Hezekiah Organizes the Priests

2 Chronicles 31

1 Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and n broke in pieces the o pillars and cut down p the Asherim and broke down the high places and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, and in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the people of Israel returned to their cities, every man to his possession.

2 And Hezekiah appointed q the divisions of the priests and of the Levites, division by division, each according to his service, the priests and the Levites, r for burnt offerings and peace offerings, to minister in the gates of the camp of the Lord and to give thanks and praise. 3 s The contribution of the king from his own possessions was for the burnt offerings: the burnt offerings of morning and evening, and the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths, the new moons, and the appointed feasts, t as it is written in the Law of the Lord. 4 And he commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give u the portion due to the priests and the Levites, that they might give themselves to the Law of the Lord. 5 As soon as the command was spread abroad, the people of Israel gave in abundance the firstfruits of grain, wine, oil, honey, and of all the produce of the field. And they brought in abundantly v the tithe of everything. 6 And the people of Israel and Judah who lived in the cities of Judah also brought in the tithe of cattle and sheep, and w the tithe of the dedicated things that had been dedicated to the Lord their God, and laid them in heaps. 7 In the third month they began to pile up the heaps, and finished them in the seventh month. 8 When Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed the Lord and his people Israel. 9 And Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites about the heaps. 10 Azariah the chief priest, who was x of the house of Zadok, answered him, "Since they began to bring the contributions into the house of the Lord, we have eaten and had enough and have plenty left, y for the Lord has blessed his people, so that we have this large amount left."

11 Then Hezekiah commanded them to prepare z chambers in the house of the Lord, and they prepared them. 12 And they faithfully brought in the contributions, the tithes, and the dedicated things. The chief officer a in charge of them was Conaniah the Levite, with b Shimei his brother as second, 13 b while Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, b Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers assisting Conaniah and Shimei his brother, by the appointment of Hezekiah the king and x Azariah the chief officer of the house of God. 14 And Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, keeper of the east gate, was over the freewill offerings to God, to apportion the contribution reserved for the Lord and the most holy offerings. 15 b Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah were faithfully assisting him in d the cities of the priests, to distribute the portions to their brothers, old and young alike, by divisions, 16 except those enrolled by genealogy, males from three years old and upward - all who entered the house of the Lord e as the duty of each day required - for their service according to their offices, by their divisions. 17 The enrollment of the priests was according to their fathers' houses; that of the Levites f from twenty years old and upward was according to their offices, by their divisions. 18 They were enrolled with all their little children, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, the whole assembly, for they were faithful in keeping themselves holy. 19 And for the sons of Aaron, the priests, who were in the fields of common land belonging to their cities, there were men in the several cities who were g designated by name to distribute portions to every male among the priests and to everyone among the Levites who was enrolled.

20 Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, h and he did what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God. 21 And every work that he undertook in the service of the house of God and in accordance with the law and the commandments, seeking his God, he did with all his heart, and prospered.

  1. Cross References
    2 Kings 18:4
    He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan).
  2. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 16:22
    And you shall not set up a pillar, which the Lord your God hates.
  3. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 16:21
    You shall not plant any tree as an Asherah beside the altar of the Lord your God that you shall make.
  4. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 23:6
    And David organized them in divisions corresponding to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
    1 Chronicles 24:1
    The divisions of the sons of Aaron were these. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
  5. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 23:30 - 31
    And they were to stand every morning, thanking and praising the Lord, and likewise at evening.
  6. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 35:7
    Then Josiah contributed to the lay people, as Passover offerings for all who were present, lambs and young goats from the flock to the number of 30,000, and 3,000 bulls; these were from the king's possessions.
  7. Cross References
    Numbers 28:3 - 29:40
    And you shall say to them, This is the food offering that you shall offer to the Lord : two male lambs a year old without blemish, day by day, as a regular offering.
  8. Cross References
    Nehemiah 13:10
    I also found out that the portions of the Levites had not been given to them, so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had fled each to his field.
    Numbers 18:8 - 24
    Then the Lord spoke to Aaron, "Behold, I have given you charge of the contributions made to me, all the consecrated things of the people of Israel. I have given them to you as a portion and to your sons as a perpetual due.
  9. Cross References
    Nehemiah 13:12
    Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses.
  10. Cross References
    Leviticus 27:30
    Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord 's; it is holy to the Lord.
    Deuteronomy 14:28
    At the end of every three years you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in the same year and lay it up within your towns.
  11. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 6:8
    Ahitub fathered Zadok, Zadok fathered Ahimaaz.
  12. Cross References
    Malachi 3:10
    Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
  13. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 9:26
    For the four chief gatekeepers, who were Levites, were entrusted to be over the chambers and the treasures of the house of God.
    1 Chronicles 9:33
    Now these, the singers, the heads of fathers' houses of the Levites, were in the chambers of the temple free from other service, for they were on duty day and night.
    2 Kings 23:11
    And he removed the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun, at the entrance to the house of the Lord, by the chamber of Nathan-melech the chamberlain, which was in the precincts. And he burned the chariots of the sun with fire.
    Nehemiah 10:39
    For the people of Israel and the sons of Levi shall bring the contribution of grain, wine, and oil to the chambers, where the vessels of the sanctuary are, as well as the priests who minister, and the gatekeepers and the singers. We will not neglect the house of our God.
  14. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 35:9
    Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethanel his brothers, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, the chiefs of the Levites, gave to the Levites for the Passover offerings 5,000 lambs and young goats and 500 bulls.
    Nehemiah 13:13
    And I appointed as treasurers over the storehouses Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, and as their assistant Hanan the son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah, for they were considered reliable, and their duty was to distribute to their brothers.
  15. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 29:12
    Then the Levites arose, Mahath the son of Amasai, and Joel the son of Azariah, of the sons of the Kohathites; and of the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi, and Azariah the son of Jehallelel; and of the Gershonites, Joah the son of Zimmah, and Eden the son of Joah.
    2 Chronicles 29:14
    And of the sons of Heman, Jehuel and Shimei; and of the sons of Jeduthun, Shemaiah and Uzziel.
  16. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 31:12
    And they faithfully brought in the contributions, the tithes, and the dedicated things. The chief officer in charge of them was Conaniah the Levite, with Shimei his brother as second.
  17. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 31:12
    And they faithfully brought in the contributions, the tithes, and the dedicated things. The chief officer in charge of them was Conaniah the Levite, with Shimei his brother as second.
  18. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 31:10
    Azariah the chief priest, who was of the house of Zadok, answered him, "Since they began to bring the contributions into the house of the Lord, we have eaten and had enough and have plenty left, for the Lord has blessed his people, so that we have this large amount left.
  19. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 31:12
    And they faithfully brought in the contributions, the tithes, and the dedicated things. The chief officer in charge of them was Conaniah the Levite, with Shimei his brother as second.
  20. Cross References
    Joshua 21:9 - 19
    Out of the tribe of the people of Judah and the tribe of the people of Simeon they gave the following cities mentioned by name.
  21. Cross References
    1 Kings 8:59
    Let these words of mine, with which I have pleaded before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, and may he maintain the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel, as each day requires.
    Ezra 3:4
    And they kept the Feast of Booths, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number according to the rule, as each day required.
    Nehemiah 11:23
    For there was a command from the king concerning them, and a fixed provision for the singers, as every day required.
    Nehemiah 12:47
    And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah gave the daily portions for the singers and the gatekeepers; and they set apart that which was for the Levites; and the Levites set apart that which was for the sons of Aaron.
  22. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 23:24
    These were the sons of Levi by their fathers' houses, the heads of fathers' houses as they were listed according to the number of the names of the individuals from twenty years old and upward who were to do the work for the service of the house of the Lord.
    1 Chronicles 23:27
    For by the last words of David the sons of Levi were numbered from twenty years old and upward.
  23. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 28:15
    And the men who have been mentioned by name rose and took the captives, and with the spoil they clothed all who were naked among them. They clothed them, gave them sandals, provided them with food and drink, and anointed them, and carrying all the feeble among them on donkeys, they brought them to their kinsfolk at Jericho, the city of palm trees. Then they returned to Samaria.
    Numbers 1:17
    Moses and Aaron took these men who had been named.
    2 Chronicles 31:12 - 15
    And they faithfully brought in the contributions, the tithes, and the dedicated things. The chief officer in charge of them was Conaniah the Levite, with Shimei his brother as second.
  24. Cross References
    2 Kings 18:3
    And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done.
    2 Kings 20:3
    Now, O Lord, please remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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