Chapter 31

Idols Are Destroyed

1 Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah, abroke the pillars in pieces, cut down the 1Asherim and pulled down the high places and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, 2until they had destroyed them all. Then all the sons of Israel returned to their cities, each to his possession.

2 And Hezekiah appointed athe divisions of the priests and the Levites by their divisions, each according to his service, both the priests and the Levites, bfor burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister and to give thanks and to praise in the gates of the camp of the Lord.

Reforms Continued

3 He also appointed athe king’s portion of his goods for the burnt offerings, namely, for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the sabbaths and for the new moons and for the fixed festivals, bas it is written in the law of the Lord.

4 Also he 1commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give athe portion due to the priests and the Levites, that they might devote themselves to bthe law of the Lord.

5 As soon as the 1order spread, the sons of Israel provided in abundance the first fruits of grain, new wine, oil, honey and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly athe tithe of all.

6 The sons of Israel and Judah who lived in the cities of Judah also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and athe tithe of 1sacred gifts which were consecrated to the Lord their God, and placed them in heaps.

7 In the third month they began to 1make the heaps, and finished them by the seventh month.

8 When Hezekiah and the rulers came and saw the heaps, they blessed the Lord and aHis people Israel.

9 Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps.

10 Azariah the chief priest aof the house of Zadok said to 1him, “bSince the contributions began to be brought into the house of the Lord, we have had enough to eat with plenty left over, for the Lord has blessed His people, and this great quantity is left over.”

11 Then Hezekiah commanded them to prepare arooms in the house of the Lord, and they prepared them.

12 They faithfully brought in the contributions and the tithes and the consecrated things; and Conaniah the Levite was the officer in charge aof them and his brother Shimei was second.

13 Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath and Benaiah were overseers 1under the authority of Conaniah and Shimei his brother by the appointment of King Hezekiah, and aAzariah was the chief officer of the house of God.

14 Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the keeper of the eastern gate, was over the freewill offerings of God, to apportion the contributions for the Lord and the most holy things.

15 1Under his authority were aEden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah and Shecaniah in bthe cities of the priests, to distribute faithfully their portions to their brothers by divisions, whether great or small,

16 without regard to their genealogical enrollment, to the males from 1athirty years old and upward—everyone who entered the house of the Lord bfor his daily obligations—for their work in their duties according to their divisions;

17 as well as the priests who were enrolled genealogically according to their fathers’ households, and the Levites afrom twenty years old and upwards, by their duties and their divisions.

18 The genealogical enrollment included 1all their little children, their wives, their sons and their daughters, for the whole assembly, for they consecrated themselves 2faithfully in holiness.

19 Also for the sons of Aaron the priests who were in athe pasture lands of their cities, or in each and every city, bthere were men who were designated by name to distribute portions to every male among the priests and to everyone genealogically enrolled among the Levites.

20 Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah; and ahe did what was good, right and true before the Lord his God.

21 Every work which he began in the service of the house of God in law and in commandment, seeking his God, he did with all his heart and aprospered.