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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.