Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and brake in pieces the {Or, obelisks}pillars, and hewed down the Asherim, and brake down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities.
And Hezekiah appointed the courses of the priests and the Levites after their courses, every man according to his service, both the priests and the Levites, for burnt-offerings and for peace-offerings, to minister, and to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the camp of Jehovah.
He appointed also the king's portion of his substance for the burnt-offerings, to wit, for the morning and evening burnt-offerings, and the burnt-offerings for the sabbaths, and for the new moons, and for the set feasts, as it is written in the law of Jehovah.
Moreover he commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might {Hebrew: be strong in.}give themselves to the law of Jehovah.
And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel gave in abundance the first-fruits of grain, new wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly.
And the children of Israel and Judah, that dwelt in the cities of Judah, they also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the tithe of dedicated things which were consecrated unto Jehovah their God, and laid them by heaps.
In the third month they began to lay the foundation of the heaps, and finished them in the seventh month.
And when Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed Jehovah, and his people Israel.
Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps.
And Azariah the chief priest, of the house of Zadok, answered him and said, Since the people began to bring the oblations into the house of Jehovah, we have eaten and had enough, and have left plenty: for Jehovah hath blessed his people; and that which is left is this great store.
Then Hezekiah commanded to prepare chambers in the house of Jehovah; and they prepared them;
and they brought in the oblations and the tithes and the dedicated things faithfully. And over them Conaniah the Levite was ruler, and Shimei his brother was second;
and Jehiel, and Azaziah, and Nahath, and Asahel, and Jerimoth, and Jozabad, and Eliel, and Ismachiah, and Mahath, and Benaiah, were overseers under the hand of Conaniah and Shimei his brother, by the appointment of Hezekiah the king, and Azariah the ruler of the house of God.
And Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the porter at the east gate, was over the freewill-offerings of God, to distribute the oblations of Jehovah, and the most holy things.
And under him were Eden, and Miniamin, and Jeshua, and Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, in the cities of the priests, in their office of trust, to give to their brethren by courses, as well to the great as to the small:
besides them that were reckoned by genealogy of males, from three years old and upward, even every one that entered into the house of Jehovah, {Or, for his daily portion}as the duty of every day required, for their service in their offices according to their courses;
and them that were reckoned by genealogy of the priests by their fathers' houses, and the Levites from twenty years old and upward, in their offices by their courses;
{Or, even to give to them &c.}and them that were reckoned by genealogy of all their little ones, their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, through all the congregation: for in their office of trust they sanctified themselves in holiness.
Also for the sons of Aaron the priests, that were in the fields of the suburbs of their cities, in every city, there were men that were mentioned by name, to give portions to all the males among the priests, and to all that were reckoned by genealogy among the Levites.
And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah; and he wrought that which was good and right and {Hebrew: faithfulness.}faithful before Jehovah his God.
And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.
Querverweise zu 2. Chronika 31,2 2Chr 31,2
And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, (for all the priests that were present had sanctified themselves, and did not keep their courses;
and the priests killed them, and they made a sin-offering with their blood upon the altar, to make atonement for all Israel; for the king commanded that the burnt-offering and the sin-offering should be made for all Israel.
And he set the Levites in the house of Jehovah with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king's seer, and Nathan the prophet; for the commandment was of Jehovah by his prophets.
And the Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.
And he appointed, according to the ordinance of David his father, the courses of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their offices, to praise, and to minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required; the doorkeepers also by their courses at every gate: for so had David the man of God commanded.
And he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of Jehovah, and to celebrate and to thank and praise Jehovah, the God of Israel:
Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, {In chapter 15:18, Jaaziel.}Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, with psalteries and with harps; and Asaph with cymbals, sounding aloud;
and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests with trumpets continually, before the ark of the covenant of God.
So the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded: and they took every man his men, those that were to come in on the sabbath; with those that were to go out on the sabbath; for Jehoiada the priest dismissed not the courses.
and with them Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest that were chosen, who were mentioned by name, to give thanks to Jehovah, because his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
So he left there, before the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, Asaph and his brethren, to minister before the ark continually, as every day's work required;
and to stand every morning to thank and praise Jehovah, and likewise at even;
to offer burnt-offerings unto Jehovah upon the altar of burnt-offering continually morning and evening, even according to all that is written in the law of Jehovah, which he commanded unto Israel;
Moreover David and the captains of the host set apart for the service certain of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals: and the number of them that did the work according to their service was:
of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, and Joseph, and Nethaniah, and {In verse 14, Jesharelah.}Asharelah, the sons of Asaph, under the hand of Asaph, who prophesied {Hebrew: by the hands of the king.}after the order of the king.
Of Jeduthun; the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, and {In verse 11, Izri.}Zeri, and Jeshaiah, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, {With Shimel, mentioned in verse 17.}six, under the hands of their father Jeduthun with the harp, who prophesied in giving thanks and praising Jehovah.
Now David was old and full of days; and he made Solomon his son king over Israel.
And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.
And the Levites were numbered from thirty years old and upward: and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand.
Of these, twenty and four thousand were to oversee the work of the house of Jehovah; and six thousand were officers and judges;
and four thousand were doorkeepers; and four thousand praised Jehovah with the instruments which I made, said David, to praise therewith.
And David divided them into {Hebrew: divisions.}courses according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
Of the Gershonites: {In chapter 6:17, Libni.}Ladan and Shimei.
The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the chief, and Zetham, and Joel, three.
The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, and Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers' houses of Ladan.
And the sons of Shimei: Jahath, {In verse 11, Zizah.}Zina, and Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei.
And Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second: but Jeush and Beriah had not many sons; therefore they became a fathers' house in one reckoning.
The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four.
The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses; and Aaron was separated, {Or, to sanctify as most holy him &c.}that he should sanctify the most holy things, he and his sons, for ever, to burn incense before Jehovah, to minister unto him, and to bless in his name, for ever.
But as for Moses the man of God, his sons were named among the tribe of Levi.
The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.
The sons of Gershom: {In chapter 24:20, Shubael.}Shebuel the chief.
And the sons of Eliezer were: Rehabiah the chief; and Eliezer had no other sons; but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.
The sons of Izhar: {In chapter 24:22, Shelomoth.}Shelomith the chief.
The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the chief, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.
The sons of Uzziel: Micah the chief, and Isshiah the second.
The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.
And Eleazar died, and had no sons, but daughters only: and their brethren the sons of Kish took them to wife.
The sons of Mushi: Mahli, and Eder, and Jeremoth, three.
These were the sons of Levi after their fathers' houses, even the heads of the fathers' houses of those of them that were counted, in the number of names by their polls, who did the work for the service of the house of Jehovah, from twenty years old and upward.
For David said, Jehovah, the God of Israel, hath given rest unto his people; and he dwelleth in Jerusalem for ever:
and also the Levites shall no more have need to carry the tabernacle and all the vessels of it for the service thereof.
and Mattaniah the son of Mica, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, who was the chief to begin the thanksgiving in prayer, and Bakbukiah, the second among his brethren; and Abda the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.
And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem; as it is written in the book of Moses.
A Song of Ascents.Behold, bless ye Jehovah, all ye servants of Jehovah,That by night stand in the house of Jehovah.
Lift up your hands {Or, in holiness}to the sanctuary,And bless ye Jehovah.
Jehovah bless thee out of Zion;Even he that made heaven and earth.
There was in the days of Herod, king of Judæa, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abijah: and he had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.
Vanity of Idols. {Hebrew: Hallelujah.}Praise ye Jehovah.Praise ye the name of Jehovah;Praise him, O ye servants of Jehovah,
Ye that stand in the house of Jehovah,In the courts of the house of our God.
Praise ye Jehovah; for Jehovah is good:Sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant.
the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that say, Give thanks to Jehovah of hosts, for Jehovah is good, for his lovingkindness endureth for ever; and of them that bring sacrifices of thanksgiving into the house of Jehovah. For I will cause the captivity of the land to return as at the first, saith Jehovah.