< 2 Chronicles 31 >
1 When all this had ended, the Israelites in attendance went out to the cities of Judah and broke up the sacred pillars, chopped down the Asherah poles, and tore down the high places and altars throughout Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the Israelites returned to their cities, each to his own property.
And whanne these thingis weren doon riytfuli, al Israel yede out, that was foundun in the citees of Juda; and thei braken simylacris, and kittiden doun woodis, and wastiden hiy places, and distrieden auteris, not oneli of al Juda and Beniamyn, but also and of Effraym and Manasses, til thei distrieden outirli. And alle the sones of Israel turneden ayen in to her possessiouns and citees.
2 Hezekiah reestablished the divisions of the priests and Levites—each of them according to their duties as priests or Levites—for the burnt offerings and peace offerings, for ministry, for giving thanks, and for singing praises at the gates of the LORD’s dwelling.
Forsothe Ezechie ordeynede cumpenyes of preestis and of dekenes bi her departyngis, ech man in his owne office, that is, as wel of preestis as of dekenes, to brent sacrifices and pesible sacrifices, that thei schulden mynystre, and knowleche, and synge in the yatis of the castels of the Lord.
3 The king contributed from his own possessions for the regular morning and evening burnt offerings and for the burnt offerings on the Sabbaths, New Moons, and appointed feasts, as written in the Law of the LORD.
Sotheli the part of the kyng was, that of his owne catel brent sacrifice schulde be offrid euere in the morewtid and euentide, also in sabatis, and calendis, and othere solempnytees, as it is writun in the lawe of Moises.
4 Moreover, he commanded the people living in Jerusalem to make a contribution for the priests and Levites so that they could devote themselves to the Law of the LORD.
Also he comaundide to the puple of hem that dwelliden in Jerusalem, to yyue partis to the preestis and dekenes, that thei myyten yyue tent to the lawe of the Lord.
5 As soon as the order went out, the Israelites 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.
And whanne this was knowun in the eeris of the multitude, the sones of Israel offriden ful many firste fruytis of wheete, of wyn, of oyle, and of hony; and of alle thingis whiche the erthe bringith forth, thei offriden tithis.
6 And the Israelites and Judahites who lived in the cities of Judah also brought a tithe of their herds and flocks and a tithe of the holy things consecrated to the LORD their God, and they laid them in large heaps.
But also the sones of Israel and of Juda, that dwelliden in the citees of Juda, offriden tithis of oxis and of scheep, and the tithis of holi thingis, whiche thei avowiden to `her Lord God, and thei brouyten alle thingis, and maden ful many heepis.
7 In the third month they began building up the heaps, and they finished in the seventh month.
In the thridde monethe thei bigunnen to leie the foundementis of the heepis, and in the seuenthe monethe thei filliden tho heepis.
8 When Hezekiah and his officials came and viewed the heaps, they blessed the LORD and His people Israel.
And whanne Ezechie and hise princes hadden entrid, thei siyen the heepis, and blessiden the Lord, and the puple of Israel.
9 Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and Levites about the heaps,
And Ezechie axide the preestis and dekenes, whi the heepis laien so.
10 and Azariah, the chief priest of the household of Zadok, answered him, “Since the people began to bring their contributions into the house of the LORD, we have had enough to eat and there is plenty left over, because the LORD has blessed His people; this great abundance is what is left over.”
Azarie, the firste preest of the generacioun of Sadoch, answeride to hym, and seide, Sithen the firste fruytis bigunnen to be offrid in the hows of the Lord, we han ete and ben fillid, and ful many thingis ben left; for the Lord hath blessid his puple; sotheli this plentee, which thou seest, is of the relifs.
11 Then Hezekiah commanded them to prepare storerooms in the house of the LORD, and they did so.
Therfor Ezechie comaundide, that thei schulden make redi bernes in the hows of the Lord; and whanne thei hadden do this thing,
12 And they faithfully brought in the contributions, tithes, and dedicated gifts. Conaniah the Levite was the officer in charge of them, and his brother Shimei was second.
thei brouyten in feithfuly bothe the firste fruytis, and tithis, and what euere thingis thei hadden avowid. Forsothe Chonenye, the dekene, was the souereyn of tho; and Semei his brother was the secounde;
13 Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers under the authority of Conaniah and his brother Shimei, by appointment of King Hezekiah and of Azariah the chief official of the house of God.
aftir whom Jehiel, and Azarie, and Nabath, and Asahel, and Jerimoth, `and Jozabad, and Helyel, and Jesmahie, and Maath, and Banaie, weren souereyns vndur the hondis of Chonenye and Semei, his brother, bi the comaundement of `Ezechie the kyng, and of Azarie, the bischop of the hows of the Lord, to whiche alle thingis perteyneden.
14 Kore son of Imnah the Levite, the keeper of the East Gate, was in charge of the freewill offerings given to God, distributing the contributions to the LORD and the consecrated gifts.
But Chore, the sone of Jemnya, dekene and portere of the eest yate, was souereyn of tho thingis that weren offrid bi fre wille to the Lord, and of the firste fruytis, and of thingis halewid in to hooli thingis of the noumbre of hooli thingis;
15 Under his authority, Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah faithfully distributed portions to their fellow priests in their cities, according to their divisions, old and young alike.
and vndur his cure weren Eden, and Beniamyn, Jesue, and Semeye, and Amarie, and Sechenye, in the citees of preestis, that thei schulden departe feithfuli to her britheren the partis, to the lesse and the grettere,
16 In 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 the LORD for their daily duties for service in the responsibilities of their divisions—
outakun malis fro three yeer and aboue, these thingis to alle that entriden in to the temple of the Lord, and what euer thing bi ech dai was hirid in the seruyce and obseruaunces bi her departyngis.
17 and to the priests enrolled according to their families in the genealogy, as well as to the Levites twenty years of age or older, according to their duties and divisions.
To preestis bi meynees, and to dekenes fro `the twentithe yeer and aboue bi her ordris and cumpenyes, and to alle the multitude,
18 The genealogy included all the little ones, wives, sons, and daughters in the whole assembly. For they had faithfully consecrated themselves as holy.
bothe to the wyues and fre children of hem of euer either kynde, metis weren youun feithfuli of these thingis that weren halewid.
19 As 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 Levite listed by the genealogies.
But also men of the sones of Aaron weren ordeyned bi the feeldis and subarbis of alle citees, whyche men schulden dele partis to al the male kynde of preestis and dekenes.
20 So this is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah. He did what was good and upright and true before the LORD his God.
Therfor Ezechie dide alle thingis, whiche we seiden, in al Juda, and he wrouyte that, that was riytful and good and trewe bifor `his Lord God,
21 He was diligent in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law and the commandments, in order to seek his God. And so he prospered.
in al the religioun of the seruyce of the hows of the Lord, bi the lawe and cerymonyes; and he wolde seke his Lord God in al his herte, and he dide, and hadde prosperite.