The Congregation Brings the First Fruits to Feed the Priests & Levites |
2 Chronicles 31:1-21 2 Chronicles in [Smaller Chunks] |
When all [of] this was finished, all [of] Israel, [who] were present, went [into] the cities of Judah & [broke] the images in pieces. [They] cut down the groves & threw down the high places & altars out of all [of] Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim & also Manasseh, until they had [totally] destroyed all [of] them. |
[Jeremiah 21:9 Then, they shall answer, Because they have [abandoned] the Covenant [contract] of the Lord, their God & worshiped other gods & served them.] |
Then, all the children [people] of Israel returned, every man to [their] possession, into their own cities. And [king] Hezekiah appointed the [divisions for] the priests & Levites, every man according to his service. |
The priests & Levites [were in charge of:] burnt offerings & for Peace Offerings, to minister, to give thanks & to praise [within] the gates of the tents of the Lord. |
[Hezekiah] also appointed [from] the king’s [possessions a] portion for the morning & evening burnt offerings, the burnt offerings [on:] the Sabbaths, the New Moons & the [appointed] feasts, as it is written in the Law of the Lord. |
[Also, Hezekiah] commanded the people, [who] dwelt in Jerusalem, to give [of the first fruits due to] the priests & Levites, [so] that they might [devote themselves to] the Law of the Lord. |
[Ezekiel 45:28-30 And it shall be to them for an inheritance. I Am their inheritance & you shall give them no possession in Israel. I AM their possession. They shall eat the meat offering, the sin offering, the trespass offering & every dedicated thing in Israel shall be theirs. |
And the first of all the first fruits of all things & every [sacrifice] of all, of every [type] of your [sacrifices,] shall be the priest’s. You shall also give to the priest, the first of your [bread] dough, [so] that he may cause the blessing to rest in your house.] |
And as soon as the [command] came [around,] the children [people] of Israel brought in abundance the first fruits of: corn, wine, oil, honey & the increase of [produce] of the field. And they brought in the [10%] tithe of all things abundantly. |
And [about] the children [people] of Israel & Judah, [who] dwelt in the cities of Judah, also brought the tithe of: oxen, sheep & holy things [that] were consecrated to the Lord their God, & [they] laid them [in] heaps. |
In the 3rd month, they began to lay [& organize them in heaps] & finished them in the 7th month. And when Hezekiah & the princes came & saw the heaps, they blessed the Lord & His people, Israel. |
Then, Hezekiah questioned the priests & Levites [about] the heaps. And Azariah, the chief priest of [Zadok’s] house, answered [Hezekiah] & said, Since the people began to bring the offerings into the [Lord’s] house, [we’ve] had enough to eat [with] plenty left. For the Lord has blessed His people. |
And this [large amount] is [what] is left. Then, Hezekiah commanded [them] to prepare [store rooms] in the [Lord’s] house [& they did.] And [they] brought in the: offerings, tithes & dedicated things faithfully. Cononiah, the Levite, was [in charge] over [these] & his brother, Shimei, was next [in charge.] |
And Jehiel, Azariah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath & Benaiah, were overseers under the [supervision] of Cononiah & his brother, Shimei, at the [command] of king Hezekiah & Azariah, the [official in charge] of the house of God. |
And Kore, [Imnah’s] son, the Levite, the [gatekeeper] toward the east, was over the freewill offerings of God, to distribute the [contributions made to] the Lord & [also] the Most Holy things. |
And [assisting] him were: Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah & Shecaniah, in the cities of the priests in their [appointed] office, to give to their brethren by [divisions,] to the [large divisions,] as well as [to the] small. |
[In addition to] their genealogy of males, from 3 years old & [older, they gave] everyone, [who] entered the [Lord’s] house, his daily portion for their service, [in their duties,] according to their [divisions.] |
Both to the genealogy of the priests, by their [father’s families] & the Levites from 20 years old & [older,] in their [duties,] by their [divisions.] |
And to the genealogy of all their little ones, their wives, sons & daughters, through all the congregation: they sanctified themselves in holiness in their [appointed] office. |
And also, [Aaron’s descendants,] the priests, [who] were in the fields of the suburbs of their cities, in every [single] city, the men [who were named,] to give portions to all the the males among the priests & to all [who were recorded] by genealogies among the Levites. |
And Hezekiah [did this] throughout all Judah & [did what] was good & right & [truthful,] before the Lord his God. And [Hezekiah accomplished everything] he began [for] the service of the house of God, in the Law, in the commandments & to seek his God. He did it with all his heart & prospered. |