Don’t forget to take care of the Levites as long as you live in your land.

你要谨慎，在你所住的地方永不可丢弃利未人。

你要谨慎，在你所住的地上，你永不可离弃利未人。

你要谨慎，在你所住的地上，你永不可离弃利未人。

切记，只要你们还住在自己的土地上，就不可忘记利未人。

你要自己谨慎，你在你那地上的日子，永不可丢弃利未人。

你要謹慎，在你所住的地方永不可丟棄利未人。

你要謹慎，在你所住的地上，你永不可離棄利未人。

你要謹慎，在你所住的地上，你永不可離棄利未人。

切記，只要你們還住在自己的土地上，就不可忘記利未人。

你要自己謹慎，你在你那地上的日子，永不可丟棄利未人。

你要謹慎，儘你在你土地的日子、你總不可丟棄利未人。

爾其慎之、居於斯土、畢生勿遺利未人、○

爾居斯土、至於畢生、必當謹恪、勿遺利未人。

爾居於爾地、當終身謹慎、毋遺忘利未人、○

Be careful not to neglect the Levites as long as you live in your land.

Take care that you do not neglect the Levite as long as you live in your land.

And be very careful never to neglect the Levites as long as you live in your land.

and be careful not to neglect the Levite, as long as you live in your land.

Be careful that you do not abandon the Levite as long as you live in your land.

Take heed to yourself that you do not forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land.

Take heed to thyself that thou forsake not the Levite as long as thou livest in thy land.

and be careful not to neglect the Levite, as long as you live in your land.

Take heed to thyself that thou forsake not the Levite as long as thou livest upon the earth.

Be careful not to overlook the Levites as long as you live in the land.

Be careful that you don’t forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land.

The priests and Levites were on Rehoboam’s side. They came from their territories all over Israel.The Levites even left their grasslands and other property behind. They came to Judah and Jerusalem. That’s because Jeroboam and his sons had refused to accept them as priests of the Lord.

“ We are the priests, Levites and people. Each of our families should bring a gift of wood to the house of our God. We have cast lots to decide when they will do that. They will bring it at certain appointed times every year. The wood will be burned on the altar of the Lord our God. That’s what the Law requires.“ We will also be accountable for bringing the first share of our crops each year. And we’ll bring the first share of every fruit tree. We’ll bring them to the Lord’ s house.“ Each of us will bring our oldest son to the priests who serve there. We’ll also bring the male animals that were born first to their mothers among our cattle, herds and flocks. We’ll bring them to the house of our God. That’s what the Law requires.“ We will also bring the first part of the meal we grind. We’ll bring the first of our grain offerings. We’ll bring the first share of fruit from all our trees. And we’ll bring the first share of our olive oil and fresh wine. We’ll give all those things to the priests. They’ll put them in the storerooms of the house of our God. And we’ll give a tenth of our crops to the Levites. They collect the tenth shares. They do it in all the towns where we work.A priest from Aaron’s family line must go with the Levites when they receive the tenth shares. And the Levites must bring a tenth of those shares up to the house of our God. They must put it in the rooms where the treasures are stored.The people of Israel, including the Levites, must bring their gifts. They must bring grain, olive oil and fresh wine. They must put them in the storerooms where the objects for the temple are kept. That’s also where the objects are kept for the priests serving at the temple, the musicians and the men who guard the gates.“ We won’t forget to take care of the house of our God.”

Doesn’t he say that for us? Yes, it was written for us. Whoever plows and separates the grain hopes to share the harvest. And it is right for them to hope for this.We have planted spiritual seed among you. Is it too much to ask that we receive from you some things we need?Others have the right to receive help from you. Don’t we have even more right to do so? But we didn’t use that right. No, we have put up with everything. We didn’t want to keep the good news of Christ from spreading.People who serve in the temple get their food from the temple. Don’t you know this? People who serve at the altar eat from what is offered on the altar. Don’t you know this?So those who preach the good news should also receive their living from their work. That is what the Lord has commanded.

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.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.Here is what the people of Israel and Judah who lived in the towns of Judah brought. They 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.They began doing it in the third month. They finished in the seventh month.Hezekiah and his officials came and saw the piles. When they did, they praised the Lord. And they blessed his people Israel.Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the piles.Azariah the chief priest 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.Hezekiah gave orders to prepare storerooms in the Lord’ s temple. And it was done.The people were faithful. They brought in their offerings and a tenth of everything they produced. They also brought the gifts they had set apart to the Lord. Konaniah the Levite was in charge of everything they brought. His brother Shimei was next in command after him.Konaniah and his brother Shimei had helpers who worked with 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 in charge of God’s temple.Kore the Levite guarded the East Gate. He was in charge of the offerings people chose to give to God. He handed out the offerings made to the Lord. He also handed out the gifts that had been set apart to the Lord. Kore was the son of Imnah.Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah and Shekaniah 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 old men and young men alike.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 the different things it was supposed to do.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 the different things it was supposed to do.Those groups included all 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.Some of the priests lived in other towns or on farms around their towns. They were from the family line of Aaron. 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.That’s what Hezekiah did all through Judah. He did what was good and right. He was faithful to the Lord his God.He tried to obey 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.

Don’t forget to take care of the Levites who will live in your towns. They won’t receive any part of the land as their share.At the end of every three years, bring a tenth of everything you produce that year. Store it in your towns.Then the Levites can come and eat. That’s because they won’t receive any part of the land as their share. The outsiders and widows who live in your towns can come. So can the children whose fathers have died. Everyone can have plenty to eat. Then the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.