1 Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and brake the images in pieces, and cut down the groves, and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities.
2 ¶ And Hezekiah appointed the courses of the priests and the Levites after their courses, every man according to his service, the priests and Levites for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister, and to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the tents of the LORD. 3 He appointed also the king’s portion of his substance for the burnt offerings, to wit , for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the sabbaths, and 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 that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might be encouraged in the law of the LORD.
5 ¶ And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly. 6 And concerning the children of Israel and Judah, that dwelt in the cities of Judah, they also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the tithe of holy things which were consecrated unto the LORD their God, and laid them by heaps. 7 In the third month they began to lay the foundation of the heaps, and finished them in the seventh month. 8 And when Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed the LORD, and his people Israel. 9 Then Hezekiah questioned with the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps. 10 And Azariah the chief priest of the house of Zadok answered him, and said, Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the LORD, we have had enough to eat, and have left plenty: for the LORD hath blessed his people; and that which is left is this great store.
11 ¶ Then Hezekiah commanded to prepare chambers in the house of the LORD; and they prepared them , 12 And brought in the offerings and the tithes and the dedicated things faithfully: over which Cononiah the Levite was ruler, and Shimei his brother was the next. 13 And Jehiel, and Azaziah, and Nahath, and Asahel, and Jerimoth, and Jozabad, and Eliel, and Ismachiah, and Mahath, and Benaiah, were overseers under the hand of Cononiah and Shimei his brother, at the commandment of Hezekiah the king, and Azariah the ruler of the house of God. 14 And Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the porter toward the east, was over the freewill offerings of God, to distribute the oblations of the LORD, and the most holy things. 15 And next him were Eden, and Miniamin, and Jeshua, and Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, in the cities of the priests, in their set office, to give to their brethren by courses, as well to the great as to the small: 16 Beside their genealogy of males, from three years old and upward, even unto every one that entereth into the house of the LORD, his daily portion for their service in their charges according to their courses; 17 Both to the genealogy of the priests by the house of their fathers, and the Levites from twenty years old and upward, in their charges by their courses; 18 And to the genealogy of all their little ones, their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, through all the congregation: for in their set office they sanctified themselves in holiness: 19 Also of the sons of Aaron the priests, which were in the fields of the suburbs of their cities, in every several city, the men that were expressed by name, to give portions to all the males among the priests, and to all that were reckoned by genealogies among the Levites.
20 ¶ And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the LORD his God. 21 And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.
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, Benjamīnā, 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, Asāēls, 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 Katru darbu, ko viņš uzsāka Dieva nama kalpošanā, pēc bauslības un pavēlēm, tiekdamies pēc Dieva, viņš to darīja no visas sirds, un viņam veicās!
