Idols are Destroyed
1 Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke the pillars in pieces, cut down the Asherah poles, and broke down the high places and the altars from all of Judah and Benjamin, also in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed all of them. Then all the Israelites returned, every man to his own land, into their own cities.
2 Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites after their divisions, every man according to his service, both the priests and the Levites, for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister, to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the camp of the Lord.
Contributions for Worship
3 He also appointed the king’s portion from his own possessions for the burnt offerings, for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths, for the new moons, and for the set feasts, as it is written in the law of the Lord. 4 Moreover he commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might devote themselves to the law of the Lord.
5 As soon as the commandment went out, the Israelites gave in abundance the first fruits of grain, new wine, oil, honey, and of all the increase of the field; and they brought in, abundantly, the tithe of everything. 6 The Israelites and Judah who lived in the cities of Judah also brought in the tithe of cattle and sheep and the tithe of dedicated things which were consecrated to the Lord their God and laid them in piles.
7 They began in the third month, piling their contributions in heaps and finished in the seventh month. 8 When Hezekiah and the officials came and saw the piles of contribution, they blessed the Lord and his people Israel.
9 Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites about the contributions. 10 Azariah the chief priest, of the house of Zadok, answered him and said, “Since people began to bring the offerings into the house of the Lord, we have eaten and had enough and have plenty left over, for the Lord has blessed his people, and that which is left is this great store.”
Hezekiah Organizes the Priests
11 Then Hezekiah commanded them to prepare rooms in the house of the Lord, and they prepared them. 12 They brought in the offerings, the tithes, and the dedicated things faithfully. Conaniah the Levite was ruler over them, and Shimei his brother was second. 13 Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers under the hand of Conaniah and Shimei his brother, by the appointment of Hezekiah the king and Azariah the ruler of the house of the Lord.
14 Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the gatekeeper at the east gate, was over the free will offerings of the Lord, to distribute the Lord’s offerings and the most holy things. 15 Under him were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, in the cities of the priests, in their office of trust, to give to their brothers by divisions, to the great as well as to the small.
16 In addition every male who was listed by genealogy, from three years old and up, everyone entitled to enter into the house of the Lord, was given his portion for performing the required duty of each day, according to their divisions; 17 to the priests who were listed by family in the genealogical records and to the Levites from twenty years old and up, according to their responsibilities in their divisions, 18 and those who were listed by genealogy of all their little ones, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, through all the congregation, for in their office of trust they sanctified themselves in holiness. 19 And to the sons of Aaron the priests, who were in the fields of the pasture lands of their cities, in every city, there were men who were mentioned by name, to give portions to all the males among the priests and to all who were listed by genealogy among the Levites.
20 Hezekiah did so throughout all Judah, and he did that which was good, right, and faithful before the Lord his God. 21 In every work that he began in the service of the house of the Lord, in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.