The People Destroy the Local Shrines
(2 Kings 18.4)1 After the Festival, the people went to every town in Judah and smashed the stone images of foreign gods and cut down the sacred poles for worshiping the goddess Asherah. They destroyed all the local shrines and foreign altars in Judah, as well as those in the territories of Benjamin, Ephraim, and West Manasseh. Then everyone went home.
Offerings for the Priests and Levites
2 Hezekiah divided the priests and Levites into groups, according to their duties. Then he assigned them the responsibilities of offering sacrifices to please the Lord and sacrifices to ask his blessing. He also appointed people to serve at the temple and to sing praises at the temple gates. 3 Hezekiah provided animals from his own herds and flocks to use for the morning and evening sacrifices, as well as for the sacrifices during the Sabbath celebrations, the New Moon Festivals, and the other religious feasts required by the Law of the Lord.
4 He told the people of Jerusalem to bring the offerings that were to be given to the priests and Levites, so that they would have time to serve the Lord with their work. 5 As soon as the people heard what the king wanted, they brought a tenth of everything they owned, including their best grain, wine, olive oil, honey, and other crops. 6 The people from the other towns of Judah brought a tenth of their herds and flocks, as well as a tenth of anything they had dedicated to the Lord. 7 The people started bringing their offerings to Jerusalem in the third month, and the last ones arrived four months later. 8 When Hezekiah and his officials saw these offerings, they thanked the Lord and the people.
9 Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the large amount of offerings. 10 The high priest at the time was Azariah, a descendant of Zadok, and he replied, “Ever since the people have been bringing us their offerings, we have had more than enough food and supplies. The Lord has certainly blessed his people. Look at how much is left over!”
11 So the king gave orders for storerooms to be built in the temple, and when they were completed, 12-13 all the extra offerings were taken there. Hezekiah and Azariah then appointed Conaniah the Levite to be in charge of these storerooms. His brother Shimei was his assistant, and the following Levites worked with them: Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah. 14 Kore son of Imnah was assigned to guard the East Gate, and he was put in charge of receiving the offerings voluntarily given to God and of dividing them among the priests and Levites. 15-16 He had six assistants who were responsible for seeing that all the priests in the other towns of Judah also got their share of these offerings. They were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah.
Every priest and every Levite over 30 years old who worked daily in the temple received part of these offerings, according to their duties. 17 The priests were listed in the official records by clans, and the Levites 20 years old and older were listed by their duties. 18 The official records also included their wives and children, because they had also been faithful in keeping themselves clean and acceptable to serve the Lord.
19 Hezekiah also appointed other men to take food and supplies to the priests and Levites whose homes were in the pastureland around the towns of Judah. But the priests had to be descendants of Aaron, and the Levites had to be listed in the official records.
20-21 Everything Hezekiah did while he was king of Judah, including what he did for the temple in Jerusalem, was right and good. He was a successful king, because he obeyed the Lord God with all his heart.
Atgriešanās no elkiem pie Kunga
1 Pēc tam visi no Israēla, kas tur bija, devās uz Jūdas pilsētām. Viņi nogāza elku stabus, nocirta ašēras un izpostīja augstienes, kur bija to altāri, – tā viņi darīja visā Jūdā, Benjāminā, Efraimā un Manasē, līdz viss bija nopostīts. Tad Israēla dēli atgriezās katrs savā īpašumā, savās pilsētās.
2 Hizkija sadalīja vienībās priesterus un levītus. Katru iedalīja vienībā atbilstoši viņa pienākumiem – pie sadedzināmajiem upuriem un miera upuriem, lai tie kalpo nometnes vārtos, teikdami un slavēdami Kungu!
3 No saviem īpašumiem viņš noteica ķēniņa daļu sadedzināmajiem upuriem – rīta, vakara, sabatu, jauno mēnešu un svētku sadedzināmajiem upuriem, kā noteikts Kunga bauslībā. 4 Ļaudīm, kas dzīvoja Jeruzālemē, viņš pavēlēja dot priesteriem un levītiem viņu daļu, lai tie spētu darīt, kas noteikts Kunga bauslībā. 5 Kad Israēla dēli to uzzināja, tie bagātīgi pienesa no pirmās labības, jaunā vīna, jaunās eļļas un medus, kā arī no visa, kas aug uz lauka, – no visa tie pienesa desmito tiesu. 6 Arī Israēla un Jūdas dēli, kas dzīvoja Jūdas pilsētās, pienesa desmito daļu no vēršiem un avīm, un desmitā daļa tika veltīta Kungam, viņu Dievam. Viņi sanesa un sakrāva kaudžu kaudzes. 7 Trešajā mēnesī tie sāka kraut kaudzes un septītajā mēnesī beidza. 8 Kad Hizkija ar augstmaņiem atnākuši ieraudzīja kaudzes, viņi teica Kungu un Israēlu, viņa tautu! 9 Hizkija apvaicājās priesteriem un levītiem par kaudzēm. 10 Augstais priesteris Azarja no Cādoka nama viņam atbildēja: “Kopš sākām pienest ziedojumus Kunga namā, ēdamā ir gana un pat daudz paliek pāri, jo Kungs ir svētījis savus ļaudis, tādēļ mums tik daudz palicis pāri.”
Amatu sadalīšana priesteriem un levītiem
11 Tad Hizkija pavēlēja celt Kunga namā noliktavu istabas, un viņi tās uzcēla. 12 Tur viņi sanesa ziedojumus, desmitās tiesas un svētumus, kas uzticībā ziedoti. Visu to pārvaldīja levīts Kenanjāhu, un otrs bija viņa brālis Šimī. 13 Jehiēls, Azazjāhu, Nātāns, Asā-Ēls, Jerīmots, Jehozābāds, Elīēls, Jismahjāhu, Mahats un Benājāhu bija pārziņi, tos par palīgiem Kenanjāhu un viņa brālim Šimī izraudzījās ķēniņš Hizkija un Dieva nama pārvaldnieks Azarja. 14 Levīts Kore, Jimnas dēls, Austrumu vārtu sargs, pārzināja labprātīgos upurus Dievam, kas Kungam doti kā ziedojums un svētums. 15 Viņa palīgi Ēdens, Minjāmins, Jozua, Šemaja, Amarjāhu un Šehanjāhu priesteru pilsētās uzticīgi izdalīja katram savam brālim savu tiesu – gan vecam, gan jaunam, 16 ikvienam vīram, neraugoties, vai viņu vārdi ierakstīti cilts rakstos, kam trīs gadi un vairāk, visiem, kas ik dienu devās kalpot Kunga namā, kā noteikts katrai vienībai, 17 arī tiem, kas priesteru cilts rakstos pēc tēvu namiem, un levītiem, kam divdesmit gadu un vairāk, kā noteikts katrai vienībai. 18 Cilts rakstos bija ierakstīti visi viņu mazie bērni, sievas, dēli un meitas, viss pulks, jo viņi bija patiesi svētījušies! 19 Priesteriem, Ārona dēliem, kas dzīvoja laukos un pilsētās, tika norīkoti vīri, kas katram vīram no priesteru dzimtas deva viņa daļu, tāpat arī ikvienam, kas ierakstīts levītu cilts rakstos.
20 Hizkija tā darīja visā Jūdā – Kunga, sava Dieva, priekšā viņš rīkojās labi, taisnīgi un patiesi. 21 Visus savus darbus viņš sāka ar kalpošanu Dieva namā, pēc bauslības un pavēlēm, tiekdamies pēc Dieva, viņš to darīja no visas sirds, un viņam veicās!
