aJosiah was eight
years
old
when he became
king
, and he reigned
thirty-one
years
in Jerusalem
.
aHe did right
in the sight
of the LORD
, and walked
in the ways
of his father
David
and did not turn
aside
to the right
or to the left
.
For in the eighth year
of his reign
while he was still
a youth
, he began
to aseek
the God
of his father
David
; and in the twelfth
year
he began
bto purge
Judah
and Jerusalem
of the high
places
, the Asherim
, the carved
images
and the molten
images
.
They tore down
the altars
of the Baals
in his presence
, and athe incense
altars
that were high
above
them he chopped
down
; also the Asherim
, the carved
images
and the molten
images
he broke
in pieces
and bground
to powder
and scattered
it on the graves
of those who had sacrificed
to them.
Then ahe burned the bones
of the priests
on their altars
and purged
Judah
and Jerusalem
.
aIn the cities of Manasseh
, Ephraim
, Simeon
, even as far
as Naphtali
, in their surrounding
ruins
,
he also tore down
the altars
and abeat
the Asherim
and the carved
images
into powder
, and chopped
down
all
the incense
altars
throughout
the land
of Israel
. Then he returned
to Jerusalem
.
aNow in the eighteenth year
of his reign
, when he had purged
the land
and the house
, he sent
Shaphan
the son
of Azaliah
, and Maaseiah
ban official
of the city
, and Joah
the son
of Joahaz
the recorder
, to repair
the house
of the LORD
his God
.
They came to aHilkiah
the high
priest
and delivered
the money
that was brought
into the house
of God
, which
the Levites
, the 1doorkeepers
, had collected
2from bManasseh
and Ephraim
, and from all
the remnant
of Israel
, and from all
Judah
and Benjamin
and the inhabitants
of Jerusalem
.
Then they gave it into the hands
of the workmen
who had
the oversight
of the house
of the LORD
, and the workmen
who
were working
in the house
of the LORD
1used
it to restore
and repair
the house
.
They in turn gave it to the carpenters
and to the builders
to buy
quarried
stone
and timber
for couplings
and to make
beams
for the houses
awhich
the kings
of Judah
had let go
to ruin
.
aThe men did
the work
faithfully
with foremen
over
them to supervise
: Jahath
and Obadiah
, the Levites
of the sons
of Merari
, Zechariah
and Meshullam
of the sons
of the Kohathites
, and bthe Levites
, all
who were skillful
with musical
instruments
.
They were also over athe burden
bearers
, and supervised
all
the workmen
from job
to job
; and some of the Levites
were scribes
and officials
and gatekeepers
.
When they were bringing out the money
which had been brought
into the house
of the LORD
, aHilkiah
the priest
found
the book
of the law
of the LORD
given by Moses
.
Hilkiah responded
and said
to Shaphan
the scribe
, "I have found
the book
of the law
in the house
of the LORD
." And Hilkiah
gave
the book
to Shaphan
.
Then Shaphan brought
the book
to the king
and 1reported
further
word
to the king
, saying
, "Everything
that was 2entrusted
to your servants
they are doing
.
"They have also emptied out the money
which was found
in the house
of the LORD
, and have delivered
it into the hands
of the supervisors
and the workmen
."
Moreover, Shaphan the scribe
told
the king
saying
, "Hilkiah
the priest
gave
me a book
." And Shaphan
read
from it in the presence
of the king
.
When the king heard
athe words
of the law
, bhe tore
his clothes
.
Then the king commanded
Hilkiah
, Ahikam
the son
of Shaphan
, 1Abdon
the son
of Micah
, Shaphan
the scribe
, and Asaiah
the king's
servant
, saying
,
"Go, inquire
of the LORD
for me and for those who are left
in Israel
and in Judah
, concerning
the words
of the book
which
has been found
; for agreat
is the wrath
of the LORD
which
is poured
out on us because
our fathers
have not observed
the word
of the LORD
, to do
according to all
that is written
in this
book
."
So Hilkiah and those whom
the king
1had told went
to Huldah
the prophetess
, the wife
of Shallum
the son
of 2Tokhath
, the son
of Hasrah
, the keeper
of the wardrobe
(now she lived
in Jerusalem
in the Second
Quarter); and they spoke
to her regarding this
.
She said to them, "Thus
says
the LORD
, the God
of Israel
, `Tell
the man
who
sent
you to Me,
thus says
the LORD
, "Behold
, aI am bringing
evil
on this
place
and on its inhabitants
, even all
bthe curses
written
in the book
which
they have read
in the presence
of the king
of Judah
.
" aBecause they have forsaken
Me and have burned
incense
to other
gods
, that they might provoke
Me to anger
with all
the works
of their hands
; therefore My wrath
will be poured
out on this
place
and it shall not be quenched
."'
"But to the king of Judah
who sent
you to inquire
of the LORD
, thus
you will say
to him, `Thus
says
the LORD
God
of Israel
regarding the words
which
you have heard
,
" aBecause your heart
was tender
and you humbled
yourself
before
God
when you heard
His words
against
this
place
and against
its inhabitants
, and because you humbled
yourself
before
Me, tore
your clothes
and wept
before
Me, I truly
have heard
you," declares
the LORD
.
"Behold, I will gather
you to your fathers
and you shall be gathered
to your grave
in peace
, so your eyes
will not see
all
the evil
which
I will bring
on this
place
and on its inhabitants
.""' And they brought
back
word
to the king
.
aThen the king sent
and gathered
all
the elders
of Judah
and Jerusalem
.
The king went
up to the house
of the LORD
and aall
the men
of Judah
, the inhabitants
of Jerusalem
, the priests
, the Levites
and all
the people
, from the greatest
to the least
; and he read
in their hearing
all
the words
of the book
of the covenant
which was found
in the house
of the LORD
.
Then the king astood
in his place
and bmade
a covenant
before
the LORD
to walk
after
the LORD
, and to keep
His commandments
and His testimonies
and His statutes
with all
his heart
and with all
his soul
, to perform
the words
of the covenant
written
in this
book
.
Moreover, he made all who were present
in Jerusalem
and Benjamin
to stand
with him. So the inhabitants
of Jerusalem
did
according to the covenant
of God
, the God
of their fathers
.
Josiah aremoved
all
the abominations
from all
the lands
belonging to the sons
of Israel
, and made all
who were present
in Israel
to serve
the LORD
their God
. Throughout
his 1lifetime
they did not turn
from following
the LORD
God
of their fathers
.