6. Our ancestors were not faithful and did what the Lord says is evil. They stopped following him. They no longer paid any attention to the Lord’S house and turned their backs on him.
7. They shut the doors of the porch of the Temple and let the fire go out in the lamps. They stopped burning incense and offering burnt offerings in the Holy Place to the God of Israel.
8. So the Lord became very angry with the people of Judah and Jerusalem. He punished them so badly that it shocks and scares people to hear about it. But then they just laugh and shout their own insults against Judah. You know this is true. You have seen it happen.
9. That is why our ancestors were killed in battle. Our sons, daughters, and wives were made prisoners.
10. So now I, Hezekiah, have decided to make an agreement with the Lord, the God of Israel. Then he will not be angry with us anymore.
11. So my sons, don’t be lazy or waste any more time. The Lord chose you to serve him in the Temple and to burn incense.”
12-14. This is a list of the Levites who started to work: From the Kohath family there were Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah. From the Merari family there were Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel. From the Gershon family there were Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joab. From Elizaphan’s descendants there were Shimri and Jeiel. From Asaph’s descendants there were Zechariah and Mattaniah. From Heman’s descendants there were Jehiel and Shimei. From Jeduthun’s descendants there were Shemaiah and Uzziel.