1
Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem.
2
And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of his father David, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.
3
And in the eighth year of his reign, and he [being] yet a youth, he began to seek the Lord God of his father David. And in the twelfth year of his reign he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the ornaments for the altars, and the molten images.
4
And he pulled down the altars of the Baals that were in his presence, and the high places that were above them; and he cut down the groves, and the graven images, and broke in pieces the molten images, and reduced them to powder, and cast [it] upon the surface of the tombs of those who [had] sacrificed to them.
5
And he burnt the bones of the priests upon the altars, and purged Judah and Jerusalem.
6
And [he did so] in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, and Naphtali, and the places round about them.
7
And he pulled down the altars and the groves, and he cut the idols in small pieces, and cut off all the high places from all the land of Israel, and returned to Jerusalem.
8
And in the eighteenth year of his reign, after having cleansed the land and the house, he sent Shaphan the 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.
9
And they came to Hilkiah the high priest, and gave the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites who kept the gate collected of the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and of the princes, and of everyone that was left in Israel, and of the children of Judah and Benjamin, and of the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
10
And they gave it into the hand of the workmen, who were appointed in the house of the Lord, and they gave it to the workmen who wrought in the house of the Lord, to repair and strengthen the house.
11
They gave [it] also to the carpenters and builders, to buy squared stones, and timber for beams to cover the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed.
12
And the men [were] faithfully [engaged] in the works. And over them were superintendents, Jahath and Obadiah, Levites of the sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of Kohath, [appointed] to oversee; and every Levite, and everyone that understood [how] to play on musical instruments.
13
And [overseers were] over the burden bearers, and over all the workmen in the respective works; and of the Levites [were appointed] scribes, judges, and porters.
14
And when they brought forth the money that had been brought into the house of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest found [the] Book of the Law of the Lord [given] by the hand of Moses.
15
Then Hilkiah answered 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.
16
And Shaphan brought in the book to the king, and moreover he gave an account to the king, [saying, This is] all the money given into the hand of your servants that work.
17
And they have collected the money that was found in the house of the Lord, and given it into the hand of the overseers, and into the hand of them that do the work.
18
And Shaphan the scribe brought word to the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest has given me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.
19
And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the Law, that he tore his clothes.
20
And the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the servant of the king, saying,
21
Go, inquire of the Lord for me, and for everyone that is left in Israel and Judah, concerning the words of the book that was found; for great is the wrath of the Lord [which] has been kindled amongst us, because our fathers have not hearkened to the words of the Lord, to do according to all the things written in this book.
22
And Hilkiah went, and [the others] whom the king told, to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum, son of Tokhath, son of Hasrah, who kept the commandments. And she dwelt in Jerusalem in the Second [Quarter]: and they spoke to her accordingly.
23
And she said to them, Thus has the Lord God of Israel said: Tell the man who sent you to Me,
24
Thus says the Lord: Behold, I bring evil upon this place, [even] all the words that are written in the book that was read before the king of Judah;
25
because they have forsaken Me, and burnt incense to strange gods, that they might provoke Me by all the works of their hands; and My wrath is kindled against this place, and it shall not be quenched.
26
And concerning the king of Judah, who sent you to seek the Lord, thus shall you say to him; Thus says the Lord God of Israel: [As for] the words which you have heard,
27
forasmuch as your heart was ashamed, and you were humbled before Me when you heard My words against this place, and against the inhabitants of it, and you were humbled before Me, and you tore your clothes, and wept before Me; I also have heard, says the Lord.
28
Behold, I [will] gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not look upon all the evils which I am bringing upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of it. And they brought back word to the king.
29
And the king sent and gathered the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.
30
And the king went up to the house of the Lord, [he] and all Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people great and small; and he read in their ears all the words of the Book of the Covenant that were found in the house of the Lord.
31
And the king stood at a pillar, and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk before the Lord, to keep His commandments and testimonies, and His ordinances, with all [his] heart and with all [his] soul, so as to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book.
32
And he caused all that were found in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand; and the inhabitants of Jerusalem made a covenant in the house of the Lord God of their fathers.
33
And Josiah removed all the abominations out of the whole land which belonged to the children of Israel, and caused all that were found in Jerusalem and in Israel, to serve the Lord their God all his days. He departed not from following the Lord God of his fathers.
