וּכְכַלּוֹת כָּל־זֹאת יָצְאוּ כָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל הַנִּמְצְאִים לְעָרֵי יְהוּדָה וַיְשַׁבְּרוּ הַמַּצֵּבוֹת וַיְגַדְּעוּ הָאֲשֵׁרִים וַיְנַתְּצוּ אֶת־הַבָּמוֹת וְאֶת־הַמִּזְבְּחוֹת מִכָּל־יְהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִן וּבְאֶפְרַיִם וּמְנַשֶּׁה עַד־לְכַלֵּה וַיָּשׁוּבוּ כָּל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אִישׁ לַאֲחֻזָּתוֹ לְעָרֵיהֶם

With the conclusion of all this, all Israel who were present in Jerusalem went out to the cities of Judah and shattered their idolatrous monuments, cut down the sacred trees, which were worshipped in idolatrous rituals, and smashed the shrines and the altars from all Judah and Benjamin, and in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they were eradicated. They made every effort to purify the land from foreign forms of worship, and then, when they had finished, all the children of Israel returned, each to his portion, to their cities.

וַיַּעֲמֵד יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ אֶת־מַחְלְקוֹת הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם עַל־מַחְלְקוֹתָם אִישׁ כְּפִי עֲבֹדָתוֹ לַכֹּהֲנִים וְלַלְוִיִּם לְעֹלָה וְלִשְׁלָמִים לְשָׁרֵת וּלְהֹדוֹת וּלְהַלֵּל בְּשַׁעֲרֵי מַחֲנוֹת ה'

At this point, the division of the priests and Levites into watches was merely an abstract memory, as the Temple service had not actually been performed in many years, and the Temple had been left mostly deserted. Now it was necessary to renew the service and restore the previous order. Yehizkiyahu set up the divisions, or watches, of the priests and the Levites by their divisions, their proper order, each man in accordance with his service, for the priests and for the Levites, for the sacrifice of burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to serve, to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the camps of the Lord, in the Temple.

וּמְנָת הַמֶּלֶךְ מִן־רְכוּשׁוֹ לָעֹלוֹת לְעֹלוֹת הַבֹּקֶר וְהָעֶרֶב וְהָעֹלוֹת לַשַּׁבָּתוֹת וְלֶחֳדָשִׁים וְלַמֹּעֲדִים כַּכָּתוּב בְּתוֹרַת ה'

The king’s portion from his property for the burnt offerings was for the burnt offerings of the morning and the evening, the daily offerings, and the additional burnt offerings for the Sabbaths, and for the New Moons, and for festivals, as it is written in the Torah of the Lord.

וַיֹּאמֶר לָעָם לְיֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִַם לָתֵת מְנָת הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם לְמַעַן יֶחֶזְקוּ בְּתוֹרַת ה'

He, the king, said to the people, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that they were obligated to give the portion, the gifts, of the priests and the Levites, so that they would devote themselves to the Torah of the Lord. It was necessary for the people to give the priests and Levites the terumot and tithes that were owed them from the people’s agricultural produce to enable them to fulfill their tasks properly, and observe and teach the commandments of the Torah.

וְכִפְרֹץ הַדָּבָר הִרְבּוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל רֵאשִׁית דָּגָן תִּירוֹשׁ וְיִצְהָר וּדְבַשׁ וְכֹל תְּבוּאַת שָׂדֶה וּמַעְשַׂר הַכֹּל לָרֹב הֵבִיאוּ

The people obeyed the king: When the message of the king was disseminated, or as soon as his command was strengthened, the children of Israel, including those living in the Kingdom of Israel, gave in abundance the first fruits of grain, wine, oil, and date honey, and all the produce of the field, and the tithe of everything; they brought in abundance.

וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וִיהוּדָה הַיּוֹשְׁבִים בְּעָרֵי יְהוּדָה גַּם־הֵם מַעְשַׂר בָּקָר וָצֹאן וּמַעְשַׂר קָדָשִׁים הַמְקֻדָּשִׁים לַה' אֱלֹהֵיהֶם הֵבִיאוּ וַיִּתְּנוּ עֲרֵמוֹת עֲרֵמוֹת

The children of Israel and Judah who lived in the cities of Judah, they too brought the tithes of cattle and sheep, and the tithe of consecrated items that were consecrated to the Lord their God, and piled them in heaps. They piled them into heaps of grain and fruit, some of which were for the priests, while others were slated for the Levites.

בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁלִשִׁי הֵחֵלּוּ הָעֲרֵמוֹת לִיסּוֹד וּבַחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי כִּלּוּ

In the third month, Sivan, the heaps began to be established. Throughout the summer, as they gathered in their crops, they separated from them the gifts for the priests and Levites, and in the seventh month, Tishrei, they were completed.

וַיָּבֹאוּ יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ וְהַשָּׂרִים וַיִּרְאוּ אֶת־הָעֲרֵמוֹת וַיְבָרְכוּ אֶת־ה' וְאֵת עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל

Yehizkiyahu and the princes came and saw the heaps, and they blessed the Lord, who had provided them with such great bounty, and His people Israel, who had brought the gifts.

וַיִּדְרֹשׁ יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ עַל הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם עַל־הָעֲרֵמוֹת

Yehizkiyahu inquired of the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps, asking them whether they had already taken for themselves some of the bounteous crops that had been gathered together.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו עֲזַרְיָהוּ הַכֹּהֵן הָרֹאשׁ לְבֵית צָדוֹק וַיֹּאמֶר מֵהָחֵל הַתְּרוּמָה לָבִיא בֵית־ה' אָכוֹל וְשָׂבוֹעַ וְהוֹתֵר עַד לָרוֹב כִּי ה' בֵּרַךְ אֶת־עַמּוֹ וְהַנּוֹתָר אֶת הֶהָמוֹן הַזֶּה

Azaryahu the chief priest, the High Priest, of the house of Tzadok, said to him. He said: Since the gifts began to come to the House of the Lord there has been eating to satisfaction, and a great deal is left over, for the Lord has blessed His people, and this plethora is left over. The great amount of produce that you see is merely the leftovers of the original amount.

וַיֹּאמֶר יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ לְהָכִין לְשָׁכוֹת בְּבֵית ה'וַיָּכִינוּ

Yehizkiyahu said to prepare the chambers in the House of the Lord to serve as warehouses, and they prepared them.

וַיָּבִיאוּ אֶת־הַתְּרוּמָה וְהַמַּעֲשֵׂר וְהַקֳּדָשִׁים בֶּאֱמוּנָה וַעֲלֵיהֶם נָגִיד כָּנַנְיָהוּ הַלֵּוִי וְשִׁמְעִי אָחִיהוּ מִשְׁנֶה

They faithfully brought in the gifts, the tithes, and the consecrated items, and the chief official appointed in charge of them was Konanyahu the Levite, and Shimi his brother was his deputy.

וִיחִיאֵל וַעֲזַזְיָהוּ וְנַחַת וַעֲשָׂהאֵל וִירִימוֹת וְיוֹזָבָד וֶאֱלִיאֵל וְיִסְמַכְיָהוּ וּמַחַת וּבְנָיָהוּ פְּקִידִים מִיַד כָּנַנְיָהוּ וְשִׁמְעִי אָחִיו בְּמִפְקַד יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ הַמֶּלֶךְ וַעֲזַרְיָהוּ נְגִיד בֵּית־הָאֱלֹהִים

Yehiel, Azazyahu, Nahat, Asael, Yerimot, Yozabad, Eliel, Yismakhyahu, Mahat, and Benayahu were officials under the hand of Konanyahu and Shimi his brother, by appointment of Yehizkiyahu the king, and Azaryahu was the chief official of the House of God, the High Priest, who was the highest official in charge of the management of the Temple.

וְקוֹרֵא בֶן־יִמְנָה הַלֵּוִי הַשּׁוֹעֵר לַמִּזְרָחָה עַל נִדְבוֹת הָאֱלֹהִים לָתֵת תְּרוּמַת ה' וְקָדְשֵׁי הַקֳּדָשִׁים

Koreh son of Yimna the Levite, who was the gatekeeper to the east, was appointed to be in charge of the gift offerings of God, allocating to the priests the gift of the Lord, and the sacred sacraments.

וְעַל־יָדוֹ עֵדֶן וּמִנְיָמִן וְיֵשׁוּעַ וּשְׁמַעְיָהוּ אֲמַרְיָהוּ וּשְׁכַנְיָהוּ בְּעָרֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים בֶּאֱמוּנָה לָתֵת לַאֲחֵיהֶם בְּמַחְלְקוֹת כַּגָּדוֹל כַּקָּטָן

Alongside him were Eden, Minyamin, Yeshua, Shemayahu, Amaryahu, and Shekhanyahu, who were in charge of the distribution in the cities of the priests, in good faith, to give to their priestly brethren by divisions, to great and small alike, an equal portion to all.

מִלְּבַד הִתְיַחְשָׂם לִזְכָרִים מִבֶּן שָׁלוֹשׁ שָׁנִים וּלְמַעְלָה לְכָל־הַבָּא לְבֵית־ה' לִדְבַר־יוֹם בְּיוֹמוֹ לַעֲבוֹדָתָם בְּמִשְׁמְרוֹתָם כְּמַחְלְקוֹתֵיהֶם

Those portions that were distributed in the cities were besides that which went to males established in their lineage, from three years old and above, any who came to the House of the Lord, each a portion on his day, for their service in their watches according to their divisions. The priests who served in the watches and their young children would receive portions of the sacrifices and other dues on the days when they performed the Temple service.

וְאֵת הִתְיַחֵשׂ הַכֹּהֲנִים לְבֵית אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם וְהַלְוִיִּם מִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וּלְמָעְלָה בְּמִשְׁמְרוֹתֵיהֶם בְּמַחְלְקוֹתֵיהֶם

Here the chapter inserts a parenthetical note. Since the priests were now not only people of status, but had begun to perform public roles, it became necessary to update the lists of their lineage: Therefore, he, Hizkiyahu, further commanded that they prepare those lists, and established the priests in their lineage by their patrilineal houses, and the Levites, from twenty years old and above, in their watches according to their divisions,

וּלְהִתְיַחֵשׂ בְּכָל־טַפָּם נְשֵׁיהֶם וּבְנֵיהֶם וּבְנוֹתֵיהֶם לְכָל־קָהָל כִּי בֶאֱמוּנָתָם יִתְקַדְּשׁוּ־קֹדֶשׁ

and established the lineage of all their small children, their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, for each and every congregation. Since they reestablished the Temple service, a census was performed, incorporating each priest and Levite in their respective watches; for in their good faith, by faithfully observing their unique posts and functions, they sanctified themselves in sanctity.

וְלִבְנֵי אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֲנִים בִּשְׂדֵי מִגְרַשׁ עָרֵיהֶם בְּכָל־עִיר וָעִיר אֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר נִקְּבוּ בְּשֵׁמוֹת לָתֵת מָנוֹת לְכָל־זָכָר בַּכֹּהֲנִים וּלְכָל הִתְיַחֵשׂ בַּלְוִיִּם

And again with regard to the distribution of the gifts in the cities throughout the land: From the sons of Aaron, the priests, who were living in the tracts of the fields of their cities, in each and every city, there were men designated by name who were charged to give portions to all the males among the priests, and to all established in their lineage among the Levites. It seems that the Levites had taken less care of their genealogical lists, because their status accorded them less honor than that of the priests and their service was less well-defined than the priestly role, and also because the special marital restrictions of the priesthood did not apply to them. However, now that their status had received new significance, they too came and clarified their lineage.

וַיַּעַשׂ כָּזֹאת יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ בְּכָל־יְהוּדָה וַיַּעַשׂ הַטּוֹב וְהַיָּשָׁר וְהָאֱמֶת לִפְנֵי ה' אֱלֹהָיו

Yehizkiyahu did so, or alternatively, Hizkiyahu performed further acts of this kind, throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and true before the Lord his God.

וּבְכָל־מַעֲשֶׂה אֲשֶׁר־הֵחֵל בַּעֲבוֹדַת בֵּית־הָאֱלֹהִים וּבַתּוֹרָה וּבַמִּצְוָה לִדְרֹשׁ לֵאלֹהָיו בְּכָל־לְבָבוֹ עָשָׂה וְהִצְלִיחַ

In every action that he undertook in the service of the House of God, and for the Torah, and for the commandment, to seek his God, he acted with all his heart, and he was successful.