“1 Josiah [was] eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned
in Jerusalem one and thirty years. 2 And he did [that which was] right
in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father,
and declined [neither] to the right hand, nor to the left. 3 For in the
eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after
the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge
Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved
images, and the molten images. 4 And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that [were] on high above them,
he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten
images, he brake in pieces, and made dust [of them], and strowed [it]
upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them. 5 And he burnt
the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and
Jerusalem. 6 And [so did he] in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and
Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their mattocks round about. 7 And when
he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven
images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land
of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.”
“8 Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the
land, and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah
the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to
repair the house of the LORD his God. 9 And when they came to Hilkiah
the high priest, they delivered the money that was brought into the
house of God, which the Levites that kept the doors had gathered of the
hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and of all the remnant of Israel, and of
all Judah and Benjamin; and they returned to Jerusalem. 10 And they put
[it] in the hand of the workmen that had the oversight of the house of
the LORD, and they gave it to the workmen that wrought in the house of
the LORD, to repair and amend the house: 11 Even to the artificers and
builders gave they [it], to buy hewn stone, and timber for couplings,
and to floor the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed. 12 And
the men did the work faithfully: and the overseers 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; and
[other of] the Levites, all that could skill of instruments of musick.
13 Also [they were] over the bearers of burdens, and [were] overseers of
all that wrought the work in any manner of service: and of the Levites
[there were] scribes, and officers, and porters.”
“14 And when they brought out the money that was brought into the
house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the
LORD [given] by Moses. 15 And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the
scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And
Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan. 16 And Shaphan carried the book
to the king, and brought the king word back again, saying, All that was
committed to thy servants, they do [it]. 17 And they have gathered
together the money that was found in the house of the LORD, and have
delivered it into the hand of the overseers, and to the hand of the
workmen. 18 Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, Hilkiah the
priest hath given me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king. 19 And
it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he
rent his clothes. 20 And the king commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the son
of Shaphan, and Abdon the son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and
Asaiah a servant of the king’s, saying, 21 Go, enquire of the LORD for
me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the
words of the book that is found: for great [is] the wrath of the LORD
that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word
of the LORD, to do after all that is written in this book. 22 And
Hilkiah, and [they] that the king [had appointed], went to Huldah the
prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvath, the son of Hasrah,
keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college:) and
they spake to her to that [effect]. 23 And she answered them, Thus saith
the LORD God of Israel, Tell ye the man that sent you to me, 24 Thus
saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the
inhabitants thereof, [even] all the curses that are written in the book
which they have read before the king of Judah: 25 Because they have
forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might
provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my
wrath shall be poured out upon this place, and shall not be quenched. 26
And as for the king of Judah, who sent you to enquire of the LORD, so
shall ye say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel [concerning]
the words which thou hast heard; 27 Because thine heart was tender, and
thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words
against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst
thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I
have even heard [thee] also, saith the LORD. 28 Behold, I will gather
thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace,
neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this
place, and upon the inhabitants of the same. So they brought the king
word again.”
“29 Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah
and Jerusalem. 30 And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and
all the men of 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 was found in
the house of the LORD. 31 And the king stood in his place, and made a
covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his
commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart,
and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are
written in this book. 32 And he caused all that were present in
Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand [to it]. And the inhabitants of
Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their
fathers. 33 And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the
countries that [pertained] to the children of Israel, and made all that
were present in Israel to serve, [even] to serve the LORD their God.
[And] all his days they departed not from following the LORD, the God of
their fathers.” (2 Chronicles 34:1-33 AV)
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