festivals, as laid down in the Law of Yahweh.	3 Now the portion of the king, from his own substance, was such that they could offer a holocaust always, in morning and in evening, also on the Sabbaths, and the new moons, and the other solemnities, just as it was written in the law of Moses.
4 He furthermore requested the people living in Jerusalem to present the portion for the priests andLevites so that they might devote themselves to the Law of Yahweh.	4 And now he instructed the people living in Jerusalem that they were to give portions to the priests and Levites, so that they would be able to attend to the law of the Lord.
5 As soon as the order had been promulgated, the Israelites provided the first fruits of grain, new wine,olive oil, honey and every other kind of agricultural produce in abundance; they brought in an abundant tithe ofeverything.	5 And when this had reached the ears of the multitude, the sons of Israel brought an abundance of first-fruits of grain, wine, and oil, and also honey. And they offered a tenth part of all that the soil brings forth.
6 The Israelites and Judaeans living in the towns of Judah also brought in the tithe of cattle and sheep,and the tithe of sacred gifts consecrated to Yahweh their God, laying them in heaps.	6 Then too, the sons of Israel and Judah, who were living in the cities of Judah, brought tithes of oxen and sheep, and tithes of the holy things that they had vowed to the Lord their God. And carrying all these things, they made many stacks.
7 They began accumulating the heaps in the third month and had finished them by the seventh.	7 In the third month, they began to lay out the foundations of the stacks. And in the seventh month, they finished them.
8 When Hezekiah and the officials came to inspect the heaps they praised Yahweh and his peopleIsrael.	8 And when Hezekiah and his rulers had entered, they saw the stacks, and they blessed the Lord and the people of Israel.
9 While Hezekiah was questioning the priests and Levites about the heaps,	9 And Hezekiah questioned the priests and Levites, as to why the stacks were laid out in this way.
10 Azariah, the chief priest, of the family of Zadok, replied as fol ows, 'Since they began bringing thecontributions to the Temple of Yahweh,' he said, 'we have had enough to eat and quantities left over, for Yahwehhas blessed his people; this mass of stuff is left.'	10 Azariah, the high priest from the stock of Zadok, answered him, saying: “Since the first-fruits began to be offered in the house of the Lord, we have eaten and been satisfied, and much remains. For the Lord has blessed his people. Then what was left over is this great abundance, which you see.”
11 Hezekiah then ordered them to have storerooms prepared in the Temple of Yahweh and, when theyhad got them ready,	11 And so Hezekiah instructed that they should prepare storage places for the house of the Lord. And when they had done so,
12 they conscientiously brought in the contributions, tithes and consecrated gifts, Conaniah the Levitewas put in charge of them, with Shimei his brother as his assistant,	12 they faithfully brought in the first-fruits, as well as the tithes and all that they had vowed. Now the overseer of these things was Conaniah, a Levite; and his brother, Shimei, was second.
13 and with Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jeremith, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiahas overseers under Conaniah and his brother Shimei, by order of King Hezekiah and of Azariah, the chief of theTemple of God.	13 And after him, there was Jehiel, and Azariah, and Nahath, and Asaahel, and Jerimoth, and also Jozabad, and Eliel, and Ismachiah, and Mahath, and Benaiah, who were overseers under the hands of Conaniah, and his brother, Shimei, by the authority of Hezekiah, the king, and Azariah, the high priest of the house of God, to whom all these things belonged.
14 Kore son of Jimnah the Levite, keeper of the eastern gate, was made responsible for the voluntaryofferings to God and for providing the portion set aside for Yahweh and the most holy gifts.	14 Yet truly, Kore, the son of Imnah, a Levite and the porter of the eastern gate, was the overseer of the things that were being offered freely to the Lord, and of the first-fruits, and of the things consecrated for the Holy of Holies.
15 Supporting him loyal y in the priestly towns were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah andShechaniah, who made the distributions to their brothers in their various orders, whether high or low,	15 And under his charge were Eden, and Benjamin, Jeshua, and Shemaiah, and also Amariah, and Shecaniah, in the cities of the priests, so that they would distribute faithfully to their brothers, the small as well as the great, their portions
16 irrespective of their official genealogy, to the males of thirty years and upwards -- to each one whoattended the Temple of Yahweh to fulfil his daily obligations -- for the performance of their duties appropriate totheir orders:	16 (except for the males from three years old and upward) for all who were entering the temple of the Lord, and for whatever was needed for the ministry, throughout each day, as well as for the observances according to their divisions.
17 the priests being registered according to family and the Levites of twenty years and upwardsaccording to their duties within their orders.	17 And so, for the priests, by their families, and for the Levites, from the twentieth year and upward, by their orders and companies,
18 And the official genealogy included all their household, their wives, their sons and their daughters,throughout the community, since these men were obliged to keep sanctifying themselves anew.	18 and for the entire multitude, as much for the wives as for their children of both sexes, provisions were offered faithfully from whatever had been sanctified.
19 The Aaronite priests who lived on the pasture lands belonging to their towns, had men named inevery town to distribute portions to every male among the priests and to everyone included in the officialgenealogy of the Levites.	19 Then too, men were appointed of the sons of Aaron, throughout the fields and the suburbs of each city, who would distribute portions to all the males among the priests and Levites.
20 Hezekiah did this throughout all Judah. He did what Yahweh his God regards as good and right andloyal.	20 Therefore, Hezekiah did all these things (which we have said) in all of Judah. And he worked what is good and upright and true before the Lord his God,
21 Everything that he undertook, whether in the service of the Temple of God or in connection with thelaw or the commandments, he did in absolute devotion to his God, and so succeeded.	21 for the whole service of the ministry of the house of the Lord, in accord with the law and the ceremonies, desiring to seek his God with his whole heart. And he did so, and he prospered.