Chapter 31
Chapter 31 of 2 Chronicles of the Bible, King James Version. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah and break the images in pieces and cut down the groves and threw down the high places and the altars of all Judah and Benjamin, and 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. 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 the peace offerings, to minister and to give thanks and to praise in the gates of the tents of
the Lord. He appointed also the king's portion of his substance for 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. 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. And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the first fruits 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. 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 up by heaps. In the third month they began to lay the foundation of the heaps and finished them in the seventh month. And when Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed the Lord and his
people Israel. Then Hezekiah questioned with the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps. 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 we have left plenty, for the Lord hath blessed his people, and that which is left
is this great store. Then Hezekiah commanded to prepare chambers in the house of the Lord, and they prepared them, and brought in the offerings, and the tithes, and the dedicated things faithfully, over which Koroniah the Levite was ruler, and Shimei his brother was the next. And Jehael and Azaziah, and Nahath and Asahel, and Jeromoth and Josabet and Eliah and Ismaakiah
and Mahath and Baniah were overseers under the hand of Kononiah and Shimei his brother At the commandment of Hezekiah the king and Azariah the ruler of the house of God, and Kori the son of Imnah the Levite the porter toward the east was over the freewill offerings of God to distribute the obligations of the Lord and the most holy things. And next to him were Eden and Minumen and Jeshua and Shimeiah and Moriah and Shaganiah
in the cities of the priest in their set office to give to their brethren by courses as well to the great as to the small. 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 and their charges according to their courses.
Both to the genealogy of the priest by the house of their fathers and the Levites from twenty years old and upward in their charges by their courses into 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. Also 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 according among the priests and to all that were reckoned by the genealogies among the Levites and thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the Lord his God. And in every work that he begun 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.
