希西迦的改革

31 当一切都办妥后,所有在场的以色列人就前往犹大各城邑,打碎神柱,砍倒亚舍拉神像,又拆毁犹大、便雅悯、以法莲、玛拿西境内所有的丘坛和祭坛,然后各自返回自己的城邑和家园。

希西迦分派祭司和利未人的班次,使他们各司其职,献上燔祭和平安祭,在耶和华殿门内事奉,称谢、颂赞耶和华。 王又从自己的产业中划分出一部分作为早晚的燔祭,以及安息日、朔日及耶和华律法规定的其他节期的燔祭。

他又吩咐耶路撒冷的居民将祭司和利未人当得的份交给他们,好使他们专心执行耶和华的律法。 谕旨一出,以色列人就献出许多初熟的五谷、新酒、新油、蜂蜜、田间的出产及各样物品的十分之一,数量极多。 住在犹大各城的以色列人和犹大人也送来牛羊的十分之一,以及献给他们的上帝耶和华的圣物,就是十一奉献,把它们堆积成堆。 他们从三月开始堆积,到七月才结束。 希西迦与众官员来了,看见堆积起来的供物,就称颂耶和华,又为耶和华的以色列子民祝福。 希西迦向祭司和利未人询问这些供物的事, 10 撒督家族的亚撒利雅大祭司回答说:“自从民众把这些供物送到耶和华的殿里以来,我们不但吃得饱,还剩下许多。因为耶和华赐福给祂的子民,所以才有这么多剩余。”

11 于是,希西迦下令在耶和华的殿里预备库房。他们预备好后, 12 便忠心地把供物、十一奉献和圣物放进库房。利未人歌楠雅总管这事,他的兄弟示每做助手。 13 耶歇、亚撒细雅、拿哈、亚撒黑、耶利末、约撒拔、以列、伊斯玛基雅、玛哈和比拿雅做监督协助歌楠雅和他兄弟示每,他们都是希西迦王和管理上帝殿的亚撒利雅指派的。 14 看守东门的利未人音拿的儿子可利,负责管理民众自愿献给上帝的礼物,以及分发献给耶和华的供物和至圣之物。 15 伊甸、珉雅珉、耶书亚、示玛雅、亚玛利雅和示迦尼雅在祭司所在的各城忠心地协助可利,按照班次,不分老幼,将物品分给他们的弟兄。 16 此外,他们还分给三岁及三岁以上、姓名记在家谱上、每天在耶和华的殿中按班次供职的男子, 17 并分给按宗族登记在家谱上的祭司,按班次和职任分给二十岁及二十岁以上的利未人, 18 也按照家谱分给他们的妻子儿女,因为他们诚心洁净自己。 19 至于住在各城郊野做祭司的亚伦子孙,各城都有指定的人把应得之份分给祭司中所有的男子和登记在家谱上的利未人。

20 希西迦在犹大全境都如此行,做他的上帝耶和华视为良善、正直和忠心的事。 21 无论是在上帝的殿中事奉,还是遵行律法和诫命,他都寻求他的上帝,尽心去做。因此,他行事顺利。

31 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.