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all this had ended, all Israel who had attended went out to the cities of Judah, broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah poles. They tore down the high places and altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin and in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the Israelites returned to their own cities, each to his own possession.
2 Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites, each of them according to his duties as priests and as Levites. They were to offer burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, and to minister, to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the camp of the Lord. 3 The king contributed from his own possessions for the regular morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths, New Moons, and appointed feasts, as written in the Law of the Lord. 4 He also commanded the people of Jerusalem to give the portion due to the priest and Levites, so that they might devote themselves to the Law of the Lord. 5 As soon as the command went out, the Israelites gave liberally of the firstfruits of grain, new wine, oil, honey, and that the fields produced, and they brought an abundance, a tithe of everything. 6 The people of Israel and Judah who were living in the cities of Judah also brought in a tithe of their cattle and sheep, and a tithe of dedicated things that were consecrated to the Lord their God, and they piled them in heaps. 7 In the third month they began piling up the heaps, and they finished in the seventh month. 8 When Hezekiah and his officials came and saw the heaps, they blessed the Lord and His people Israel.
9 Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the heaps, 10 and Azariah, the chief priest from the house of Zadok, answered, “Since the people began bringing their offerings to the House of the Lord, we have enough to eat and plenty to spare, for the Lord has blessed His people, and this abundance is what is left over.”
11 Hezekiah told them to prepare storerooms in the House of the Lord and they did. 12 Then they faithfully brought in the offerings, the tithes, and at the dedicated things. Conaniah the Levite was the officer in charge of them, and his brother Shimei was second. 13 Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were supervisors under the authority of Conaniah and his brother Shimei, by appointment of Hezekiah the king and Azariah the ruler of God’s temple.
14 Kore son of Imnah the Levite, the keeper of the East Gate, was in charge of the freewill offerings to God, distributing the contributions made to the Lord and also the consecrated gifts. 15 Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah assisted him faithfully in the cities of the priests, distributing to their brothers by divisions, whether large or small.
16 In addition, they also distributed them to males from three years old or more enrolled in the genealogy; to all who entered the House of the Lord to perform their daily duties of the various tasks, according to their divisions. 17 They also distributed to the priests enrolled in the genealogy by their families, and to the Levites from twenty years old or more, according to their duties by their divisions. 18 The enrolment in the genealogical records also included the small children, the wives, the sons, and the daughters of the whole community; for they had faithfully consecrated themselves in holiness.
19 As for the sons of Aaron, the priests, who were living in the fields of common land around their cities, in each and every city, men were appointed by name to distribute portions to every male among the priests and to all who were recorded in the genealogies of the Levites.
20 This is what Hezekiah did throughout all Judah. He did what was good and right and true before the Lord his God. 21 In everything that he had undertaken in the service of God’s temple, and in obedience to the law and the commandments, he sought his God with all his heart, and he prospered.