2 Chronicles 34

Josiah Seeks God While Young

1Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. 2He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in the ways of David his ancestor. He did not turn aside to the right or to the left. 3In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still a youth, he began to seek the God of David his ancestor. In the twelfth year he began to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, Asherah poles, carved images, and cast images. 4They tore down the altars of the Baals before him, and he cut down the incense altars that were above them. He shattered the Asherah poles, carved images, and cast images, ground them to powder, and scattered it upon the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 5He burned the bones of the priests upon their altars and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. 6In the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, and as far as Naphtali, among their ruins all around, 7he tore down the altars, beat the Asherah poles and carved images into powder, and cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

Josiah Repairs the Temple

8In the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had cleansed the land and the house, he sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah ruler of the city, and Joah son of Joahaz the recorder to repair the house of the LORD his God. 9They came to Hilkiah the high priest and gave the silver that had been brought into the house of God, which the Levites who guarded the threshold had gathered from Manasseh and Ephraim and from all the remnant of Israel, and from all Judah and Benjamin and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10They gave it into the hand of those doing the work who were appointed over the house of the LORD, and those doing the work in the house of the LORD gave it to repair and strengthen the house. 11They gave it to the craftsmen and builders to buy quarried stone and timber for beams and to floor the houses that the kings of Judah had allowed to decay. 12The men were doing the work faithfully. Over them were Jahath and Obadiah, Levites from the sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam from the sons of the Kohathites, to oversee. Other Levites, all skilled with musical instruments, 13were over the burden-bearers and directed all who did work in every kind of service. Some of the Levites were scribes, officers, and gatekeepers.

The Book of the Instruction Is Found

14When they brought out the silver that had been brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found the book of the instruction of the LORD given by the hand of Moses. 15Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the book of the instruction in the house of the LORD.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan. 16Shaphan brought the book to the king and also returned a word to the king, saying, “All that was given into the hand of your servants, they are doing. 17They have poured out the silver that was found in the house of the LORD and have given it into the hand of those appointed and into the hand of those doing the work.” 18Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read from it before the king.

Josiah Tears His Clothes

19And it happened when the king heard the words of the instruction that he tore his clothes. 20The king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah servant of the king, saying, 21“Go, inquire of the LORD for me and for those who remain in Israel and Judah concerning the words of the book that has been found, for great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out upon us because our ancestors did not keep the word of the LORD, to do according to all that is written in this book.”

Huldah the Prophet Speaks

22So Hilkiah and those whom the king had appointed went to Huldah the prophet, wife of Shallum son of Tokhath son of Hasrah, keeper of the garments. She lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter, and they spoke to her concerning this. 23She said to them, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Say to the man who sent you to me, 24Thus says the LORD: Look, I am bringing disaster upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the curses written in the book that they read before the king of Judah, 25because they abandoned me and burned incense to other gods, provoking me to anger with all the work of their hands. My wrath will be poured out upon this place and will not be extinguished. 26But to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the LORD, thus you shall say to him: Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the words that you heard: 27Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before me and tore your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, says the LORD. 28Look, I am gathering you to your ancestors, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace. Your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I am bringing upon this place and its inhabitants.”

They returned the word to the king.

Josiah Renews the Covenant

29Then the king sent and gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 30The king went up to the house of the LORD, with all the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, Levites, and all the people from great to small. He read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant that had been found in the house of the LORD. 31The king stood in his place and made the covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD and keep his commandments, testimonies, and statutes with all his heart and with all his life, to do the words of the covenant written in this book. 32He caused all who were found in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors. 33Josiah removed all the detestable things from all the lands that belonged to the children of Israel and made everyone found in Israel serve the LORD their God. All his days they did not turn away from following the LORD, the God of their ancestors.