Chapter 34

Josiah [was] eight years old when he began to reign,² and he reigned¹ in Jerusalem one and thirty years.

And he did⁴ [that which was] right in the sight of the LORD, and walked⁴ in the ways of David his father, and declined¹ [neither] to the right hand, nor to the left.

For in the eighth year of his reign,² while he was yet young, he began⁵² to seek² after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth ⁶²⁴⁰ year he began⁵² to purge¹⁵ Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images.

And they brake down¹⁷ the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that [were] on high above them, he cut down;¹⁴ and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces,¹⁴ and made dust⁵² [of them], and strowed⁴ [it] upon the graves of them that had sacrificed⁶ unto them.

And he burnt¹ the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed¹⁷ Judah and Jerusalem.

And [so did he] in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their mattocks round about.

And when he had broken down¹⁷ the altars and the groves, and had beaten¹⁴ the graven images into powder,⁵³ and cut down¹⁴ all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned⁴ to Jerusalem.

Now in the eighteenth ⁶²⁴⁰ year of his reign,² when he had purged¹⁵ the land, and the house, he sent¹ Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder,⁵⁶ to repair¹⁵ the house of the LORD his God.

And when they came⁴ to Hilkiah the high priest, they delivered⁴ the money that was brought into⁹⁴ the house of God, which the Levites that kept⁶ the doors had gathered¹ of the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and of all the remnant of Israel, and of all Judah and Benjamin; and they returned^{4 3427 6} to Jerusalem.

And they put⁴ [it] in the hand of the workmen^{6 4399} that had the oversight⁹⁴ of the house of the LORD, and they gave⁴ it to the workmen^{6 4399} that wrought⁶ in the house of the LORD, to repair² and amend¹⁵ the house:

Even to the artificers and builders⁶ gave⁴ they [it], to buy² hewn stone, and timber for couplings, and to floor¹⁵ the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed.⁵²

And the men did⁶ the work faithfully: and the overseers⁹⁴ of them [were] Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to set [it] forward;¹⁵ and [other of] the Levites, all that could skill⁵⁶ of instruments of musick.

Also [they were] over the bearers of burdens, and [were] overseers¹⁸ of all that wrought⁶ the work in any manner of service: ⁵⁶⁵⁶ and of the Levites [there were] scribes,⁶ and officers,⁶ and porters.

And when they brought out⁵³ the money that was brought into⁹⁴ the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found¹ a book of the law of the LORD [given] by Moses.

And Hilkiah answered⁴ and said⁴ to Shaphan the scribe,⁶ I have found¹ the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah delivered⁴ the book to Shaphan.

And Shaphan carried⁵⁵ the book to the king, and brought the king word back again,⁵⁵ saying,² All that was committed⁸ to thy servants, they do⁶ [it].

And they have gathered together⁵⁵ the money that was found¹² in the house of the LORD, and have delivered⁴ it into the hand of the overseers,⁹⁴ and to the hand of the workmen.^{6 4399}

Then Shaphan the scribe⁶ told⁵⁵ the king, saying,² Hilkiah the priest hath given¹ me a book. And Shaphan read⁴ it before the king.

And it came to pass, when the king had heard² the words of the law, that he rent⁴ his clothes.

And the king commanded¹⁷ Hilkiah, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Abdon the son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe,⁶ and Asaiah a servant of the king's, saying,²

Go,³ enquire³ of the LORD for me, and for them that are left¹² in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found:⁸ for great [is] the wrath of the LORD that is poured out⁸ upon us, because our fathers have not kept¹ the word of the LORD, to do² after all that is written⁷ in this book.

And Hilkiah, and [they] that the king [had appointed], went⁴ to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvath, ⁸⁴⁴⁵ the son of Hasrah, keeper⁶ of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt⁶ in Jerusalem in the college:) and they spake¹⁷ to her to that [effect].

And she answered⁴ them, Thus saith¹ the LORD God of Israel, Tell³ ye the man that sent¹ you to me,

Thus saith¹ the LORD, Behold, I will bring⁵⁶ evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants⁶ thereof, [even] all the curses that are written⁷ in the book which they have read¹ before the king of Judah:

Because they have forsaken¹ me, and have burned incense^{17 6999 55} unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger⁵³ with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be poured out⁴ upon this place, and shall not be quenched.⁴

And as for the king of Judah, who sent⁶ you to enquire² of the LORD, so shall ye say⁴ unto him, Thus saith¹ the LORD God of Israel [concerning] the words which thou hast heard;¹

Because thine heart was tender,¹ and thou didst humble¹¹ thyself before God, when thou heardest² his words against this place, and against the inhabitants⁶ thereof, and humbledst¹¹ thyself before me, and didst rend⁴ thy clothes, and weep⁴ before me; I have even heard¹ [thee] also, saith⁷ the LORD.

Behold, I will gather⁶ thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered⁸ to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see⁴ all the evil that I will bring⁵⁶ upon this place, and upon the inhabitants⁶ of the same. So they brought the king word again.⁵⁵

Then the king sent⁴ and gathered⁴ together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.

And the king went up⁴ into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants⁶ of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, great and small: and he read⁴ in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found¹² in the house of the LORD.

And the king stood⁴ in his place, and made⁴ a covenant before the LORD, to walk² after the LORD, and to keep² his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform² the words of the covenant which are written⁷ in this book.

And he caused all that were present¹² in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand⁵⁵ [to it]. And the inhabitants⁶ of Jerusalem did⁴ according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.

And Josiah took away⁵⁵ all the abominations out of all the countries that [pertained] to the children of Israel, and made all that were present¹² in Israel to serve,⁵⁵ [even] to serve² the LORD their God. [And] all his days they departed¹ not from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.