2 Chronicles 34

1Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem.

2He did what was right in the eyes of Yahweh, and walked in the ways of David his father; he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.

3In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still a youth, he began to seek the God of David his father; and in the twelfth year he began to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, the Asherim, the carved images, and the metal images.

4They tore down before him the altars of the Baals, and he cut down the incense altars that were above them. He shattered and crushed the Asherim, the carved images, and the metal images, and scattered them over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.

5He burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and he cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.

6and in the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon, even as far as Naphtali, in their surrounding ruins.

7He tore down the altars and the Asherim, and he crushed the carved images to powder; he cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

8In the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had cleansed the land and the house, he sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah son of Joahaz, the recorder, to repair the house of Yahweh his God.

9Then they came to Hilkiah the high priest and gave the money that had been brought into the house of God, which the Levites, the keepers of the threshold, had collected from Manasseh and Ephraim and from all the remnant of Israel, and from all Judah and Benjamin and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

10They put it into the hand of the workmen who were appointed over the house of Yahweh, and the workmen who were working in the house of Yahweh gave it for repairing and strengthening the house.

11And they gave it to the craftsmen and to the builders to buy quarried stone and timber for the supports and for roofing the buildings that the kings of Judah had ruined.

12And the men were working faithfully in the work, and over them were appointed Jahath and Obadiah the Levites, from the sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, from the sons of the Kohathites, to oversee; and the Levites, all who were skilled with musical instruments.

13They were over the burden-bearers and supervised everyone doing work for service after service; and some of the Levites were scribes, officers, and gatekeepers.

14And when they brought out the silver that had been brought into the house of Yahweh, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of Yahweh by the hand of Moses.

15Then Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of Yahweh.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan.

16Then Shaphan brought the book to the king and also brought back word to the king, saying, “All that was committed into the hand of your servants, they are doing.”

17They have poured out the silver that was found in the house of Yahweh and have put it into the hands of the overseers and into the hands of those doing the work.

18Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book,” and Shaphan read from it before the king.

19And when the king heard the words of the law, he tore his clothes.

20Then the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying,

21Go, inquire of Yahweh for me and for the remnant in Israel and in Judah concerning the words of the book that has been found, for great is the wrath of Yahweh that has been poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of Yahweh, to do according to all that is written in this book.

22Then Hilkiah and those whom the king had sent went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum son of Tokhath, son of Hasrah, keeper of the garments. She lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter, and they spoke to her thus:

23And she said to them, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: Say to the man who sent you to me,”

24Thus says Yahweh: Behold, I am bringing disaster on this place and on its inhabitants—all the curses written in the book that they have read before the king of Judah.

25Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods, so as to provoke me to anger by all the works of their hands, my wrath will be poured out on this place and will not be quenched.

26But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of Yahweh, thus you shall say to him: ‘Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: As for the words that you have heard—’

27Because 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 and tore your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares Yahweh.

28Behold, I am about to gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your graves in peace, and your eyes will not see all the disaster that I am bringing on this place and on its inhabitants.’ And they brought back word to the king.

29Then the king sent and gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.

30Then the king went up to the house of Yahweh, and every man of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests and the Levites, and all the people, from great to small; and he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant that had been found in the house of Yahweh.

31Then the king stood in his place and made the covenant before Yahweh, to walk after Yahweh and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all his heart and with all his soul, to carry out the words of the covenant that were written in this book.

32Then he made everyone who was found in Jerusalem and Benjamin stand to it, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem acted according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.

33And Josiah removed all the abominations from all the lands that belonged to the sons of Israel, and he made all who were found in Israel serve Yahweh their God. All his days they did not turn away from following Yahweh, the God of their fathers.