1Josiah[H2977] was eight[H8083]years[H8141]old[H1121] when he began to reign[H4427], and he reigned[H4427] in Jerusalem[H3389]one[H259] and thirty[H7970]years[H8141].
2
And he did[H6213] that which was right[H3477] in the sight[H5869] of the LORD[H3068], and walked[H3212] in the ways[H1870] of David[H1732] his father[H1], and declined[H5493] neither to the right[H3477]hand[H3225], nor to the left[H8040].
3
For in the eighth[H8083]year[H8141] of his reign[H4427], while he was yet young[H5288], he began[H2490] to seek[H1875] after the God[H430] of David[H1732] his father[H1]: and in the twelfth[H8147]year[H8141] he began[H2490] to purge[H2891]Judah[H3063] and Jerusalem[H3389] from the high places[H1116], and the groves[H842], and the carved images[H6456], and the molten images[H4541].
4
And they brake down[H5422] the altars[H4196] of Baalim[H1168] in his presence[H6440]; and the images[H2553], that were on high above them[H4605], he cut down[H1438]; and the groves[H842], and the carved images[H6456], and the molten images[H4541], he brake in pieces[H7665], and made dust[H1854] of them[H4605], and strowed[H2236] it upon[H6440] the graves[H6913] of them[H4605] that had sacrificed[H2076] unto them[H4605].
5
And he burnt[H8313] the bones[H6106] of the priests[H3548] upon their altars[H4196], and cleansed[H2891]Judah[H3063] and Jerusalem[H3389].
6
And so did he in the cities[H5892] of Manasseh[H4519], and Ephraim[H669], and Simeon[H8095], even unto Naphtali[H5321], with their mattocks[H2719] round about[H5439].
7
And when he had broken down[H5422] the altars[H4196] and the groves[H842], and had beaten[H3807] the graven images[H6456] into powder[H1854], and cut down[H1438] all the idols[H2553] throughout all the land[H776] of Israel[H3478], he returned[H7725] to Jerusalem[H3389].
8
Now in the eighteenth[H8083]year[H8141] of his reign[H4427], when he had purged[H2891] the land[H776], and the house[H1004], he sent[H7971]Shaphan[H8227] the son[H1121] of Azaliah[H683], and Maaseiah[H4641] the governor[H8269] of the city[H5892], and Joah[H3098] the son[H1121] of Joahaz[H3099] the recorder[H2142], to repair[H2388] the house[H1004] of the LORD[H3068] his God[H430].
9
And when they came[H935] to Hilkiah[H2518] the high[H1419]priest[H3548], they delivered[H5414] the money[H3701] that was brought[H935] into the house[H1004] of God[H430], which the Levites[H3881] that kept[H8104] the doors[H5592] had gathered[H622] of the hand[H3027] of Manasseh[H4519] and Ephraim[H669], and of all the remnant[H7611] of Israel[H3478], and of all Judah[H3063] and Benjamin[H1144]; and they returned[H7725] to Jerusalem[H3389].
10
And they put[H5414] it in the hand[H3027] of the workmen[H6213] that had the oversight[H6485] of the house[H1004] of the LORD[H3068], and they gave[H5414] it to the workmen[H4399] that wrought[H6213] in the house[H1004] of the LORD[H3068], to repair[H918] and amend[H2388] the house[H1004]:
11
Even to the artificers[H2796] and builders[H1129]gave[H5414] they it, to buy[H7069]hewn[H4274]stone[H68], and timber[H6086] for couplings[H4226], and to floor[H7136] the houses[H1004] which the kings[H4428] of Judah[H3063] had destroyed[H7843].
12
And the men[H582]did[H6213] the work[H4399]faithfully[H530]: and the overseers[H5329] of them were Jahath[H3189] and Obadiah[H5662], the Levites[H3881], of the sons[H1121] of Merari[H4847]; and Zechariah[H2148] and Meshullam[H4918], of the sons[H1121] of the Kohathites[H6956], to set it forward[H6485]; and other of the Levites[H3881], all that could skill[H995] of instruments[H3627] of musick[H7892].
13
Also they were over the bearers of burdens[H5449], and were overseers[H5329] of all that wrought[H6213] the work[H4399] in any manner of service[H5656]: and of the Levites[H3881] there were scribes[H5608], and officers[H7860], and porters[H7778].
14
And when they brought out[H3318] the money[H3701] that was brought into[H935] the house[H1004] of the LORD[H3068], Hilkiah[H2518] the priest[H3548]found[H4672] a book[H5612] of the law[H8451] of the LORD[H3068] given by[H3027]Moses[H4872].
15
And Hilkiah[H2518]answered[H6030] and said[H559] to Shaphan[H8227] the scribe[H5608], I have found[H4672] the book[H5612] of the law[H8451] in the house[H1004] of the LORD[H3068]. And Hilkiah[H2518]delivered[H5414] the book[H5612] to Shaphan[H8227].
16
And Shaphan[H8227]carried[H935] the book[H5612]to[H3027] the king[H4428], and brought[H7725] the king[H4428]word[H1697]back[H7725] again, saying[H559], All that was committed[H5414]to[H3027] thy servants[H5650], they do[H6213] it.
17
And they have gathered together[H5413] the money[H3701] that was found[H4672] in the house[H1004] of the LORD[H3068], and have delivered[H5414] it into the hand[H3027] of the overseers[H6485], and to the hand[H3027] of the workmen[H6213].
18
Then Shaphan[H8227] the scribe[H5608]told[H5046] the king[H4428], saying[H559], Hilkiah[H2518] the priest[H3548] hath given[H5414] me a book[H5612]. And Shaphan[H8227]read[H7121] it before[H6440] the king[H4428].
19
And it came to pass, when the king[H4428] had heard[H8085] the words[H1697] of the law[H8451], that he rent[H7167] his clothes[H899].
20
And the king[H4428]commanded[H6680]Hilkiah[H2518], and Ahikam[H296] the son[H1121] of Shaphan[H8227], and Abdon[H5658] the son[H1121] of Micah[H4318], and Shaphan[H8227] the scribe[H5608], and Asaiah[H6222] a servant[H5650] of the king[H4428]'s, saying[H559],
21Go[H3212], enquire[H1875] of the LORD[H3068] for me, and for them that are left[H7604] in Israel[H3478] and in Judah[H3063], concerning the words[H1697] of the book[H5612] that is found[H4672]: for great[H1419] is the wrath[H2534] of the LORD[H3068] that is poured out[H5413] upon us, because our fathers[H1] have not kept[H8104] the word[H1697] of the LORD[H3068], to do[H6213] after all that is written[H3789] in this book[H5612].
22
And Hilkiah[H2518], and they that the king[H4428] had appointed, went[H3212] to Huldah[H2468] the prophetess[H5031], the wife[H802] of Shallum[H7967] the son[H1121] of Tikvath[H8616], the son[H1121] of Hasrah[H2641], keeper[H8104] of the wardrobe;(now she dwelt[H3427] in Jerusalem[H3389] in the college[H4932]:) and they spake[H1696] to her to that effect.
23
And she answered[H559] them, Thus saith[H559] the LORD[H3068]God[H430] of Israel[H3478], Tell[H559] ye the man[H376] that sent[H7971] you to me,
24
Thus saith[H559] the LORD[H3068], Behold, I will bring[H935]evil[H7451] upon this place[H4725], and upon the inhabitants[H3427] thereof, even all the curses[H423] that are written[H3789] in the book[H5612] which they have read[H7121]before[H6440] the king[H4428] of Judah[H3063]:
25
Because they have forsaken[H5800] me, and have burned incense[H6999] unto other[H312]gods[H430], that they might provoke me to anger[H3707] with all the works[H4639] of their hands[H3027]; therefore my wrath[H2534] shall be poured out[H5413] upon this place[H4725], and shall not be quenched[H3518].
26
And as for[H413] the king[H4428] of Judah[H3063], who sent[H7971] you to enquire[H1875] of the LORD[H3068], so shall ye say[H559] unto him, Thus saith[H559] the LORD[H3068]God[H430] of Israel[H3478] concerning the words[H1697] which thou hast heard[H8085];
27
Because thine heart[H3824] was tender[H7401], and thou didst humble[H3665] thyself before[H6440]God[H430], when thou heardest[H8085] his words[H1697] against this place[H4725], and against the inhabitants[H3427] thereof, and humbledst[H3665] thyself before[H6440] me, and didst rend[H7167] thy clothes[H899], and weep[H1058]before[H6440] me; I have even heard[H8085] thee also, saith[H5002] the LORD[H3068].
28
Behold, I will gather[H622] thee to thy fathers[H1], and thou shalt be gathered[H622] to thy grave[H6913] in peace[H7965], neither shall thine eyes[H5869]see[H7200] all the evil[H7451] that I will bring[H935] upon this place[H4725], and upon the inhabitants[H3427] of the same. So they brought[H7725] the king[H4428]word[H1697]again[H7725].
29
Then the king[H4428]sent[H7971] and gathered together[H622] all the elders[H2205] of Judah[H3063] and Jerusalem[H3389].
30
And the king[H4428] went up[H5927] into the house[H1004] of the LORD[H3068], and all the men[H376] of Judah[H3063], and the inhabitants[H3427] of Jerusalem[H3389], and the priests[H3548], and the Levites[H3881], and all the people[H5971], great[H1419] and small[H6996]: and he read[H7121] in their ears[H241] all the words[H1697] of the book[H5612] of the covenant[H1285] that was found[H4672] in the house[H1004] of the LORD[H3068].
31
And the king[H4428]stood[H5975] in his place[H5977], and made[H3772] a covenant[H1285]before[H6440] the LORD[H3068], to walk[H3212]after[H310] the LORD[H3068], and to keep[H8104] his commandments[H4687], and his testimonies[H5715], and his statutes[H2706], with all his heart[H3824], and with all his soul[H5315], to perform[H6213] the words[H1697] of the covenant[H1285] which are written[H3789] in this book[H5612].
32
And he caused all that were present[H4672] in Jerusalem[H3389] and Benjamin[H1144] to stand[H5975] to it. And the inhabitants[H3427] of Jerusalem[H3389]did[H6213] according to the covenant[H1285] of God[H430], the God[H430] of their fathers[H1].
33
And Josiah[H2977] took away[H5493] all the abominations[H8441] out of all the countries[H776] that pertained to the children[H1121] of Israel[H3478], and made all that were present[H4672] in Israel[H3478] to serve[H5647], even to serve[H5647] the LORD[H3068] their God[H430]. And all his days[H3117] they departed[H5493] not from following[H310] the LORD[H3068], the God[H430] of their fathers[H1].