2 Chronicles 34

Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in the ways of his father David, turning neither to the right nor to the left. In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David. In the twelfth year he began to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherah poles, the carved images, and the cast images. They tore down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars above them. He shattered the Asherah poles, the carved images, and the cast images, ground them to powder, and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. He burned the priests' bones on their altars and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. He did the same in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, and in their surrounding ruins. He tore down the altars and the Asherah poles, crushed the carved images to powder, and cut down all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem. In the eighteenth year of his reign, as he 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 the LORD his God. They went to Hilkiah the high priest and delivered the silver brought to the house of God. The Levites who guarded the thresholds had collected it from Manasseh, Ephraim, all the remnant of Israel, all Judah and Benjamin, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They put it into the hands of the overseers of the work in the house of the LORD, who gave it to the workers in the house of the LORD to repair and restore the house. They gave it to the craftsmen and builders to buy quarried stone and timber for framing and to put beams in the buildings the kings of Judah had ruined. The men did the work faithfully. Their overseers were Jahath and Obadiah, Levites descended from Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, from the Kohathites, who directed the work. The Levites skilled in musical instruments were over the burden bearers and supervised all the workers in every kind of service. Some of the Levites were scribes, officers, and gatekeepers. As they were bringing out the silver that had been brought to the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the LORD given through Moses. Hilkiah said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD.” Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan. Shaphan brought the book to the king and also reported to him, “Your servants are doing everything entrusted to them. They have poured out the silver found in the house of the LORD and handed it over to the overseers and the workers.” Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” Shaphan read from it before the king. When the king heard the words of the law, he tore his clothes. The king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king's servant, “Go, inquire of the LORD for me and for those remaining in Israel and Judah about the words of the book that has been found. Great is the LORD's wrath poured out on us, because our fathers did not keep the word of the LORD by doing everything written in this book.” Hilkiah and those the king had appointed went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum son of Tokhath, son of Hasrah, the keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter. They spoke to her about this. She said to them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me, ‘This is what the LORD says: I am bringing disaster on this place and its inhabitants—all the curses written in the book that was read before the king of Judah. Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods, provoking me to anger with all the work of their hands, my wrath will be poured out on this place and will not be quenched.’ But say to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says about the words you have heard: Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and its inhabitants, and because you humbled yourself before me, tore your clothes, and wept before me, I too have heard you, declares the LORD. I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your graves in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am bringing on this place and its inhabitants.’” They brought the answer back to the king. Then the king sent for all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem and gathered them together. The king went up to the house of the LORD with all the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, the Levites, and all the people, great and small. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant found in the house of the LORD. The king stood in his place and made a covenant before the LORD to follow the LORD and keep his commandments, his testimonies, and his statutes with all his heart and all his soul, carrying out the words of the covenant written in this book. He had everyone present in Jerusalem and Benjamin stand in commitment to it. The inhabitants of Jerusalem acted according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. Josiah removed all the detestable things from all the lands belonging to the Israelites and made everyone present in Israel serve the LORD their God. Throughout his days they did not turn away from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.

Rights and attribution