^31:4He ordered⁹ the people living in Jerusalem¹⁰ to contribute the portion prescribed for the priests and Levites so they might be obedient¹¹ to the law of the Lord. ^31:5When the edict was issued,¹² the Israelites freely contributed¹³ the initial portion of their grain, wine, olive oil, honey, and all the produce of their fields. They brought a tenth of everything, which added up to a huge amount. ^31:6The Israelites and people of Judah¹⁴ who lived in the cities of Judah also contributed a tenth of their cattle and sheep, as well as a tenth of the holy items consecrated to the Lord their God. They brought them and placed them in many heaps.¹⁵^31:7In the third month they began piling their contributions in heaps¹⁶ and finished in the seventh month. ^31:8When Hezekiah and the officials came and saw the heaps, they praised the Lord and pronounced blessings on his people Israel.¹⁷

^31:9When Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the heaps, ^31:10Azariah, the head priest from the family of Zadok, said to him, “Since the contributions began arriving in the Lord’s temple, we have had plenty to eat and have a large quantity left over. For the Lord has blessed his people, and this large amount remains.” ^31:11Hezekiah ordered that storerooms be prepared in the Lord’s temple. When this was done,¹⁸^31:12they brought in the contributions, tithes,¹⁹ and consecrated items that had been offered.²⁰ Konaniah, a Levite, was in charge of all this, assisted by his brother Shimei. ^31:13Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismakiah, Mahath, and Benaiah worked under the supervision of Konaniah and his brother Shimei, as directed by King Hezekiah and Azariah, the supervisor of God’s temple.

^31:14Kore son of Imnah, a Levite and the guard on the east side, was in charge of the voluntary offerings made to God and disbursed the contributions made to the Lord and the consecrated items. ^31:15In the cities of the priests, Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah faithfully assisted him in making disbursements to their fellow priests²¹ according to their divisions, regardless of age.²²^31:16They made disbursements to all the males three years old and up who were listed in the genealogical records—to all who would enter the Lord’s temple to serve on a daily basis and fulfill their duties as assigned to their divisions.²³^31:17They made disbursements to the priests listed in the genealogical records by their families, and to the Levites twenty years old and up, according to their duties as assigned to their divisions, ^31:18and to all the infants, wives, sons, and daughters of the entire assembly listed in the genealogical records, for they faithfully consecrated themselves.

Read in Logos

Footnotes

9 Heb “said to.”
10 For location see ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; .
11 Heb “might hold firmly.”
12 Heb “and when the word spread out.”
13 Heb “the sons of Israel multiplied.”
14 Heb “and the sons of Israel and Judah.”
15 Heb “heaps, heaps.” Repetition of the noun draws attention to the large number of heaps.
16 Heb “they began the heaps, to establish.”
17 Heb “they blessed the Lord and his people Israel.”
18 Heb “and they prepared.”
19 Heb “tenth.”
20 Heb “and holy things in faithfulness.”
21 Heb “to their brothers.”
22 Heb “like great, like small” (i.e., old and young alike).
23 Heb “in addition enrolling them by males from a son of three years and upwards, to everyone who enters the house of the Lord for a matter of a day in its day, for their service by their duties according to their divisions.”