2 Chronicles 34

1 Josiah was eight when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for thirty-one years.

Eight years old, was Josiah when he begun to reign, —and, thirty-one years, reigned he in Jerusalem.

2 He did what was right in the Lord's sight and followed the ways of his forefather David—he did not deviate to the right or to the left.

And he did that which was right, in the eyes of Yahweh, —and walked in the ways of David his father, and turned not aside, to the right hand or to the left.

3 In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, Josiah began to publicly worship the God of David his forefather, and in the twelfth year of his reign he began to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem by removing the high places, the Asherah poles, the carved idols, and the metal images.

And, in the eighth year of his reign, he, being yet a boy, he began to seek unto the God of David his father, -and, in the twelfth year, he began to purify Judah and Jerusalem, from the high places and the Sacred Stems, and the carved images and the molten images.

4 He had the altars of Baal torn down in front of him, and the incense altars above them cut down. In addition, the Asherah poles, the carved idols, and the metal images were smashed to pieces and scattered over the graves of those who had been sacrificing to them.

And they threw down before him, the altars of the Baalim, and, the sun-pillars which were on high above them, he hewed down, —and, the Sacred Stems and the carved images and the molten images, brake he in pieces and ground to dust, and tossed over the face of the graves, of them who had been sacrificing unto them.

5 He burned the bones of the idolatrous priests on their altars. In this way he cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.

And, the bones of the priests, burned he upon their altars, —and so purified Judah and Jerusalem:

6 Josiah repeated this in the towns of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, all the way to Naphtali, and in their surrounding areas.

also throughout the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon, even as far as Naphtali, —searched he their houses, round about.

7 He tore down the altars and crushed the Asherah poles and the images to dust, and cut down all the incense altars across the whole land of Israel. Then he went back to Jerusalem.

And, when he had thrown down the altars and the Sacred Stems, and, the images, he had beaten to powder, and, the sun-pillars, he had hewn down throughout all the land of Israel, then returned he to Jerusalem.

8 In the eighteenth year of his reign, once he had finished cleansing the land and the Temple, Josiah sent Shaphan, son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the city governor, and Joah, son of Joahaz, the record-keeper, to repair the Temple of the Lord his God.

And, in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purified the land and the house, he sent Shaphan son of Azaliah and Maaseiah the ruler of the city and Joah son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of Yahweh his God.

9 They went to Hilkiah the high priest and gave him the money that had been brought to God's Temple. The Levites at the entrances had collected this money from the people of Manasseh and Ephraim, from what was left of the people of Israel, as well as contributions from Judah, Benjamin, and the people of Jerusalem.

So they went in unto Hilkiah the high priest, and delivered the silver that had been brought into the house of God, which the Levites who kept the entrance-hall had collected from the hand of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Israel, and from all Judah and Benjamin, —and returned to Jerusalem.

10 They handed it over to those who were supervising the repair work on Lord's Temple, who in turn paid the workmen doing the restoring and repairing.

And the overseers in the house of Yahweh, delivered it into the hand of the doer of the work, —yea they delivered it to the doers of the work, because they were working in the house of Yahweh, in searching and repairing the house:

11 They also paid carpenters and builders to buy cut stone, as well as timber for joists and beams for the buildings that the kings of Judah had let deteriorate.

yea they delivered it to the artificers and to the builders, to buy carved stones and timbers for the joinings, —and to build up the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed.

12 The men did good, honest work. In charge of them were Jahath and Obadiah, Levites from the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, Levites from the sons of the Kohathites. The Levites, all skilled musicians,

Now, the men, were working faithfully in the work, and over them as overseers, were—Jahath and Obadiah, Levites, of the sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to preside, —and Levites, all who had understanding in instruments of song;

13 were in charge of the workmen and directed everyone involved, depending on what was required. Some of the Levites were scribes, some officers, and some gatekeepers.

also over the burden-bearers, and such as took the lead, for everyone who was working in any manner of service, —and, of the Levites, were scribes and officers and doorkeepers.

14 In the process of taking out the money donated to the Lord's Temple, Hilkiah the priest discovered the Book of the Lord's Law written down by Moses.

Now, as they were taking out the silver which had been brought into the house of Yahweh, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of Yahweh, by the hand of Moses.

15 Hilkiah told Shaphan the scribe, “I've found the Book of the Law in the Lord's Temple.” He gave it to Shaphan.

Then spake up Hilkiah, and said unto Shaphan the scribe, The Book of the Law, have I found, in the house of Yahweh, —and Hilkiah gave the book unto Shaphan.

16 Shaphan took the book to the king and told him, “We your servants are doing everything we were instructed to do.

Then Shaphan took in the book unto the king, and returned yet further unto the king a message, saying, —All that was delivered into the hand of thy servants, they are doing;

17 The money collected at the Lord's Temple has been handed over to those who are supervising the workers, paying them to do the repairs.”

and they have poured out the silver, that was found in the house of Yahweh, and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers, and into the hand of the doers of the work.

18 Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, “Hilkiah the priest gave me this book.” Shaphan read it to the king.

Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, A book, hath Hilkiah the priest given to me. And Shaphan, read therein, before the king.

19 When the king heard what the Law said, he tore his clothes.

And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes.

20 Then he issue the following orders to Hilkiah, Ahikam, son of Shaphan, Abdon, son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah, the king's assistant:

Then did the king command Hilkiah—and Ahikam son of Shaphan—and Abdon son of Micah—and Shaphan the scribe—and Asaiah servant of the king, saying:

21 “Go and talk to the Lord for me, and also for those who still live in Israel and Judah, about what is said in the book that's been found. For the Lord must be really angry with us because our forefathers have not obeyed the Lord's instructions by following all that's written in this book.”

Go, enquire of Yahweh for me, and for the remnant in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book which hath been found, —for great is the wrath of Yahweh, which hath been poured out upon us, because our fathers, kept not, the word of Yahweh, to do according to all that is written in this book.

22 Hilkiah and those the king had selected went and talked with Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum, son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, custodian of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the city's second quarter.

So Hilkiah and they whom the king had named went into Huldah the prophetess, wife of Shallum son of Tokhath son of Hasrah keeper of the wardrobe, she, having her dwelling in Jerusalem, in the new city, —and they spake unto her accordingly.

23 Huldah told them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me,

And she said unto them, Thus, saith Yahweh God of Israel, —Say ye unto the man who hath sent you unto me:

24 this is what the Lord says: I am about to bring disaster down on this place and on its people, in accordance with all the curses written in the book that has been read to the king of Judah.

Thus, saith Yahweh, Behold me bringing in calamity 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 They have abandoned me and offered sacrifices to other gods, making me angry by everything they've done. My anger will be poured out upon this place and will not be stopped.

Because they have forsaken me, and burned incense unto other gods, so as to provoke me to anger, with all the works of their hands, therefore hath my wrath been poured out upon this place, and shall not be quenched.

26 But tell the king of Judah who sent you to ask the Lord, tell him this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: As for the what you heard read to you—

But, unto the king of Judah, who hath sent you to enquire of Yahweh, thus, shall ye say unto him, —Thus, saith Yahweh God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard:

27 because you were receptive and repentant before God when you heard his warnings against this place and against its people, and because you have repented, tearing your clothes and weeping before me, I have also heard you, declares the Lord.

Because tender was thy heart, and thou didst humble thyself before God when thou heardest his words against this place and against the inhabitants thereof, and didst humble thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes and weep before me, therefore, I also, have heard, is the declaration of Yahweh.

28 All this will not happen until after you have died, and you will die in peace. You will not see all the disaster that I'm going to bring down on this place and on its inhabitants.” They went back to the king and gave him her response.

Behold me! gathering thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered unto thy sepulchres in peace, and thine eyes shall not look upon all the calamity which, I, am bringing in upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof. And they returned, unto the king, the message.

29 Then the king summoned all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.

Then the king sent, —and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.

30 He went to the Lord's Temple with all the people of Judah and Jerusalem, together with the priests and the Levites, all the people from the least to the greatest, and he read to them the whole Book of the Agreement that had been discovered in the Lord's Temple.

And the king went up to the house of Yahweh—and all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem—and the priests and the Levites, and all the people, from the great even unto the small, —and he read in their ears, all the words of the book of the covenant, which had been found in the house of Yahweh.

31 The king stood by the pillar and made a solemn agreement before the Lord to follow him and to keep his commandments, laws, and regulations with total dedication, and to observe the requirements of the agreement as written in the book.

And the king stood in his place, and solemnised the covenant before Yahweh, to walk after Yahweh, 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 Then he had everyone present from Jerusalem and Benjamin stand up to show they agreed to it. So all the people of Jerusalem accepted and followed the agreement with God, the God of their forefathers.

And he caused to take a stand, all that were present in Jerusalem, and Benjamin, —and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.

33 Josiah demolished all the vile idols from the whole territory belonging to the Israelites, and he made everyone in Israel serve the Lord their God. During his reign they did not give up worshiping the Lord, the God of their fathers.

And Josiah removed all the abominations, out of all the lands which belonged to the sons of Israel, and caused all that were present in Jerusalem to serve, yea to serve, Yahweh their God, —all his days, turned they not aside from following Yahweh, God of their fathers.