OET-RV 2 CHR Chapter 31

31 When that was all over, all those Israelis went out to Yehudah’s cities and shattered the pillars and cut down the Asherah poles, and they tore down the hilltop shrines and altars from the entire Yehudah-Benyamin region, and also up in the Efrayim-Menashsheh region. Once they’d finished that, they all returned to their own land and cities.

2 King Hizkiyah allocated the priests and Levites into divisions for the various different types of duties: for doing burnt offerings and peace offerings, for other services, and for thanksgiving and praise at the temple gates. 3 The king contributed some of his own funds for burnt offerings to be sacrificed each morning and evening, as well as for the Rest Days and the New Moon celebrations, and on the other special days as per the written instructions that had come from Yahweh.[ref]

4 He told the people living in Yerushalem to give the prescribed portions to the priests and Levites, so that they could focus on serving Yahweh,[ref] 5 and as soon as the message reached them, the Israelis started giving the first portions of their harvests of grain, new wine, oil, and honey, and of all the produce from the countryside, so they brought a tenth of the harvests of all their crops. 6 The people from Yisrael and Yehudah who were living in Yehudah’s cities also brought a tenth of their cattle and sheep, as well as a sacred tenth consecrated to their god Yahweh, and it was all put in big piles. 7 That all began in May and was finished by September, 8 and when King Hizkiyah and his officials came and saw the piles, they praised Yahweh and his Israeli people. 9 When Hizkiyah asked the priests and Levites about the piles, 10 Azaryah the chief priest (a descendant of Tsadok) told him, “Since the people started bringing their contributions to the temple, we’ve been eating well, and even had left-overs, because Yahweh has blessed his people, and all this is the remainder.”

11 So then Hizkiyah ordered them to prepare the temple storerooms, which they did, 12 and they brought in the contributions and the tenths that had been given, and the things faithfully dedicated to Yahweh. A Levite, Konanyah, was appointed as supervisor, with his brother Shimei as deputy. 13 Those two supervised Yehiel, Azazyah, Nahat, Asahel, Yerimot, Yozavad, Eliel, Ismakyah, Mahat, and Benayah, by the arrangement of King Hizkiyah and Azaryah the temple supervisor.

14 The Levite Imnah’s son, Kore, who guarded the temple’s eastern gate, was put in charge of the free-will offering to God—to distribute those offerings that were made to Yahweh, as well as any consecrated items. 15 Eden, Minyamin, Yeshua, Shemayah, Amaryah, and Shekanyah faithfully assisted him in the priests’ cities to distribute those things to the different divisions of priests, regardless of their status or size. 16 Every male who was at least three years old, and was listed in the genealogical records, received a portion for their service in the temple, as each division performed their assigned duties. 17 Each priestly clan kept genealogical records and received a portion, and so did the Levites who were at least twenty years old, all according to their divisions, 18 as well as their wives and young children, and sons and daughters whose names were on the genealogies, because they’d also faithfully consecrated themselves for the sacred work. 19 Also, there were people chosen by name to give a portion to each male among Aharon’s descendants, the priests, who had pasture land around their cities, as well as to each Levite included on the genealogical records.

20 So King Hizkiyah did that throughout Yehudah, and he continued to faithfully follow his god Yahweh’s instructions. 21 He tried hard to be diligent and sincere in whatever he did for the temple operation, as he followed God’s rules and commands, and he prospered.