2 Chronicles 31:2–10

Contributions for Worship

31:20–21pp—2Ki 18:5–7

²Hezekiah^z assigned the priests and Levites to divisions^a—each of them according to their duties as priests or Levites—to offer burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, to minister,^b to give thanks and to sing praises^c at the gates of the Lord’s dwelling.^{d 3}The king contributed^e from his own possessions for the morning and evening burnt offerings and for the burnt offerings on the Sabbaths, at the New Moons and at the appointed festivals as written in the Law of the Lord.^{f 4}He ordered the people living in Jerusalem to give the portion^g due the priests and Levites so they could devote themselves to the Law of the Lord. ⁵As soon as the order went out, the Israelites generously gave the firstfruits^h of their grain, new wine,ⁱ olive oil and honey and all that the fields produced. They brought a great amount, a tithe of everything. ⁶The people of Israel and Judah who lived in the towns of Judah also brought a tithe^j of their herds and flocks and a tithe of the holy things dedicated to the Lord their God, and they piled them in heaps.^{k 7}They began doing this in the third month and finished in the seventh month.^{l 8}When Hezekiah and his officials came and saw the heaps, they praised the Lord and blessed^m his people Israel.

⁹Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the heaps; ¹⁰and Azariah the chief priest, from the family of Zadok,ⁿ answered, “Since the people began to bring their contributions to the temple of the Lord, we have had enough to eat and plenty to spare, because the Lord has blessed his people, and this great amount is left over.”^o