 1 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem 31 years. 2 He did the right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father, and did not turn aside to the right nor to the left. 3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was still 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 Asherahs, and the carved images, and the molten images. 4 They broke down the altars of the Baals in his presence. And he cut down the images that were on high above them, and the Asherahs. And the carved images and the molten images he also broke in pieces and made dust from them, and scattered on the graves of the ones who had sacrificed to them. 5 He burned the bones of the priests on their altars and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. 6 And so he did in the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon, even to Naphtali, with their tools all around. 7 He broke down the altars and the Asherahs, and had beaten the carved images into powder, and cut down all the idols in all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem. 8 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 They came to Hilkiah the high priest, and they delivered the silver that was brought into the house of God that the Levites that kept the doors had gathered from the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Israel, and from all Judah and Benjamin, and they returned to Jerusalem. 10 They put it in the hands of the workmen who had the oversight of the house of the Lord and they gave it to the workmen who worked in the house of the Lord to repair and mend the house. 11 They gave to the artisans and builders, to buy cut stone and timber for joints, and beams to build up the houses that the kings of Judah had destroyed. 12 The men did the work faithfully. And the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari. Zechariah and Meshullam of the sons of the Kohathites and of the Levites, all who were skillful with instruments of music; 13 and over the bearers of burdens, and overseers of all who worked the work in any manner of service. And of the Levites were scribes and officers and gatekeepers. 14 When they brought out the silver that was brought into the house of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the Lord by Moses. 15 Hilkiah 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 Shaphan carried the book to the king, and brought the king word back again saying, All that was given into the hands of your servants, they are doing. 17 They poured out the silver that was found in the house of the Lord, and delivered it into the hand of the overseers, and to the hand of the workmen. 18 Shaphan the scribe told the king saying, Hilkiah the priest has given me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king. 19 When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his garments. 20 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 saying, 21 Go inquire of the Lord for me and for those who 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 on us because our fathers have not kept the Word of the Lord to do according to all that is written in this Book. 22 Hilkiah, and those of the king, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvath, the son of Hasrah, the keeper of the robes. She lived in Jerusalem in the second part and they spoke to her about this. 23 She answered them, Thus says the Lord God of Israel, Tell the man who sent you to me, 24 Thus says the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil on this place and upon its people, all the curses that are written in the book that they have read before the king of Judah, 25 because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, so that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands. And my wrath shall be poured out on this place and shall not be quenched. 26 As for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, so shall you say to him, Thus says the Lord God of Israel whose words you have heard, 27 Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before your God when you heard His words against this place and against its people and humbled yourself before me and tore your garments and wept before me, I have heard, says the Lord. 28 I will gather you to your fathers and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, nor shall your eyes see all the evil that I will bring on this place and upon its people. Then they brought the king word again. 29 The king gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 30 The king went into the house of the Lord and all the men of Judah and the people of Jerusalem and the priests and the Levites and all the people from great to small. He read all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the Lord. 31 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 that are written in this book. 32 He caused all who were found in Jerusalem and in Benjamin, and the people of Jerusalem, to stand to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. 33 Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the territories that belonged to the children of Israel. He made all who were present in Israel to serve, to serve the Lord their God. All his days they did not depart from following the Lord, the God of their fathers.
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