⁵The order went out. Right away the people of Israel began to give freely. They gave the first share of the harvest of their grain, fresh wine, olive oil and honey. They also gave the first share of everything else their fields produced. They brought a large amount. It was a tenth of everything.

⁶The people of Israel and Judah who lived in the towns of Judah brought a tenth of their herds and flocks. They also brought a tenth of the holy things they had set apart to the Lord their God. They put them in piles. ⁷They began doing it in the third month. They finished in the seventh month. ⁸Hezekiah and his officials came and saw the piles. When they did, they praised the Lord. And they blessed his people Israel.

⁹Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the piles. ¹⁰The chief priest Azariah answered him. He said, “The people have been bringing their gifts to the Lord’s temple. Ever since they began to bring them, we’ve had enough to eat. We have even had plenty to spare. That’s because the Lord has blessed his people. So we have a large amount left over.” Azariah was from the family line of Zadok.

¹¹Hezekiah gave orders to prepare storerooms in the Lord’s temple. And it was done. ¹²The people were faithful. They brought in their offerings, a tenth of everything they produced, and the gifts they had set apart to the Lord. The Levite Conaniah was in charge of those things. His brother Shimei was next in command after him.

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