Divrey Hayamim Bais 31

1. Now when all this was completed, kol Yisroel that were present went out to the towns of Yehudah, and smashed the matzevot, and cut down the Asherim, and threw down the high places and the mizbechot throughout kol Yehudah and Binyamin, in Ephrayim also and Menasheh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the Bnei Yisroel returned, every ish to his achuzzah, into their own towns.

2. And Chizkiyah appointed the machlekot of the Kohanim and the Levi’im after their divisions, every ish according to his avodas service, the Kohanim and Levi’im for olah and for shelamim, to minister, to give thanks, to praise in the Sh’arei Machanot Hashem.

3. A gift from HaMelech, from his own possessions, was for the olot, for the boker and erev olot, and the olot for the Shabbatot, and for Rosh Chodesh, and for the Mo’adim, as it is written in the Torat Hashem.

4. Moreover he commanded HaAm that dwelt in Yerushalayim to give the menat HaKohanim v’HaLevi’im (support of the Kohanim and the Levi’im), that they might strengthen themselves in the Torat Hashem.

5. And as soon as the devar went out, the Bnei Yisroel brought in abundance the reshit of dagan, tirosh, and yitzhar (pure olive oil), and devash, and of all the increase of the sadeh; and the ma’aser (tithe) of all things they brought in abundantly.

6. And concerning the Bnei Yisroel and Yehudah, that dwelt in the towns of Yehudah, they also brought in the ma’aser of bakar and tzon, and the ma’aser of kadashim which were hamekudashim (consecrated, set apart as kodesh) unto Hashem Eloheihem, and piled them in heaps.

7. In the chodesh hashelishi they began to lay foundations for the heaps, and completed them in the chodesh hashevi’i.

8. And when Chizkiyahu and the sarim came and saw the heaps, they blessed Hashem, and His Am Yisroel.

9. Then Chizkiyahu questioned the Kohanim and the Levi’im concerning the heaps.

10. And Azaryahu HaKohen HaRosh of the Bais Tzadok answered him, and said, Since the people began to bring the terumah into the Beis Hashem, we have had enough to eat, and have plenty to spare, for Hashem hath blessed His people; and that which is notar (left over) is this great amount.

11. Then Chizkiyahu commanded to prepare leshakhot (storerooms) in the Beis Hashem; and they prepared them,

12. And brought in the terumah and the ma’aser and the kadashim be’emunah (faithfully), over which Conanyah the Levi was Nagid, and Shimei his brother was mishneh (second).

13. And Yechiel, and Azazyahu, and Nachat, and Asahel, and Yerimot, and Yozavad, and Eliel, and Yismachyah, and Machat, and Benayahu, were pekidim (overseers) under the yad Conanyah and Shimei his brother, by the command of Chizkiyahu HaMelech, and Azaryahu the nagid of the Beis HaElohim.

14. And Kore ben Imnah the Levi, the sho’er (gatekeeper) at the east, was over the nidvot HaElohim (freewill offerings of G-d), to distribute the terumat Hashem, and the kadshei hakadashim.

15. And next to him be’emunah were Eden, and Minyamin, and Yeshua, and Shemayahu, Amaryahu, and Shechanyahu, in the towns of the Kohanim, to give to their achim by machlekot, to the gadol as well as the katan.

16. This was besides those males who were recorded in the genealogical records, from three years old and upward, even unto every one that entereth into the Beis Hashem for its daily duty for their avodas service in their mishmerot (watches, shifts) according to their machlekot,

17. Both to the genealogy of the Kohanim by the Bais Avoteihem, and the Levi’im from twenty years old and upward, in their mishmerot by their machlekot (divisions);

18. And to the genealogy of all their little ones, their nashim, and their banim, and their banot, throughout kol Kahal, for be’emunah (in faithfulness) they set themselves apart as kodesh in kodesh (holiness);

19. Also of the Bnei Aharon the Kohanim, which were in the pasture lands of their towns, in each town, the men that were designated by name to give manot [see 1Chr 31:4] to every zakhar among the Kohanim, and to all that were reckoned by genealogies among the Levi’im.

20. And thus did Chizkiyahu throughout kol Yehudah, and wrought that which was tov and yashar and emes before Hashem Elohav.

21. And in every ma’aseh that he began in the Avodas Beis HaElohim, and in the Torah, and in the Mitzvah, to seek Elohav, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.