New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
2 Chronicles 31
1
The 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 that were used to worship the goddess 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 of the objects that were used to worship other gods. Then the people returned to their own towns and property.
Reference
2
Hezekiah 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.
Reference
Parallel theme
1 Chronicles 24:1
3
The 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.
Reference
4
Hezekiah 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.
Reference
5
The 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.
Reference
6
The people of Israel and Judah who lived in the towns of Judah 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.
Reference
7
They began doing it in the third month. They finished in the seventh month.
8
Hezekiah and his officials came and saw the piles. When they did, they praised the Lord. And they blessed his people Israel.
Reference
Blessing
Ephesians 1:3
9
Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the piles.
10
The chief priest Azariah 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.
Reference
People
Blessing
Genesis 26:12
Parallel theme
1 Chronicles 6:8
Matthew 15:37
1 Kings 2:35
References Lord
Proverbs 3:9
Genesis 39:23
Ezekiel 44:15
Sin
Malachi 3:10
Proverbs 10:22
Genesis 39:5
11
Hezekiah gave orders to prepare storerooms in the Lord's temple. And it was done.
12
The people were faithful. They brought in their offerings, a tenth of everything they produced, and the gifts they had set apart to the Lord. The Levite Conaniah was in charge of those things. His brother Shimei was next in command after him.
Reference
People
Sacrifice
2 Chronicles 35:9
13
Conaniah and his brother Shimei had directors who worked under 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 who was in charge of God's temple.
People
14
The Levite Kore guarded the East Gate. He was in charge of the offerings people chose to give to God. He handed out the offerings that were made to the Lord. He also handed out the gifts that had been set apart to the Lord. Kore was the son of Imnah.
People
15
Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah and Shecaniah 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 young men and old men alike.
People
16
In 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 of the different things it was supposed to do.
Reference
Parallel theme
Ezra 3:4
17
Kore 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 of the different things it was supposed to do.
Reference
18
Those groups included all of 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.
19
Some of the priests, who were from the family line of Aaron, lived in other towns or on farms around their towns. 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.
Reference
20
That's what Hezekiah did all through Judah. He did what was good and right. He was faithful to the Lord his God.
Reference
21
He looked to 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.
Reference
Parallel theme
Jeremiah 29:13
Ecclesiastes 9:10
1 Chronicles 22:13
2 Chronicles 20:26
References God
Matthew 6:33
Deuteronomy 6:5
Deuteronomy 10:12
1 Chronicles 22:19
Word
Deuteronomy 29:9
1 Kings 2:4
Chapter Summary
Htis chapter describes the continuation of Hezekiah's religious reforms after the great Passover celebration. Once the festival ended, the people who had gathered in Jerusalem returned to their cities with a renewed commitment to the worship of the Lord. They began destroying the physical evidence of idolatry throughout Judah and even in areas associated with the former northern kingdom. Pagan pillars, Asherah poles, high places, and altars were removed, showing that the revival was not limited to a single festival but was intended to produce lasting change throughout the land.
Hezekiah then reorganized the priests and Levites and restored the regular system of Temple worship. Daily, weekly, monthly, and festival sacrifices were properly established again. The king personally contributed animals for the sacrifices and instructed the people of Jerusalem to provide the portions necessary to support the priests and Levites so they could devote themselves fully to their religious duties. The people responded generously, bringing firstfruits, tithes, livestock, and other dedicated offerings. Their contributions continued from the third month through the seventh month, creating such large quantities that storage rooms had to be prepared within the Temple.
The chapter places considerable emphasis on organization and accountability. Hezekiah appointed Conaniah, Shimei, Kore, and numerous other officials to manage, store, and distribute the offerings. Priests and Levites were recorded according to their families, divisions, ages, and responsibilities. The provisions were then distributed fairly to those serving in Jerusalem as well as to priests and Levites living in surrounding cities. This ensured that the restored worship system could continue on a regular basis rather than depending only on occasional enthusiasm.
The chapter closes with strong praise for Hezekiah. He is described as doing what was good, right, and faithful before the Lord. His reforms affected worship, leadership, finances, administration, and the removal of idolatry. The final statement emphasizes that Hezekiah pursued God's commands with all his heart and that his work prospered because he sincerely sought the Lord.
Historically, these reforms belong to the early period of Hezekiah's reign, around 715 BC, following the religious collapse under Ahaz. The chapter demonstrates that genuine reform required more than reopening the Temple: it required removing idolatry, restoring worship, supporting religious workers, establishing responsible administration, and ensuring that the system could continue.
Hezekiah then reorganized the priests and Levites and restored the regular system of Temple worship. Daily, weekly, monthly, and festival sacrifices were properly established again. The king personally contributed animals for the sacrifices and instructed the people of Jerusalem to provide the portions necessary to support the priests and Levites so they could devote themselves fully to their religious duties. The people responded generously, bringing firstfruits, tithes, livestock, and other dedicated offerings. Their contributions continued from the third month through the seventh month, creating such large quantities that storage rooms had to be prepared within the Temple.
The chapter places considerable emphasis on organization and accountability. Hezekiah appointed Conaniah, Shimei, Kore, and numerous other officials to manage, store, and distribute the offerings. Priests and Levites were recorded according to their families, divisions, ages, and responsibilities. The provisions were then distributed fairly to those serving in Jerusalem as well as to priests and Levites living in surrounding cities. This ensured that the restored worship system could continue on a regular basis rather than depending only on occasional enthusiasm.
The chapter closes with strong praise for Hezekiah. He is described as doing what was good, right, and faithful before the Lord. His reforms affected worship, leadership, finances, administration, and the removal of idolatry. The final statement emphasizes that Hezekiah pursued God's commands with all his heart and that his work prospered because he sincerely sought the Lord.
Historically, these reforms belong to the early period of Hezekiah's reign, around 715 BC, following the religious collapse under Ahaz. The chapter demonstrates that genuine reform required more than reopening the Temple: it required removing idolatry, restoring worship, supporting religious workers, establishing responsible administration, and ensuring that the system could continue.