1 Acabadas estas festas, os israelitas presentes foram às cidades de Judá e despedaçaram as estelas, derrubaram as asserás, destruíram os lugares altos e demoliram os altares de todo o Judá, Benjamim, Efraim e Manassés. Foi uma destruição radical. Feito isto, os israelitas retornaram cada qual para sua cidade, cada qual para sua terra.2 Ezequias restabeleceu as categorias dos sacerdotes e levitas segundo suas classes, tendo cada um deles sua função própria, seja para os holocaustos e os sacrifícios pacíficos, seja para o serviço do culto, seja para os cantos e louvores às portas da morada do Senhor.3 O rei reservou também uma porção de seus bens para os holocaustos da manhã e da tarde, para os dos sábados, das neomênias, e das solenidades, conforme a prescrição da lei do Senhor.4 Ordenou ao povo, que habitava em Jerusalém, provesse à manutenção dos sacerdotes e levitas, a fim de que estes pudessem consagrar-se à observância da lei do Senhor.5 Logo que esta ordem foi promulgada, os israelitas multiplicaram suas oferendas das primícias de trigo, do mosto, do azeite, do mel e de todos os produtos do campo, com uma abundância de dízimos de toda a sorte.6 Os israelitas e os filhos de Judá que moravam em Judá deram também o dízimo do gado e dos rebanhos, e o dízimo das coisas santas, consagradas ao Senhor, seu Deus; e fizeram dele montões.7 Esta acumulação começou no terceiro mês e só no sétimo mês acabou.8 Vieram então Ezequias e seus chefes e, vendo esses montões, louvaram o Senhor e seu povo de Israel.9 Ezequias interrogou a esse respeito os sacerdotes e os levitas.10 O sumo sacerdote Azarias, da linhagem de Sadoc, respondeu-lhe: Desde que começaram a trazer essas oferendas ao templo, temos comido à saciedade e delas nos restam muitas. O Senhor abençoou seu povo: eis tudo o que sobra.11 Ezequias deu ordem de preparar celeiros no templo do Senhor, o que foi feito.12 Neles amontoaram fielmente as oferendas, os dízimos e as coisas consagradas. Para essa tarefa foi encarregado o levita Conenias, ajudado por seu irmão Semei.13 Sob a direção deles, Jaiel, Azarias, Naat, Asael, Jerimot, Josabad, Elial, Jesmaquias, Maat e Banaías exerciam o ofício de vigilantes, todos sob a ordem do rei Ezequias e de Azarias, governador do templo.14 O levita Coré, guarda da porta oriental, estava encarregado dos dons voluntários feitos a Deus, da distribuição das oferendas feitas ao Senhor, e das coisas consagradas.15 Estavam à sua disposição, nas cidades sacerdotais, Éden, Benjamim, Jesué, Semeías, Amarias e Sequemias, com a missão de distribuir eqüitativamente sua parte a cada um, grandes e pequenos, segundo suas classes -16 com exceção, contudo, dos varões inscritos da idade de três anos para cima. - Faziam a distribuição a todos os que vinham ao templo do Senhor para o serviço cotidiano, conforme suas funções e classes.17 A inscrição dos sacerdotes era feita segundo suas famílias, e a dos levitas, desde a idade de vinte anos para cima, segundo suas funções e suas classes.18 A inscrição de toda essa multidão mencionava seus filhos, mulheres, filhos e filhas, porque a distribuição das oferendas devia-se fazer com eqüidade.19 Quanto aos sacerdotes da linhagem de Aarão, que moravam no campo e nos arrabaldes de suas cidades, havia em cada localidade, homens nominalmente designados para distribuir porções a todo varão dentre os sacerdotes e a todos os levitas inscritos.20 Foram essas as medidas tomadas por Ezequias em toda a terra de Judá. Praticou o bem, leal e fielmente diante do Senhor, seu Deus.21 Em tudo o que empreendeu para o serviço do templo, para a lei e as prescrições, só procurou a vontade de Deus, pondo na sua obra todo o seu coração. Em tudo foi bem-sucedido.

1 And when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and broke in pieces the statues, and cut down the groves, and pulled down the high–places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, and in Ephraim and Menasseh, until they had made an end of them all. Then returned all the children of Israel every man to his possession, to their own cities.2 And Hezekiah stationed the divisions of the priests and the Levites after their divisions, every man according to his service, of 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 camps of the Lord.3 The king also gave a portion from his own property for the burnt–offerings, namely, for the morning and evening burnt–offerings, and the burnt–offerings for the sabbaths, and for the new–moons, and for the appointed feasts, as it is written in the law of the Lord.4 Moreover he said to the people, to those who dwelt in Jerusalem, to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, in order that they might hold firmly to the law of the Lord.5 And when the matter was spread abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the first–fruits of corn, of the new wine, and of oil, and of honey, and of all the products of the field: and the tithe of all things did they bring likewise in abundance.6 And as for 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 holy things which were hallowed unto the Lord their God, and gave them by heaps.7 In the third month did they begin to lay the foundation of the heaps, and in the seventh month did they finish them.8 And when Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed the Lord, and his people Israel.9 Then made Hezekiah inquiry of the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps.10 Then spoke to him ‘Azaryahu the chief priest of the house of Zadok, and said, Since it was begun to bring the heave–offerings into the house of the Lord, there hath been enough to eat, and to leave in great abundance; for the Lord hath blessed his people: and that which is left is this great mass.11 Then ordered Hezekiah to prepare chambers in the house of the Lord: and they prepared them.12 And they brought in the heave–offerings, and the tithes, and the sanctified things, in faithfulness: and over them were appointed the ruler Conanyahu the Levite, and Shim’i his brother the second in rank.13 And Jechiel, and ‘Azazyahu, and Nachath, and ‘Assahel, and Jerimoth. and Jozabad, and Eliel, and Yissmachyahu, and Machath, and Benayahu, were overseers under the supervision of Conanyahu and Shim’i his brother, by the appointment of king Hezekiah, and ‘Azazyahu the ruler of the house of God.14 And Kore the son of Yimnah the Levite, the gatekeeper at the east side. was over the freewill–offerings of God, to give to him the heave–offerings of the Lord, and the most holy things.15 And under his supervision were ‘Eden, and Minyamin, and Jeshua’, and Shema–yahu, Amaryahu, and Shechanyahu, in the cities of the priests, in faithfulness, to give to their brethren after the divisions, equally to the great as to the small;16 Besides these to those recorded by their genealogies of males, from three years old and upward, of all that entered into the house of the Lord, the daily portion on its day, for their service in their charges according to their divisions.17 And likewise to the priests recorded by their genealogies after their family divisions, and the Levites from twenty years old and upward, in their charges by their divisions;18 And to those recorded by their genealogies of all their little ones, their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, of all the assembly; for in their faithfulness they devoted themselves in the sanctuary.19 Also of the sons of Aaron the priests, who were in the fields of the open districts of their cities, in each and every city, there were men, expressed by name, who had to give portions to all the males among the priests, and to all that were recorded by their genealogies among the Levites.20 And the like did Hezekiah in all Judah, and he did what is good and right and true before the Lord his God.21 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 acted with all his heart, and prospered.