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 yelitha elongelokalunga
1 Oshituthi sho sha hulu, Aaisraeli ayehe oya yi niilando ayihe muJuda e taa kumuna po oongundhimanya e taa teya po iiyelekela ya dhilikilwa oshikalungakiintu Asheera, taa yonagula po iiyambelo ayihe nomahala giinonoma yuupagani. Oye shi ningi muJuda alihe nomiitopolwa yaBenjamin, Efraim naManasse e taa shuna kaandjawo.
2 Omukwaniilwa Hiskia okwa pongololulula iilonga yaayambi noyAalevi, shaa ngoka a kale e na oshimpwiyu she te shi dhiginine. Muka omwa kwatelelwa okuyamba omafikilondjambo nomakwatathanondjambo, okukala melongelokalunga motempeli nokuhambelela nokutanga Omuwa miitopolwa yi ili noyi ili yomotempeli. 3 Omukwaniilwa okwa kutha miimuna ye mwene iinamwenyo tayi yambwa omafikilondjambo ongula nongulohi kehe, mEsabati, mOshituthi shomwedhi omupe nomiituthi iikwawo pampango yOmuwa.
4 Omukwaniilwa okwa lombwele Aajerusalem, ye etele aayambi nAalevi omayambo ngoka ge ya uthilwa, opo ya kale ethimbo alihe miilonga pampango yOmuwa. 5 Nanziya elaka sho lya gandjwa, Aaisraeli oye eta omagano giilya yawo iiwanawa, omaviinu, omagadhi gooholivi, omagadhi goonyushi niinima yilwe yomomapya gawo; oye eta iitimulongo yashaa shoka ya likola. 6 Aantu ayehe mboka ya kala miilando yaJuda, oye eta iitimulongo yomoongombe noonzi dhawo noye eta wo omagano ogendjigendji, ngoka ya yoololela Omuwa, Kalunga kawo. 7 Omagano oga tameke okuthika momwedhi omutitatu noga tsikile okundumbilwa oomwedhi ne dha landula ko. 8 Omukwaniilwa Hiskia nomalenga ge sho ya mono, nkene aantu ya gandja oshindji, oya hambelele Omuwa nokupandula aantu ye Aaisraeli. 9 Omukwaniilwa okwa pula aayambi nAalevi shoka taa ningi nomagano ngaka, 10 nomuyambimukuluntu Azaria gwomoluvalo lwaSadok okwa ti kuye: “Okuza mpoka aantu sho ya tameke okweeta omagano gawo kotempeli, iikulya oya kala ya ha nokwa hupu oyindji. Otu na ayihe mbika, oshoka Omuwa okwa yambeke aantu ye.”
11 Palombwelo lyomukwaniilwa oya longekidha oompungulilo motempeli 12 e taa pungula mo omagano niitimulongo ayihe. Omulevi Konania okwa langekwa a kale omutonateli gwadho nomuyakuli gwe omumwayina Shimei. 13 Aalevi mboka omulongo ya pewa iilonga mewiliko lyawo, oyo Jehiel, Azazia, Nahat, Asahel, Jerimot, Josabad, Eliel, Ismakia, Mahat naBenaia. Ayihe mbika oya ningwa palombwelo lyomukwaniilwa Hiskia nomuyambimukuluntu Azaria. 14 Omulevi Kore kaImna, ngoka a li omulangeli omukuluntu pOsheelo shokuuzilo wotempeli, okwa li omutonateli gwokutaamba omagano ge etelwa Omuwa nogwoku ga topola. 15 Miilando yilwe moka mwa kala aayambi, Kore okwa yakulwa moshilonga she nuudhiginini kAalevi mbaka: Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaia, Amaria naShekania. Oya topolele Aalevi aakwawo iikulya pailonga yawo, 16 hapamaludhi. Oya gandja oshitopolwa kaalumentu yomimvo omilongo ndatu nenge ye vule po, mboka ya li ye na iinakugwanithwa motempeli pamalangeko gawo. 17 Aayambi oya pewa iilonga yawo pamaludhi, nAalevi yomimvo omilongo mbali nenge ye vule po, oya pewa iilonga yawo pamatanga giilonga. 18 Oya nyolwa momisholondondo naakiintu yawo, oyana naatekulu yawo yalwe, oshoka oya li yi ilongekidhila okugwanitha iilonga yawo iiyapuki ethimbo kehe. 19 Mokati kaayambi mboka ya li miilando ya pewa oluvalo lwaAaron, nenge miinapelo yayo, omwa li aantu mboka ye na oshimpwiyu shokutopola iikulya kaalumentu ayehe yomomazimo gaayambi nokukehe ngoka a li mo momisholondondo dhomaludhi gAalevi.
20 MuJuda alihe omukwaniilwa Hiskia okwa ningi shoka shu uka nosho opalela Omuwa, Kalunga ke. 21 Okwa li omunelago, oshoka shaa shoka a ningile otempeli nenge egwanitho lyompango, okwe shi ningi mombepo yuudhiginini neinekelo nokwiiyapulila Kalunga ke.
