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31 (A)Ebyo byonna bwe byaggwa, Abayisirayiri bonna abaaliyo ne bagenda mu bibuga bya Yuda, ne baasaayasa amayinja agaasinzibwanga, ne bamenyaamenya n’empagi za Baasera. Ne basaanyizaawo ddala ebifo ebigulumivu n’ebyoto ebyali mu Yuda, ne mu Benyamini, ne mu Efulayimu ne mu Manase. Awo Abayisirayiri bwe baamala okubisaanyaawo byonna, ne baddayo mu bibuga byabwe, ku butaka bwabwe.

Ebirabo eby’Okusinza

(B)Keezeekiya n’addira bakabona n’Abaleevi n’abassa mu bibinja, buli omu ng’obuweereza bwe bwali, oba kabona oba muleevi, okuwangayo ebiweebwayo ebyokebwa n’ebiweebwayo olw’emirembe okuweerezanga, n’okwebazanga, n’okutenderezanga ku nzigi eza yeekaalu ya Mukama. (C)Kabaka n’awaayo ku byobugagga bwe ebiweebwayo ebyokebwa eby’enkya n’eby’akawungeezi, n’ebiweebwayo ebyokebwa ebya ssabbiiti, n’eby’emyezi egyakaboneka, n’assaawo n’embaga ezaalagirwa nga bwe kyawandiikibwa mu tteeka lya Mukama. (D)N’alagira abantu abaabeeranga mu Yerusaalemi okuwangayo omugabo nga bwe kyali kibagwanira eri bakabona n’Abaleevi, nabo beeweerengayo ddala nga bwe kyalagirwa mu tteeka lya Mukama. (E)Awo ekiragiro ekyo bwe kyabuna wonna, amangwago Abayisirayiri ne bawaayo ku bibala byabwe ebibereberye bingi eby’eŋŋaano, n’ebya wayini omusu, n’eby’amafuta, n’eby’omubisi gw’enjuki ne ku ebyo byonna ebyava mu nnimiro. Ne baleeta bingi nnyo, ekitundu eky’ekkumi ku buli kintu. (F)Abantu ba Isirayiri ne Yuda abaabeeranga mu bibuga bya Yuda, nabo ne baleeta ekimu eky’ekkumi ku nte n’endiga, n’ekimu eky’ekkumi eky’ebintu ebyatukuzibwa ebyayawulirwa Mukama Katonda waabwe, ne babituuma entuumo. (G)Baatandika okutuuma ebintu ebyo entuumo mu mwezi ogwokusatu ne bamaliriza mu mwezi ogw’omusanvu. (H)Awo Keezeekiya n’abakungu be, bwe bajja ne balaba entuumo ne beebaza Mukama, ne basabira n’abantu be, Isirayiri, omukisa.

Keezeekiya n’abuuza bakabona n’Abaleevi ebikwata ku ntuumu. 10 (I)Azaliya kabona asinga obukulu ow’omu nnyumba ya Zadooki n’amuddamu nti, “Okuva abantu lwe baatandika okuleeta ebirabo byabwe mu yeekaalu ya Mukama, tubadde n’ebyokulya ebiwera n’ebirala ne bifikkawo, kubanga Mukama awadde abantu be omukisa, n’ebifisseewo bye bino obungi.”

11 Awo Keezeekiya n’alagira bateeketeeke amaterekero mu yeekaalu ya Mukama, ne bagateekateeka. 12 (J)Ne balyoka baleeta ebirabo, ebintu eby’ekimu eky’ekkumi, n’ebintu ebyatukuzibwa. Konaniya Omuleevi ye yavunaanyizibwanga ebintu ebyo, ate nga Simeeyi muganda we ye mumyuka we. 13 (K)Yekyeri, ne Azaziya, ne Nakasi, ne Asakeri, ne Yerimosi, Yozabadi, ne Eryeri, ne Isumakiya, ne Makasi ne Benaya be baabayambangako. Konaniya ne Simeeyi muganda we, baalondebwa Kabaka Keezeekiya ne Azaliya omukungu omukulu eyavunaanyizibwanga yeekaalu ya Katonda.

14 Kole mutabani wa Imuna Omuleevi, omuggazi w’omulyango ogw’ebuvanjuba, ye yavunaanyizibwanga ebyo bye baawangayo eri Katonda ku bwabwe awatali kuwalirizibwa, ng’agabanyamu ebyatonebwanga eri Mukama, n’ebirabo ebyayawulibwanga. 15 (L)Edene, ne Miniyamini, ne Yesuwa, ne Semaaya, ne Amaliya ne Sekaniya, be baamuyambangako n’obwesigwa mu bibuga bya bakabona okugabiranga bakabona bannaabwe ng’ebibinja byabwe bwe byali, abakulu n’abato. 16 (M)Ate era baagabiranga n’abalenzi ab’emyaka esatu n’okukirawo abaali babalibbwa ng’okuzaalibwa kwe mbala bwe kwalinga, abo bonna abayingiranga mu yeekaalu ya Mukama okutuukirizanga emirimu gyabwe nga bwe kyabagwaniranga, mu bibinja byabwe. 17 Ne bagabiranga ne bakabona abaabalibwa ng’enzaalwa mu kubala okw’okuzaalibwa kwabwe bwe kwali, n’Abaleevi abaali ab’emyaka amakumi abiri n’okukirawo ne babagabira ng’eby’obuvunaanyizibwa bwabwe mu bibinja byabwe bwe byali.

18 Omwo mwe mwali abaana abato, n’abakyala, ne batabani baabwe, ne bawala baabwe ng’ebitundu byabwe bwe byali biwandiikiddwa mu byafaayo eby’okuzaalibwa. Ne babeera beesigwa mu kwekuuma nga batukuvu.

19 (N)Bazzukulu ba Alooni, bakabona abaabeeranga ku ttaka okwalimibwanga, eryabanga ery’ebibuga byabwe, mu buli kibuga, buli musajja mu bo yaweebwa omugabo, n’abo bonna abaali bawandiikiddwa mu byafaayo eby’okuzaalibwa kw’Abaleevi, nabo ne bagabana.

20 (O)Bw’atyo Keezeekiya bwe yakola ne mu Yuda yonna, n’akola ebirungi era ebituufu n’obwesigwa mu maaso ga Mukama Katonda we. 21 (P)Buli mulimu gwe yatandika mu buweereza mu yeekaalu ya Katonda, ng’agoberera amateeka n’ebiragiro, yanoonyanga Katonda we, era n’akolanga n’omutima gwe gwonna, n’alaba omukisa.

31 When all this had ended, the Israelites who were there went out to the towns of Judah, smashed the sacred stones and cut down(A) the Asherah poles. They destroyed the high places and the altars throughout Judah and Benjamin and in Ephraim and Manasseh. After they had destroyed all of them, the Israelites returned to their own towns and to their own property.

Contributions for Worship(B)

Hezekiah(C) assigned the priests and Levites to divisions(D)—each of them according to their duties as priests or Levites—to offer burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, to minister,(E) to give thanks and to sing praises(F) at the gates of the Lord’s dwelling.(G) The king contributed(H) from his own possessions for the morning and evening burnt offerings and for the burnt offerings on the Sabbaths, at the New Moons and at the appointed festivals as written in the Law of the Lord.(I) He ordered the people living in Jerusalem to give the portion(J) due the priests and Levites so they could devote themselves to the Law of the Lord. As soon as the order went out, the Israelites generously gave the firstfruits(K) of their grain, new wine,(L) olive oil and honey and all that the fields produced. They brought a great amount, a tithe of everything. The people of Israel and Judah who lived in the towns of Judah also brought a tithe(M) of their herds and flocks and a tithe of the holy things dedicated to the Lord their God, and they piled them in heaps.(N) They began doing this in the third month and finished in the seventh month.(O) When Hezekiah and his officials came and saw the heaps, they praised the Lord and blessed(P) his people Israel.

Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the heaps; 10 and Azariah the chief priest, from the family of Zadok,(Q) answered, “Since the people began to bring their contributions to the temple of the Lord, we have had enough to eat and plenty to spare, because the Lord has blessed his people, and this great amount is left over.”(R)

11 Hezekiah gave orders to prepare storerooms in the temple of the Lord, and this was done. 12 Then they faithfully brought in the contributions, tithes and dedicated gifts. Konaniah,(S) a Levite, was the overseer in charge of these things, and his brother Shimei was next in rank. 13 Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad,(T) Eliel, Ismakiah, Mahath and Benaiah were assistants of Konaniah and Shimei his brother. All these served by appointment of King Hezekiah and Azariah the official in charge of the temple of God.

14 Kore son of Imnah the Levite, keeper of the East Gate, was in charge of the freewill offerings given to God, distributing the contributions made to the Lord and also the consecrated gifts. 15 Eden,(U) Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah and Shekaniah assisted him faithfully in the towns(V) of the priests, distributing to their fellow priests according to their divisions, old and young alike.

16 In addition, they distributed to the males three years old or more whose names were in the genealogical records(W)—all who would enter the temple of the Lord to perform the daily duties of their various tasks, according to their responsibilities and their divisions. 17 And they distributed to the priests enrolled by their families in the genealogical records and likewise to the Levites twenty years old or more, according to their responsibilities and their divisions. 18 They included all the little ones, the wives, and the sons and daughters of the whole community listed in these genealogical records. For they were faithful in consecrating themselves.

19 As for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who lived on the farmlands around their towns or in any other towns,(X) men were designated by name to distribute portions to every male among them and to all who were recorded in the genealogies of the Levites.

20 This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah, doing what was good and right and faithful(Y) before the Lord his God. 21 In everything that he undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.(Z)