DENISON

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[ ]: Levítæ quoque et sacerdótes per órgana quæ suo offício congruébant. Et locútus est Ezechías ad cor ómnium Levitárum qui habébant intelligéntiam bonam super Dómino: et comedérunt septem diébus solemnitátis, immolántes víctimas pacificórum, et laudántes Dóminum Deum patrum suórum. Placuítque univérsæ multitúdini ut celebrárent étiam álios dies septem: quod et fecérunt cum ingénti gáudio. Ezechías enim rex Juda præbúerat multitúdini mille tauros, et septem míllia óvium: príncipes vero déderant pópulo tauros mille, et oves decem míllia: sanctificáta est ergo sacerdótum plúrima multitúdo. Et hilaritáte perfúsa omnis turba Juda, tam sacerdótum et Levitárum, quam univérsæ frequéntiæ quæ vénerat ex Israël: proselytórum quoque de terra Israël, et habitántium in Juda. Factáque est grandis celébritas in Jerúsalem, qualis a diébus Salomónis fílii David regis Israël in ea urbe non fúerat. Surrexérunt autem sacerdótes atque Levítæ benedicéntes pópulo: et exaudíta est vox eórum, pervenítque orátio in habitáculum sanctum cæli.

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Cumque hæc fuíssent rite celebráta, egréssus est omnis Israël qui invéntus fúerat in úrbibus Juda, et fregérunt simulácra, succiderúntque lucos, demolíti sunt excélsa, et altária destruxérunt, non solum de univérso Juda et Bénjamin, sed et de

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Éphraim quoque et Manásse, donec pénitus evérterent: reversíque sunt omnes fílii Israël in possessiónes et civitátes suas. Ezechías autem constítuit turmas sacerdotáles et Levíticas per divisiónes suas, unumquémque in offício próprio, tam sacerdótum vidélicet quam Levitárum, ad holocáusta et pacífica, ut ministrárent et confiteréntur, caneréntque in portis castrórum Dómini. Pars autem regis erat, ut de própria ejus substántia offerrétur holocáustum, mane semper et véspere: sábbatis quoque, et caléndis, et solemnitátibus céteris, sicut scriptum est in lege Móysi. Præcépit étiam pópulo habitántium Jerúsalem ut darent partes sacerdótibus et Levítis, ut possent vacáre legi Dómini. Quod cum percrebruísset in áuribus multitúdinis, plúrimas obtúlere primítias fílii Israël fruménti, vini, et ólei: mellis quoque, et ómnium quæ gignit humus, décimas obtulérunt. Sed et fílii Israël et Juda qui habitábant in úrbibus Juda, obtulérunt décimas boum et óvium, decimásque sanctórum quæ vóverant Dómino Deo suo: atque univérsa portántes, fecérunt acérvos plúrimos. Mense tértio cœpérunt acervórum jácere fundaménta, et mense séptimo complevérunt eos. Cumque ingréssi fuíssent Ezechías et príncipes ejus, vidérunt acérvos, et benedixérunt Dómino ac pópulo Israël. Interrogavítque Ezechías sacerdótes et Levítas, cur ita jácerent acérvi. Respóndit illi Azarías sacérdos primus de stirpe Sadoc, dicens: Ex quo cœpérunt offérri primítiæ

[2 Chronicles 30:21-31:10, here called Paralipomenon]

...the Levites also, and the priests, with instruments that agreed to their office. 22 And Ezechias spoke to the heart of all the Levites, that had good understanding concerning the Lord: and they ate during the seven days of the solemnity, immolating victims of peace offerings, and praising the Lord the God of their fathers. 23 And it pleased the whole multitude to keep other seven days: which they did with great joy. 24 For Ezechias the king of Juda had given to the multitude a thousand bullocks, and seven thousand sheep: and the princes had given the people a thousand bullocks, and ten thousand sheep: and a great number of priests was sanctified. 25 And all the multitude of Juda with the priests and Levites, and all the assembly, that came out of Israel; and the proselytes of the land of Israel, and that dwelt in Juda were full of joy. 26 And there was a great solemnity in Jerusalem, such as had not been in that city since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel. 27 And the priests and the Levites rose up and blessed the people: and their voice was heard: and their prayer came to the holy dwelling place of heaven.

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1 And when these things had been duly celebrated, all Israel that were found in the cities of Juda, went out, and they broke the idols, and cut down the groves, demolished the high places, and destroyed the altars, not only out of all Juda and Benjamin, but out of Ephraim also and Manasses, till they had utterly destroyed them: then all the children of Israel returned to their possessions and cities. 2 And Ezechias appointed companies of the priests, and the Levites, by their courses, every man in his own office, to wit, both of the priests, and of the Levites, for holocausts, and for peace offerings, to minister, and to praise, and to sing in the gates of the camp of the Lord. 3 And the king's part was, that of his proper substance the holocaust should be offered always morning and evening, and on the sabbaths, and the new moons and the other solemnities, as it is written in the law of Moses. 4 He commanded also the people that dwelt in Jerusalem, to give to the priests, and the Levites their portion, that they might attend to the law of the Lord. 5 Which when it was noised abroad in the ears of the people, the children of Israel offered in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey: and brought the tithe of all things which the ground bringeth forth. 6 Moreover the children of Israel and Juda, that dwelt in the cities of Juda, brought in the tithes of oxen, and sheep, and the tithes of holy things, which they had vowed to the Lord their God: and carrying them all, made many heaps. 7 In the third month they began to lay the foundations of the heaps, and in the seventh month, they finished them. 8 And when Ezechias and his princes came in, they saw the heaps, and they blessed the Lord and the people of Israel. 9 And Ezechias asked the priests and the Levites, why the heaps lay so. 10 Azarias the chief priest of the race of Sadoc answered him, saying: Since the firstfruits began to be offered in the house of the Lord, we have eaten...

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in domo Dómini comédimus, et saturáti sumus, et remansérunt plúrima, eo quod benedíxerit Dóminus pópulo suo: reliquárum autem cópia est ista, quam cernis. Præcépit ígitur Ezechías ut præparárent hórrea in domo Dómini. Quod cum fecíssent, intulérunt tam primítias quam décimas, et quæcúmque vóverant, fidéliter. Fuit autem præféctus eórum Chonénias Levíta, et Sémei frater ejus secúndus, post quem Jáhiel, et Azarías, et Nahath, et Ásaël, et Jérimoth, Jozábad quoque, et Elíel, et Jesmáchias, et Mahath, et Banaías, præpósiti sub mánibus Chonéniæ et Sémei fratris ejus, ex império Ezechíæ regis et Azaríæ pontíficis domus Dei, ad quos ómnia pertinébant. Core vero fílius Jemna Levítes, et jánitor orientális portæ, præpósitus erat iis quæ sponte offerebántur Dómino, primitiísque et consecrátis in Sancta sanctórum. Et sub cura ejus Eden, et Bénjamin, Jésue, et Semeías, Amárias quoque, et Sechénias in civitátibus sacerdótum, ut fidéliter distribúerent frátribus suis partes, minóribus atque majóribus: excéptis máribus ab annis tribus et supra, cunctis qui ingrediebántur templum Dómini, et quidquid per síngulos dies conducébat in ministério, atque observatiónibus juxta divisiónes suas, sacerdótibus per famílias, et Levítis a vigésimo anno et supra, per órdines et turmas suas, universaeque multitúdini tam uxóribus quam líberis eórum utriúsque sexus, fidéliter cibi de his quæ

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sanctificáta fúerant, præbebántur. Sed et filiórum Áaron per agros, et suburbána úrbium singulárum, dispósiti erant viri, qui partes distribúerent univérso séxui masculíno de sacerdótibus et Levítis. Fecit ergo Ezechías univérsa quæ díximus in omni Juda: operatúsque est bonum et rectum, et verum coram Dómino Deo suo, in univérsa cultúra ministérii domus Dómini, juxta legem et cæremónias, volens requírere Deum suum in toto corde suo: fecítque, et prosperátus est.

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Post quæ et hujuscémodi veritátem, venit Sennácherib rex Assyriórum, et ingréssus Judam, obsédit civitátes munítas, volens eas cápere. Quod cum vidísset Ezechías, venísse scílicet Sennácherib, et totum belli ímpetum verti contra Jerúsalem, ínito cum princípibus consílio, virísque fortíssimis, ut obturárent cápita fóntium qui erant extra urbem: et hoc ómnium decernénte senténtia, congregávit plúrimam multitúdinem, et obturavérunt cunctos fontes, et rivum qui fluébat in médio terræ, dicéntes: Ne véniant reges Assyriórum, et invéniant aquárum abundántiam. Ædificávit quoque, agens indústrie, omnem murum qui fúerat dissipátus, et exstrúxit turres désuper, et forínsecus álterum murum

[2 Chronicles 31:10-32:5, here called Paralipomenon]

...and have been filled, and abundance is left, because the Lord hath blessed his people: and of that which is left is this great store which thou seest. 11 Then Ezechias commanded to prepare storehouses in the house of the Lord. And when they had done so, 12 They brought in faithfully both the firstfruits, and the tithes, and all they had vowed. And the overseer of them was Chonenias the Levite, and Semei his brother was the second, 13 And after him Jehiel, and Azarias, and Nahath, and Asael, and Jerimoth, and Jozabad, and Eliel, and Jesmachias, and Mahath, and Banaias, overseers under the hand of Chonenias, and Semei his brother, by the commandment of Ezechias the king, and Azarias the high priest of the house of God, to whom all things appertained. 14 But Core the son of Jemna the Levite, the porter of the east gate, was overseer of the things which were freely offered to the Lord, and of the firstfruits and the things dedicated for the holy of holies. 15 And under his charge were Eden, and Benjamin, Jesue, and Semeias, and Amarias, and Sechenias, in the cities of the priests, to distribute faithfully portions to their brethren, both little and great: 16 Besides the males from three years old and upward, to all that went into the temple of the Lord, and whatsoever there was need of in the ministry, and their offices according to their courses, day by day. 17 To the priests by their families, and to the Levites from the twentieth year and upward, by their classes and companies. 18 And to all the multitude, both to their wives, and to their children of both sexes, victuals were given faithfully out of the things that had been sanctified. 19 Also of the sons of Aaron who were in the fields and in the suburbs of each city, there were men appointed, to distribute portions to all the males, among the priests and the Levites. 20 So Ezechias did all things, which we have said in all Juda, and wrought that which was good; and right, and truth, before the Lord his God, 21 In all the service of the ministry of the house of the Lord according to the law and the ceremonies, desiring to seek his God with all his heart, and he did it and prospered.

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1 After these things, and this truth, Sennacherib king of the Assyrians came and entered into Juda, and besieged the fenced cities, desiring to take them. 2 And when Ezechias saw that Sennacherib was come, and that the whole force of the war was turning against Jerusalem, 3 He took counsel with the princes, and the most valiant men, to stop up the heads of the springs, that were without the city: and as they were all of this mind, 4 He gathered together a very great multitude, and they stopped up all the springs, and the brook, that ran through the midst of the land, saying: Lest the kings of the Assyrians should come, and find abundance of water. 5 He built up also with great diligence all the wall that had been broken down, and built towers upon it, and another wall without...