2 Chronicles 34

1 Eight years old was Josiah when he became king, and thirty and one years did he reign in Jerusalem.

Josias was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem.

2 And he did what is right in the eyes of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father, and turned not aside to the right or to the left.

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, while he was yet a lad, he began to seek after the God of David his father; and in the twelfth year he began to purify Judah and Jerusalem from the high-places, and the Asherim, and the carved images, and the molten images.

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 Juda and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the ornaments for the altars, and the molten images.

4 And they broke down in his presence the altars of the Be'alim, and the sun-images, that were set above them, he cut down; and the Asherim, and the carved images, and the molten images, he broke in pieces, and ground down, and strewed [the same] upon the graves of those that had sacrificed unto them.

And he pulled down the altars of Baalim that were before his face, 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 the bones of priests did he burn upon their altars; and he purified Judah and Jerusalem.

And he burnt the bones of the priests upon the altars, and purged Juda and Jerusalem.

6 And [so did he] in the cities of Menasseh and Ephraim and Simeon, even as far as Naphtali, with their mattocks, round about.

And [he did so] in the cities of Manasse, and Ephraim, and Symeon, and Nephthali, and the places round about them.

7 And when he had broken down the altars and had beaten the Asherim and the graven images into powder, and cut down all the sun-images throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.

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, when he had purified the land and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azalyahu, and Ma'asseyahu the governor of the city and Joach the son of Joachaz the recorder, to repair the house of the Lord his God.

And in the eighteenth year of his reign, after having cleansed the land, and the house, he sent Saphan the son of Ezelias, and Maasa prefect of the city, and Juach son of Joachaz his recorder, to repair the house of the Lord his God.

9 And they came to Chilkiyahu the high-priest, and gave up the money that had been brought into the house of God, which the Levites that watched at the threshold had gathered from the hand of Menasseh and Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Israel, and from all Judah and Benjamin, and were returned to Jerusalem.—

And they came to Chelcias 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 Manasse and Ephraim, and of the princes, and of every one that was left in Israel, and of the children of Juda and Benjamin, and of the dwellers in Jerusalem.

10 And they delivered it into the hand of those who overlooked the workmen that had been appointed as overseers of the house of the Lord: and those who overlooked the workmen, who did the work in the house of the Lord, gave it out, to repair and to restore the house,

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 And they gave it to the carpenters and to the builders to buy hewn stone and timber for joists, and to lay the beams in the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed.

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 Juda had destroyed.

12 And the men acted faithfully in the work: and over them were appointed Jachath and 'Obadyahu, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kehathites, to supervise; and every one of these Levites was skilful on instruments of music.

And the men [were] faithfully [engaged] in the works: and over them were superintendents, Jeth and Abdias, Levites of the sons of Merari, and Zacharias and Mosollam, of the sons of Caath, [appointed] to oversee; and every Levite, and every one that understood [how] to play on musical instruments.

13 They were also over the bearers of burdens and supervisors over all that did the work in every manner of service: and from the Levites there were also scribes, and officers, and gatekeepers.

And [overseers were] over the burden-bearers, and over all the workmen in the respective works; and of the Levites [were appointed] scribes, and judges, and porters.

14 And when they took out the money that had been brought into the house of the Lord, Chilkiyahu the priest found the book of the law of the Lord through the hand of Moses.

And when they brought forth the money that had been brought into the house of the Lord, Chelcias the priest found a book of the law of the Lord [given] by the hand of Moses.

15 Then commenced Chilkiyahu and said to Shaphan the scribe, The book of the law have I found in the house of the Lord. And Chilkiyahu gave the book to Shaphan.

And Chelcias answered and said to Saphan the scribe, I have found a book of the law in the house of the Lord. And Chelcias gave the book to Saphan.

16 And Shaphan carried the book to the king, and brought the king also word back again, saying, All that was put in the hand of thy servants, have they truly done.

And Saphan brought in the book to the king, and moreover 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 taken out the money that was found in the house of the Lord, and have delivered it into the hand of the appointed overseers, and into the hand of those who overlook the workmen.

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 Then told Shaphan the scribe the king, saying, A book hath Chilkiyahu the priest given me. And Shaphan read in it before the king.

And Saphan the scribe brought word to the king, saying, Chelcias the priest has given me a book. And Saphan read it before the king.

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

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

20 And the king commanded Chilkiyahu, and Achikam the son of Shaphan, and 'Abdon the son of Michah, and Shaphan the scribe, and 'Assayah a servant of the king's, saying,

And the king commanded Chelcias, and Achicam the son of Saphan, and Abdom the son of Michaias, and Saphan the scribe, and Asia the servant of the king, saying,

21 Go ye, inquire of the Lord in my behalf, and in behalf of those that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that hath been found; for great is the fury of the Lord that is poured out against us, because our fathers did not keep the word of the Lord, to do in accordance with all that is written in this book.

Go, enquire of the Lord for me, and for every one that is left in Israel and Juda, concerning the words of the book that is found: for great is the wrath of the Lord [which] has been kindled among us, because our fathers have not listened to the words of the Lord, to do according to all the things written in this book.

22 Then went Chilkiyahu with those whom the king [had appointed], to Chuldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Thoknath, the son of Chassrah, the keeper of the wardrobe; —now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the suburb; —and they spoke to her in that wise.

And Chelcias went, and [the others] whom the king told, to Olda the prophetess, the wife of Sellem son of Thecoe, son of Aras, who kept the commandments; and she lived in Jerusalem in the second [quarter]: and they spoke to her accordingly.

23 And she said unto them, Thus hath said the Lord the God of Israel, Say unto the man that hath sent you to me,

And she said to them, Thus has the Lord God of Israel said, Tell the man who sent you to me,

24 Thus hath said the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon its inhabitants, all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah;

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 Juda:

25 Because they have forsaken me, and have burnt incense unto other gods, in order to provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands: therefore is my fury poured out upon this place, and it shall not be quenched.

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 with respect to the king of Judah, who sendeth you to inquire of the Lord, thus shall ye say to him, Thus hath said the Lord the God of Israel, Concerning the words which thou hast heard;

And concerning the king of Juda, 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 has heard,

27 Because thy heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardst his words against this place, and against its inhabitants, and didst humble thyself before me, and rend thy clothes, and weep before me: I have also truly heard it, saith the Lord.

forasmuch as your heart was ashamed, and you was humbled before me when you heard my words against this place, and against the inhabitants of it, and you were humbled before me, and did rend your garments, and did weep before me; I also have heard, says the Lord.

28 Behold, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy graves in peace, and thy eyes shall not look on all the evil which I am bringing over this place, and over its inhabitants. And they brought the king word again.

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 together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.

And the king sent and gathered the elders of Juda and Jerusalem.

30 And the king went up into the house of the Lord, with all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, from the great to the small; and he read before their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which had been found in the house of the Lord.

And the king went up to the house of the Lord, [he] and all Juda, 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 up on his stand, and he 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.

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 to accede to it every one that was present in Jerusalem and Benjamin. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem acted in accordance with the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.

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 all the countries that belonged to the children of Israel, and caused all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the Lord their God. All his days did they not depart from following the Lord God of their fathers.

And Josias 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.