The Reforms of Hezekiah

31 Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and abroke the sacred pillars in pieces, cut down the wooden images, and threw down the 1high places and the altars—from all Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh—until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned to their own cities, every man to his possession.

2 And Hezekiah appointed bthe divisions of the priests and the Levites according to their divisions, each man according to his service, the priests and Levites cfor burnt offerings and peace offerings, to serve, to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the 2camp of the Lord. 3 The king also appointed a 3portion of his dpossessions 4for the burnt offerings: for the morning and evening burnt offerings, the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths and the New Moons and the set feasts, as it is written in the eLaw of the Lord.

4 Moreover he commanded the people who dwelt in Jerusalem to contribute fsupport 5for the priests and the Levites, that they might devote themselves to gthe Law of the Lord.

5 As soon as the commandment was circulated, the children of Israel brought in abundance hthe firstfruits of grain and wine, oil and honey, and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly the itithe of everything. 6 And the children of Israel and Judah, who dwelt in the cities of Judah, brought the tithe of oxen and sheep; also the jtithe of holy things which were consecrated to the Lord their God they laid in heaps.

7 In the third month they began laying them in heaps, and they finished in the seventh month. 8 And when Hezekiah and the leaders came and saw the heaps, they blessed the Lord and His people Israel. 9 Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps. 10 And Azariah the chief priest, from the khouse of Zadok, answered him and said, l“Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the Lord, we have had enough to eat and have plenty left, for the Lord has blessed His people; and what is left is this great mabundance.”

11 Now Hezekiah commanded them to prepare nrooms 6in the house of the Lord, and they prepared them. 12 Then they faithfully brought in the offerings, the tithes, and the dedicated things; oCononiah the Levite had charge of them, and Shimei his brother was the next. 13 Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers under the hand of Cononiah and Shimei his brother, at the commandment of Hezekiah the king and Azariah the pruler of the house of God. 14 Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the keeper of the East Gate, was over the qfreewill offerings to God, to distribute the offerings of the Lord and the most holy things. 15 And under him were rEden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, his faithful assistants in sthe cities of the priests, to distribute tallotments to their brethren by divisions, to the great as well as the small.

16 Besides those males from three years old and up who were written in the genealogy, they distributed to everyone who entered the house of the Lord his daily portion for the work of his service, by his division, 17 and to the priests who were written in the genealogy according to their father’s house, and to the Levites ufrom twenty years old and up according to their work, by their divisions, 18 and to all who were written in the genealogy—their little ones and their wives, their sons and daughters, the whole company of them—for in their faithfulness they 7sanctified themselves in holiness.

19 Also for the sons of Aaron the priests, who were in vthe fields of the common-lands of their cities, in every single city, there were men who were wdesignated by name to distribute portions to all the males among the priests and to all who were listed by genealogies among the Levites.

20 Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he xdid what was good and right and true before the Lord his God. 21 And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he yprospered.