The Byble in Englyshe that is to saye, the content of all the holye scrypture, bothe of the olde and newe Testament, truly translated after the veryte of the Hebrue and Greke textes, by the diligent studye of dyuers excellent lerned [men e]xperte in the fore[saide] tongues.

¶ After that Hezekia had called agayne the people vnto the way of the lorde, he ordeneth the preestes, vnto whom he cōmaundeth to gyue tythes

CAPI. XXXI.

ANd when all these thynges were finys∣shed, [unspec A] all they of Israell that were pre∣sent in the cityes of Iuda, went out and brake the ymages, and cut downe the gro∣ues, and all to brake the hygh places, & aul∣ters, thorowout all Iuda and Ben iamin / in Ephraim also and Manasse, vntyll they had vtterly destroyed them all. And all the Chyl∣dren of Israell returned, euery man to his possessyon and to theyr owne cityes. And He∣zekia appoynted sundrye companyes of the preestes / and Leuites after the dyuersyte of theyr minystracyons, euery man accordynge to his offyce, bothe preestes and Leuites, for the burntofferynge / and peaceofferynges / to ministre, and to gyue thankes / and prayse in the gates of the hooste of the Lorde. And the kyng{is} porcyon of his substaūce that he gaue, were burntofferynges in the mornynge and euenyng / & burntofferyng{is} for the Sabboth dayes, newe moones, and solempne feastes, accordyng as it is wrytten in the law of the lorde. And he bad the people that dwelt in Ie¦rusalem, gyue the parte to the Preestes, and Leuites, that they myght substancyally ap∣plye them selues to the lawe of the lorde.

And as soone as the kynges cōmaun∣dement [unspec B] came abrode, the Chyldren of Isra∣ell brought aboundaunce of fyrst fruytes, of corne, wyne, oyle, honye, and of all maner of fruytes of the felde: and the tythes of all ma∣ner of thynges brought they in plenteouslye. And the Chyldren of Israell and Iuda that dwelt in the cities of Iuda, they also brought in the tythes of oxen and shepe, & other holy tythes whiche were consecrate vnto the lorde theyr god, they dyd offre, and brought them all by heapes. In the thyrde moneth they be∣gan to lay the heapes (in maner of a founda∣cyon) & finysshed them in the seuenth moneth And when Hezekia & the lord{is} cam•• and saw the heapes, they blessed the lord and his peo∣ple Israell. And Hezekia questioned with the preestes and he Leuites concernyng the hea∣pes. And Azaria the cheyfe preest of the house of Zadocke, answered hym, and sayde: syn••e the peple began to bryng the heaueofferyng{is}

in to the house of the lorde, we also haue had ynough to ••ate, there remayned so moch: for the Lorde hath blessed his people, and this heape is lefte.

And Hezekia bad prepare the chambers [unspec C] in the house of the lorde: and they dyd prepare them, and caryed in the heaue offerynges, the tythes, and the dedicate thynges, faythfully. Ouer which Chonaniahu the Leuite had the rule, and Semei his brother next to hym. And Iehiel, Asaziahu, Nahath, Asaell, Ieri∣moth Iosabad, Eliel, Iesmachiahu, Ma∣hath, and Banaiahu were ouersects ordey∣ned by Chonaniahu: and Semei his brother was an officer of Hezekia the kyng, and Asa∣ria was the ruler of the house of god ❀ (vnto vvhom all these thynges belonged.) And Chore the sonne of Iimna the Leuite & por••er of the East dore, had the ouer syght of the thynges that were offered of a frewyll vnto God (and were giuen in maner seuerally vnto the lord) and ouer the thyng{is} moost holye. And vnder his hande were Eden, Mintamin, Iesua, Se∣meiahu, Amariahu, and Sechaniahu in the cityes of the preestes appoynted of theyr fyde lyte, to gyue to theyr brethren theyr porcions, as well to the small as to the greate. Excepte that to the males that were rekened frō thre yere and aboue (amonge all that went in to the house of the Lorde) they shulde gyue day by daye, for theyr ministracyon, and for theyr gyuynge attendaunce, and for theyr dyuerse waytynges by course.

And to the Preestes and Leuites thore w∣out [unspec D] the houshold of theyr fathers, from twen¦tye yeare & aboue, to wayte when theyr cour∣ses came. And to the families of all theyr ba∣bes, wyues, sonnes and doughters thorowe all the congregacyon. For vpon the fydelyte of them were ☞ the holy thynges bestowed. And to the Chyldren of Aaron, the Preestes / whiche were in the feldes and suburbes of theyr Cityes, Citye by citye, the men (whose names wire expressed before) shuld gyue por¦tyons, euen to al the males amonge the pree∣stes, & to all the Leuites, accordynge to theyr nombre. And of this maner dyd Hezekia tho∣rowout all Iuda, & wrought it that is good, and ryght and true, before the lorde his god.

And in all the workes that he beganne for the seruyce of the house of god, for the lawe, and for the cōmaundementes, he sought his God, and that dyd he with all his herte, and prospered.

Notes

• 2. Par. 14••
• ii. Par. 33. ••
• Num. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. ••