The People Destroy the Local Shrines
(2 Kings 18.4)1 After the Festival, the people went to every town in Judah and smashed the stone images of foreign gods and cut down the sacred poles for worshiping the goddess Asherah. They destroyed all the local shrines and foreign altars in Judah, as well as those in the territories of Benjamin, Ephraim, and West Manasseh. Then everyone went home.
Offerings for the Priests and Levites
2 Hezekiah divided the priests and Levites into groups, according to their duties. Then he assigned them the responsibilities of offering sacrifices to please the Lord and sacrifices to ask his blessing. He also appointed people to serve at the temple and to sing praises at the temple gates. 3 Hezekiah provided animals from his own herds and flocks to use for the morning and evening sacrifices, as well as for the sacrifices during the Sabbath celebrations, the New Moon Festivals, and the other religious feasts required by the Law of the Lord.
4 He told the people of Jerusalem to bring the offerings that were to be given to the priests and Levites, so that they would have time to serve the Lord with their work. 5 As soon as the people heard what the king wanted, they brought a tenth of everything they owned, including their best grain, wine, olive oil, honey, and other crops. 6 The people from the other towns of Judah brought a tenth of their herds and flocks, as well as a tenth of anything they had dedicated to the Lord. 7 The people started bringing their offerings to Jerusalem in the third month, and the last ones arrived four months later. 8 When Hezekiah and his officials saw these offerings, they thanked the Lord and the people.
9 Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the large amount of offerings. 10 The high priest at the time was Azariah, a descendant of Zadok, and he replied, “Ever since the people have been bringing us their offerings, we have had more than enough food and supplies. The Lord has certainly blessed his people. Look at how much is left over!”
11 So the king gave orders for storerooms to be built in the temple, and when they were completed, 12-13 all the extra offerings were taken there. Hezekiah and Azariah then appointed Conaniah the Levite to be in charge of these storerooms. His brother Shimei was his assistant, and the following Levites worked with them: Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah. 14 Kore son of Imnah was assigned to guard the East Gate, and he was put in charge of receiving the offerings voluntarily given to God and of dividing them among the priests and Levites. 15-16 He had six assistants who were responsible for seeing that all the priests in the other towns of Judah also got their share of these offerings. They were Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah.
Every priest and every Levite over 30 years old who worked daily in the temple received part of these offerings, according to their duties. 17 The priests were listed in the official records by clans, and the Levites 20 years old and older were listed by their duties. 18 The official records also included their wives and children, because they had also been faithful in keeping themselves clean and acceptable to serve the Lord.
19 Hezekiah also appointed other men to take food and supplies to the priests and Levites whose homes were in the pastureland around the towns of Judah. But the priests had to be descendants of Aaron, and the Levites had to be listed in the official records.
20-21 Everything Hezekiah did while he was king of Judah, including what he did for the temple in Jerusalem, was right and good. He was a successful king, because he obeyed the Lord God with all his heart.
Hiskia ta yelifa elongelokalunga
1 Ndele ashishe osho eshi sha xula po, Ovaisraeli aveshe ava va li po, va ya koilando yaJuda ndele va tataula po omiti neengudimanya, omalupwelele aAsera ve a ka po, noikulundu neealtari muJuda ashishe nomuBenjamin nomuEfraim nomuManasse ve i ngumauna po fiyo ve i hanauna po sheke. Opo nee ovana aveshe vaIsrael va shuna, keshe umwe, koshilongo shavo nokoshilando shavo.
2 Ndele Hiskia okwa tula po eengudu dovapristeli nodOvalevi paengudu davo, pashilonga shakeshe umwe ngeenge paupristeli ile paulevi, okuyakula nokupandula nokuhambelela poivelo yonhanda yOmwene fimbo omaxwikiloyambo nomapanduloyambo taa yambwa.
3 Oyo ohamba ya yandja yomoinima yayo, ya yamba ongaashi omaxwikiloyambo, omayambo ongula nonguloshi nomomashabata, momafiku ohani ipe nomoivilo, ngaashi mwa shangwa momhango yOmwene. 4 Ndele ya lombwela ovanhu, oonakukalamo muJerusalem nokutya, ve nokuyandja kovapristeli nokOvalevi oitukulwayandjiwa yavo, opo va shiive okuyapulila omhango yOmwene eenghono davo adishe. 5 Noshipango osho eshi sha tandavela, ovana vaIsrael va yandja oshipe shihapu shomoilya noshomaviinyu noshomaadi, noshomaadi eenyiki noshoinima aishe yomepya, ndele va eta oitimulongo ihapu yomoinima aishe. 6 Novana vaIsrael ovo va kala moilando yaJuda naavo yo va eta oitimulongo yomeengobe noyomeedi noitimulongo yeeshali diyapuki odo da yapulilwa Omwene Kalunga kavo ndele ve di tula meenduba. 7 Mohani onhinhatu va hovela okundubila, ndele mohani onhiheyali va mana. 8 Hiskia novakulunhu eshi ve uya ndele va mona eenduba, ova pandula Omwene novanhu vaye Israel. 9 Ndele Hiskia eshi a pula kovapristeli nokOvalevi, a pulila eenduba, 10 omupristeli omukulunhu Asaria womepata laSadok, okwe mu nyamukula ndele ta ti: “Okudja kefiku olo va hovela okweetela otembeli yOmwene eeshali, fye twa lya ndele twa kuta, ndele natango shihapu sha xupa po. Osheshi Omwene okwa nangeka oshiwana shaye noupuna, onghee eshi shihapu osha xupa po.”
11 Opo nee Hiskia e va lombwela va tungile mongulu yOmwene omalimba. Ndele va tunga. 12 Neeshaliyambo noitimulongo neeshali diyapuki ve i twala mo nokudiinina. Nomukulunhu wayo ou a tulwa po Konanja, Omulevi, nomumwaina Simei ponho yaye. 13 Ndele palombwelo lohamba Hiskia nolaAsaria, omupristeli omukulunhu wotembeli yaKalunga; Jehiel, Asasia, Nahat, Asahel, Jerimot, Josabad, Eliel, Jismakja, Mahat naBenaja va li ovayakuli vaKonanja novomumwaina Simei. 14 NOmulevi Kore yaJimna, ou a li omunangeli woshivelo shokoushilo, a diinina eeshali dehalo liwa, da etelwa Kalunga nokwa li ha tukula eeshaliyambo dOmwene neeshali diyapukielela. 15 Ndele mewiliko laye mwa li Eden, Minjamin, Josua, Shemaia, Amarja naSekanja, ava va li ve nokutukulila noudiinini oovakwao ve li moilando yovapristeli, ovanyasha novakulunhu, oitukulwa paengudu, 16 ava inava valwa meshikulafano lepata, ovo ovalumenhu vomido nhatu naavo ve di koya, hava i kongulu yOmwene, omafiku olufo lavo, nongaashi va li ve noinakuwanifwalonga yavo paengudu. 17 Meshikulafano lepata lovapristeli, ovapristeli va shangwa mo pamaumbo nOvalevi ovo ve nomido omilongo mbali ile ve di koya, painakuwanifwalonga yavo paengudu. 18 Meshikulafano lepata lovapristeli mwa shangwa ovana vavo aveshe vanini, ovalikadi vavo novana vavo ovamati noukadona, ongudu yavo aishe, shaashi va diinina shili osho shiyapuki. 19 Ovapristeli, oludalo laAron, ovo va kala moulifilo woilando va li ve novalumenhu moshilando, va tumbulwa kedina ovo va li ve nokutukulila ovalumenhu aveshe vomokati kovapristeli nOvalevi aveshe ovo va shangwa meshikulafano lepata oitukulwa yavo.
20 Osho ngaha Hiskia a ninga muJuda ashishe. Ye okwa ninga osho sha wapala nosha yuka noshoudiinini koshipala shOmwene, Kalunga kaye. 21 Naashishe, osho e shi ninga mokukonga Kalunga kaye, ngee oshilonga shongulu yaKalunga ile omhango ile oipango, ye e shi ninga nomutima aushe, nokwa li e nelao.
