1The Passover Feast came to an end. The people of Israel who were in Jerusalem went out to the towns of Judah. They smashed the sacred stones. They cut down the poles used to worship the female god named Asherah. They destroyed the high places and the altars. They did those things all through Judah and Benjamin. They also did them in Ephraim and Manasseh. They destroyed all the objects used to worship other gods. Then the Israelites returned to their own towns and property.
The People Bring Gifts to the Lord
2Hezekiah put the priests and Levites in groups based on their duties. The priests sacrificed burnt offerings and friendship offerings. The Levites served the Lord by giving thanks and singing praises at the gates of his house. 3The king gave some of his own possessions to the temple. He gave them for the morning and evening burnt offerings. He gave them for the burnt offerings for every Sabbath day. He gave them for the burnt offerings for every New Moon feast. And he gave them for the burnt offerings for every yearly appointed feast. He did it in keeping with what is written in the Law of the Lord. 4Hezekiah gave an order to the people who were living in Jerusalem. He commanded them to give to the priests and Levites the share they owed them. Then the priests and Levites could give their full attention to the Law of the Lord. 5The order went out. Right away the people of Israel began to give freely. They gave the first share of the harvest of their grain, fresh wine, olive oil and honey. They also gave the first share of everything else their fields produced. They brought a large amount. It was a tenth of everything. 6Here is what the people of Israel and Judah who lived in the towns of Judah brought. They brought a tenth of their herds and flocks. They also brought a tenth of the holy things they had set apart to the Lord their God. They put them in piles. 7They began doing it in the third month. They finished in the seventh month. 8Hezekiah and his officials came and saw the piles. When they did, they praised the Lord. And they blessed his people Israel.
9Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the piles. 10Azariah the chief priest answered him. He said, “The people have been bringing their gifts to the Lord’s temple. Ever since they began to bring them, we’ve had enough to eat. We have even had plenty to spare. That’s because the Lord has blessed his people. So we have a large amount left over.” Azariah was from the family line of Zadok.
11Hezekiah gave orders to prepare storerooms in the Lord’s temple. And it was done. 12The people were faithful. They brought in their offerings and a tenth of everything they produced. They also brought the gifts they had set apart to the Lord. Konaniah the Levite was in charge of everything they brought. His brother Shimei was next in command after him. 13Konaniah and his brother Shimei had helpers who worked with them. Their names were Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismakiah, Mahath and Benaiah. King Hezekiah and Azariah had appointed them. Azariah was the official in charge of God’s temple.
14Kore the Levite guarded the East Gate. He was in charge of the offerings people chose to give to God. He handed out the offerings made to the Lord. He also handed out the gifts that had been set apart to the Lord. Kore was the son of Imnah. 15Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah and Shekaniah helped Kore. They were faithful in helping him in the towns of the priests. They handed out gifts to their brother priests, group by group. They gave the gifts to old men and young men alike.
16In addition to that, they handed out gifts to the males who were three years old or more. The names of those males were listed in their family history. All of them would enter the Lord’s temple. They would carry out their duties each day. Each group did all the different things it was supposed to do. 17Kore and his Levite companions also handed out gifts to the priests. The priests were listed by their families in their family history. Those Levites also handed out gifts to the Levites who were 20 years old or more. Each group did all the different things it was supposed to do. 18Those groups included all the little ones, the wives, and the sons and daughters of the whole community. All of them were listed in their family history. They were faithful in setting themselves apart to serve the Lord.
19Some of the priests lived in other towns or on farms around their towns. They were from the family line of Aaron. Men were chosen by name to hand out shares to those priests. They gave a share to every male among them. They also gave a share to everyone whose name was written down in the family history of the Levites.
20That’s what Hezekiah did all through Judah. He did what was good and right. He was faithful to the Lord his God. 21He tried to obey his God. He worked for him with all his heart. That’s the way he worked in everything he did to serve God’s temple. He obeyed the law. He followed the Lord’s commands. So he had success.
Hesekia Ɔsom Nhyehyɛeɛ Foforɔ
1Afei, ɛberɛ a afahyɛ no twaam no, Israelfoɔ a wɔkɔɔ bi no kɔɔ Yuda, Benyamin, Efraim ne Manase nkuro nyinaa so, kɔsɛee afadum kronkron no, twitwaa Asera afɔrebukyia no, yiyii abosonsomfoɔ asɔreeɛ ne afɔrebukyia no. Yei akyi, Israelfoɔ no sane kɔɔ wɔn nkuro so ne wɔn afie mu.
2Afei, Hesekia kyekyɛɛ asɔfoɔ no ne Lewifoɔ no mu akuakuo, sɛ wɔmmɔ ɔhyeɛ afɔdeɛ ne asomdwoeɛ afɔdeɛ, sɛ wɔnsom, na wɔmfa aseda ne nkamfo mma Awurade wɔ Asɔredan no apono ano. 3Ɔhene no ankasa maa ɔhyeɛ afɔrebɔdeɛ a wɔyɛ mmoa ma anɔpa ne anwummerɛ ɔhyeɛ afɔdeɛ ne nnawɔtwe homeda afahyɛ ne bosome Ɔbosome Foforɔ Afahyɛ no ne afirinhyia afɔdeɛ a aka no, sɛdeɛ Awurade mmara kyerɛ no. 4Ɛno akyi, ɔhwɛɛ sɛ nnipa a wɔwɔ Yerusalem no de deɛ wɔnya mu kyɛfa a mmara no ka no bɛma asɔfoɔ no ne Lewifoɔ no, sɛdeɛ ɛbɛma wɔde wɔn ho nyinaa ahyɛ Awurade mmara no mu.
5Nnipa no tiee no aso pa mu, na wɔfiri akoma pa mu de nnɔbaeɛ a ɛdi ɛkan a ɛyɛ atokoɔ, nsã foforɔ, ngo, ɛwoɔ ne wɔn mfudeɛ nyinaa baeɛ. Wɔde wɔn ahodeɛ biara mu ntotosoɔ dudu baeɛ. 6Nnipa a wɔtu firii Israel baa Yuda no ne Yudafoɔ no ankasa de wɔn anantwie ne wɔn nnwan so ntotosoɔ dudu ne nneɛma a wɔahyira so ama Awurade, wɔn Onyankopɔn no so ntotosoɔ dudu baeɛ. Wɔboaa ano ma ɛyɛɛ akuakuo akɛseakɛseɛ. 7Wɔde saa ntotosoɔ dudu a ɛdi ɛkan no baa bosome a ɛtɔ so mmiɛnsa no awieeɛ mu, na nneɛma no anoboa kɔɔ so kɔsii bosome a ɛtɔ so nson no ahyɛaseɛ mu. 8Ɛberɛ a Hesekia ne ne mpanimfoɔ bɛhunuu nneɛma dodoɔ no, wɔdaa Awurade ne ne nkurɔfoɔ Israel ase.
9Hesekia bisaa asɔfoɔ no ne Lewifoɔ no sɛ, “Ɛhe na yeinom nyinaa firi baeɛ?” 10Na ɔsɔfopanin Asaria a ɔfiri Sadok abusua mu buaa sɛ, “Ɛfiri ɛberɛ a ɔmanfoɔ firii aseɛ sɛ wɔde akyɛdeɛ reba Awurade Asɔredan mu no, yɛanya bebree a yɛbɛdi ama ebi aka, ɛfiri sɛ, Awurade ahyira ne nkurɔfoɔ.”
11Hesekia yɛɛ nʼadwene sɛ ɔbɛnya adekoradan wɔ Awurade Asɔredan no mu, na wɔyɛeɛ. 12Na wɔdii nokorɛ de akyɛdeɛ no ne ntotosoɔ dudu no nyinaa baa Asɔredan no mu. Wɔde hyɛɛ Lewini Kenania nsa maa ne nua Simei yɛɛ ne ɔboafoɔ. 13Sohwɛfoɔ a na wɔhyɛ wɔn ase no ne Yehiel, Asasia, Nahat, Asahel, Yerimot, Yosabad, Eliel, Ismakia, Mahat ne Benaia. Ɔhene Hesekia ne Asaria a ɔyɛ Onyankopɔn Asɔredan no mu sohwɛfoɔ panin no na wɔkyekyɛɛ saa dibea ahodoɔ yi.
14Lewini Yimna babarima Kore a ɔyɛ Apueeɛ Ɛpono ano hwɛfoɔ no na wɔde hyɛɛ ne nsa sɛ, ɔnkyekyɛ Onyankopɔn ayamyɛ afɔrebɔdeɛ a ɛyɛ akyɛdeɛ ne nneɛma a wɔde ama Awurade no. 15Nʼaboafoɔ nokwafoɔ no ne Eden, Miniamin, Yesua, Semaia, Amaria ne Sekania. Na wɔkyekyɛɛ nneɛma no maa asɔfoɔ mmusua a wɔwɔ wɔn nkuro so sɛdeɛ wɔn nkyekyɛmu teɛ, na wɔkyɛɛ nneɛma no pɛpɛɛpɛ maa mmɔfra ne mpanin.
16Na wɔkyɛɛ mmarimaa a wɔadi mfeɛ mmiɛnsa rekɔ nyinaa akyɛdeɛ no bi a wɔn din wɔ wɔn abusuadua nwoma mu, a nso da biara wɔkɔ Awurade Asɔredan mu, kɔyɛ wɔn nnwuma a wɔde ahyɛ wɔn ekuo no nsa. 17Na wɔkyɛɛ nneɛma no maa asɔfoɔ a wɔatwerɛ wɔn din wɔ wɔn abusuadua nwoma mu ne Lewifoɔ a wɔadi mfeɛ aduonu ne deɛ ɛboro saa, a wɔahyehyɛ wɔn din sɛdeɛ wɔn nnwuma ne wɔn nkyekyɛmu teɛ. 18Na wɔmaa mmusuafoɔ a wɔatwerɛ wɔn din wɔ abusuadua nwoma mu a mmadoma, ɔyerenom ne mmammarima ne mmammaa nso ka ho nnuane, sɛ wɔn kyɛfa. Ɛfiri sɛ na wɔadi nokorɛ adwira wɔn ho.
19Na asɔfoɔ, Aaron asefoɔ a na wɔtete nkuraa a atwa nkuro no ho ahyia no, wɔyiyii nnipa ma wɔkyɛɛ ɔbarima biara a ɔfra asɔfoɔ no mu ne Lewifoɔ a wɔatwerɛ wɔn din wɔ abusuadua mu no nneɛma no bi.
20Saa ɛkwan yi so na Hesekia fa kyɛɛ nneɛma wɔ Yudaman no mu nyinaa, na ɔyɛɛ deɛ ɛfata na ɛsɔ Awurade, ne Onyankopɔn ani. 21Deɛ Hesekia yɛeɛ nyinaa de som wɔ Onyankopɔn Asɔredan no mu, ne mmɔden a ɔbɔɔ sɛ ɔbɛdi ne mmara ne nʼahyɛdeɛ so no, ɔde nʼakoma nyinaa hwehwɛɛ ne Onyankopɔn. Ne saa enti, ɛmaa ɔnyaa nkɔsoɔ bebree.
