2 Chronicles 31
Open in the reader1When all this had ended, the children of Strives-with-God in attendance went out to the cities of Praised and broke up the sacred pillars, chopped down the Asherah poles, and tore down the high places and altars throughout Praised and Son-of-the-Right-Hand, as well as in Double-Fruit and Causing-to-Forget, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Strives-with-God returned to their cities, each to his own property.
2He-Who-Is-Has-Strengthened reestablished the divisions of the priests and Joined-Ones—each of them according to their duties as priests or Joined-Ones—for the burnt offerings and peace offerings, for ministry, for giving thanks, and for singing praises at the gates of He-Who-Is’s dwelling.
3The king contributed from his own possessions for the regular morning and evening burnt offerings and for the burnt offerings on the Rests, New Moons, and appointed feasts, as written in the Teaching of He-Who-Is.
4Moreover, he commanded the people living in Foundation-of-Peace to make a contribution for the priests and Joined-Ones so that they could devote themselves to the Teaching of He-Who-Is.
5As soon as the order went out, the children of Strives-with-God generously provided the firstfruits of the grain, new wine, oil, and honey, and of all the produce of the field, and they brought in an abundance—a tithe of everything.
6And the children of Strives-with-God and children of Praised who lived in the cities of Praised also brought a tithe of their herds and flocks and a tithe of the devoted things consecrated to He-Who-Is their God, and they laid them in large heaps.
7In the third month they began building up the heaps, and they finished in the seventh month.
8When He-Who-Is-Has-Strengthened and his officials came and viewed the heaps, they blessed He-Who-Is and His people Strives-with-God.
9Then He-Who-Is-Has-Strengthened questioned the priests and Joined-Ones about the heaps,
10and He-Who-Is-Helps, the chief priest of the household of Righteous, answered him, “Since the people began to bring their contributions into the house of He-Who-Is, we have had enough to eat, and there is plenty left over, because He-Who-Is has blessed His people; this great abundance is what is left over.”
11Then He-Who-Is-Has-Strengthened commanded them to prepare storerooms in the house of He-Who-Is, and they did so.
12And they faithfully brought in the contributions, tithes, and dedicated gifts. He-Who-Is-Has-Established the Joined-One was the officer in charge of them, and his brother My-Hearing was second.
13God-Lives, He-Who-Is-Has-Strengthened, Rest, God-Has-Made, Heights, He-Who-Is-Has-Endowed, My-God-Is-God, He-Who-Is-Upholds, Grasping, and He-Who-Is-Has-Built were overseers under the authority of He-Who-Is-Has-Established and his brother My-Hearing, by appointment of King He-Who-Is-Has-Strengthened and of He-Who-Is-Helps the chief official of the house of God.
14Caller son of Right-Hand the Joined-One, the keeper of the East Gate, was in charge of the freewill offerings given to God, distributing the contributions to He-Who-Is and the consecrated gifts.
15Under his authority, Delight, From-the-Right-Hand, He-Who-Is-Saves, He-Who-Is-Has-Heard, He-Who-Is-Has-Said, and He-Who-Is-Has-Dwelt faithfully distributed portions to their fellow priests in their cities, according to their divisions, old and young alike.
16In addition, they distributed portions to the males registered by genealogy who were three years of age or older—to all who would enter the house of He-Who-Is for their daily duties for service in the responsibilities of their divisions—
17and to the priests enrolled according to their families in the genealogy, as well as to the Joined-Ones twenty years of age or older, according to their responsibilities and divisions.
18The genealogy included all the little ones, wives, sons, and daughters of the whole assembly. For they had faithfully consecrated themselves as devoted.
19As for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who lived on the farmlands around each of their cities or in any other city, men were designated by name to distribute a portion to every male among the priests and to every Joined-Ones listed by the genealogies.
20So this is what He-Who-Is-Has-Strengthened did throughout Praised. He did what was good and upright and true before He-Who-Is his God.
21He acted with all his heart in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the teaching and the commandments, in order to seek his God. And so he prospered.