Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah, and broke in pieces the pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles, and broke down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Binyamin1, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all Bani-Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities.
2Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites2 after their divisions, every man according to his service, both the priests and the Levites, for burnt offerings and for peace-offerings, to minister, and to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the camp of YAHWEH3. 3He also appointed the king’s portion of his possessions for the burnt-offerings: 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 Taurat4 of YAHWEH. 4Moreover he commanded the people who lived in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might give themselves to the Taurat of YAHWEH. 5As soon as the commandment came abroad, Bani-Israel gave in abundance the first fruits of grain, new wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly. 6The children of Israel and Judah, who lived in the cities of Judah, they also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the tithe of dedicated things which were consecrated to YAHWEH their God, and laid them in heaps.
7In the third month they began to lay the foundation of the heaps, and finished them in the seventh month. 8When Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed YAHWEH, and his people Israel. 9Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps. 10Azariah the chief priest, of the house of Zadok, answered him and said, “Since the people began to bring the offerings into the House of YAHWEH, we have eaten and had enough, and have plenty left over, for YAHWEH has blessed his people; and that which is left is this great store.”
11Then Hezekiah commanded them to prepare rooms in the House of YAHWEH; and they prepared them. 12They brought in the offerings and the tithes and the dedicated things faithfully: and over them Conaniah the Levite was ruler, and Shimei his brother was second. 13Jehiel, and Azaziah, and Nahath, and Asahel, and Jerimoth, and Jozabad, and Eliel, and Ismachiah, and Mahath, and Benaiah, were overseers under the hand of Conaniah and Shimei his brother, by the appointment of Hezekiah the king, and Azariah the ruler of the house of God. 14Kore son of Imnah the Levite, the porter at the east gate, was over the freewill-offerings of God, to distribute the offerings of YAHWEH, and the most holy things. 15Under him were Eden, and Miniamin, and Yusha5, and Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, in the cities of the priests, in their office of trust, to give to their brothers by divisions, as well to the great as to the small: 16besides those who were reckoned by genealogy of males, from three years old and upward, even everyone who entered into the House of YAHWEH, as the duty of every day required, for their service in their offices according to their divisions; 17and those who were reckoned by genealogy of the priests by their fathers’ households, and the Levites from twenty years old and upward, in their offices by their divisions; 18and those who were reckoned by genealogy of all their little ones, their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, through all the congregation: for in their office of trust they sanctified themselves in holiness. 19Also for the sons of Harun6 the priests, who were in the fields of the suburbs of their cities, in every city, there were men who were mentioned by name, to give portions to all the males among the priests, and to all who were reckoned by genealogy among the Levites.
20Thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah; and he worked that which was good and right and faithful before YAHWEH his God. 21In every work that he began in the service of the House of God, and in the Taurat, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.
- 31:1 Binyamin, or Benjamin, derived from the Hebrew name Benyamin, meaning “Son of the right hand.” ↩︎
- 31:2 Levites, the descendants of Levi, one of the 12 sons of Prophet Yaqub (Jacob), from whose family line came all the priests who served in the Holy House of God, the Temple at Jerusalem. ↩︎
- 31:2 YAHWEH, God’s personal Name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15: ‘God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”’ ↩︎
- 31:3 Taurat, this Arabic term is derived from the Hebrew word Torah, which means “instruction” or “teaching.” Depending on context, Taurat can refer to,
1. The whole Hebrew Bible contained here under the title Taurat, equivalent to what Jews today call Tanakh, and what Christians call the Old Testament.
2. The revelation given to Prophet Musa, that is, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, sometimes called the Pentateuch. Pentateuch is a Greek word meaning “five books” and includes Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. These five books are attributed to Prophet Musa himself. This is the traditional and most common meaning given to Taurat or Torah.
3. The Law of Musa found within the Pentateuch, with its hundreds of rules and regulations covering many aspects of daily life for the people of Israel. The most famous of these laws are the Ten Commandments, found in Exodus 20.
4. Taurat can also refer to divine instruction and teaching in general without reference to a particular book of the Hebrew Bible. ↩︎ - 31:15 Yusha, this Arabic name and the English name Joshua are both derived from the Hebrew name Yeshua, which means “YAHWEH saves.” Yeshua also gives rise to the Arabic names ‘Isa and Yesu, as well as the Greek name Iesous, which is rendered Jesus in English. ↩︎
- 31:19 Harun, this Arabic name and the English name Aaron, are both derived from the Hebrew name Aharon, possibly meaning “exalted” or “high mountain.” ↩︎