2 Kings 22

1 Josiah was eight years old when he became king; and he was ruling in Jerusalem for thirty-one years; his mother's name was Jedidah, daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath.

Eight years old was Josiah when he became king, and thirty and one years did he reign in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Yedidah, the daughter of 'Adayah of Bozkath.

2 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, walking in the ways of David his father, without turning to the right hand or to the left.

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

3 Now in the eighteenth year after he became king, Josiah sent Shaphan, the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of the Lord, saying to him,

And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan the son of Azalyahu, the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of the Lord, saying,

4 Go up to Hilkiah, the chief priest, and let him give out the money which is taken into the house of the Lord, which the keepers of the door have got together from the people;

Go up to Chilkiyahu the high-priest, that he may collect up all the money which is brought into the house of the Lord, which the door-keepers have gathered from the people:

5 And let it be given to the overseers of the work of the Lord's house, to give to the workmen who are making good what was damaged in the house of the Lord;

And let them deliver it into the hand of those who overlook the workmen, that have been appointed as overseers of the house of the Lord; and let them give it to those who do the work who are in the house of the Lord, to repair the breaches of the house:

6 To the woodworkers and the builders and the stone-cutters; and for getting wood and cut stones for the building up of the house.

Unto the carpenters, and the builders, and the masons, and to buy timber and hewn stones to repair the house.

7 They did not have to give any account of the money which was handed to them, for they made use of it with good faith.

Nevertheless shall there be no reckoning made with them for the money that is delivered into their hand, because they deal faithfully.

8 Then Hilkiah, the chief priest, said to Shaphan the scribe, I have made discovery of the book of the law in the house of the Lord. So Hilkiah gave it to Shaphan;

And Chilkiyahu the high-priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, A book of the law have I found in the house of the Lord. And Chilkiyah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.

9 Then, after reading it, Shaphan the scribe went in to the king and gave him an account of what had been done, saying, Your servants have given out the money which was in the house, and have given it to the overseers of the work of the house of the Lord.

And Shaphan the scribe came to the king, and brought the king word again, and said, Thy servants have taken out all the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of those who overlook the workmen, that have been appointed overseers of the house of the Lord.

10 Then Shaphan the scribe said to the king, Hilkiah the priest has given me a book; and he was reading it before the king.

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

11 And the king, hearing the words of the book of the law, took his robe in his hands, violently parting it as a sign of his grief;

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

12 And he gave orders to Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, and Achbor, the son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying,

And the king commanded Chilkiyah the priest, and Achikam the son of Shaphan, and 'Achbor the son of Michayah, and Shaphan the scribe, and 'Assahyah a servant of the king's, saying,

13 Go and get directions from the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah, about the words of this book which has come to light; for great is the wrath of the Lord which is burning against us, because our fathers have not given ear to the words of this book, to do all the things which are recorded in it.

Go ye, inquire of the Lord in my behalf, and in behalf of the people, and in behalf of all Judah, concerning the words of this book that hath been found; for great is the wrath of the Lord that hath been kindled against us, because our fathers did not hearken unto the words of this book, to do in accordance with all that is prescribed concerning us.

14 So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam and Achbor and Shaphan and Asaiah, went to Huldah the woman prophet, the wife of Shallum, the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the robes, (now she was living in Jerusalem, in the second part of the town; ) and they had talk with her.

And Chilkiyahu the priest, and Achikam, and 'Achbor, and Shaphan, and 'Assahyah, went unto Chuldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah the son of Charchass, the keeper of the wardrobe; [now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the suburb; ] and they spoke unto her.

15 And she said to them, The Lord, the God of Israel, says, Say to the man who sent you to me,

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

16 These are the words of the Lord: See, I will send evil on this place and on its people, even everything which the king of Judah has been reading in the book;

Thus hath said the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon its inhabitants, all the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read;

17 Because they have given me up, burning offerings to other gods and moving me to wrath by all the work of their hands; so my wrath will be on fire against this place, and will not be put out.

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 wrath kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched.

18 But to the king of Judah who sent you to get directions from the Lord, say, This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, has said: As to the words which have come to your ears,

But 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;

19 Because your heart was soft, and you made yourself low before me, when you had word of what I said against this place and its people, that they would become a waste and a curse, and you gave signs of grief, weeping before me: truly, I have given ear to you, says the Lord.

Because thy heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord, when thou heardest what I had spoken against this place, and against its inhabitants, that they should become an astonishment and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me: I also have heard it, saith the Lord.

20 For this cause I will let you go to your fathers and be put in your last resting-place in peace, and your eyes will not see all the evil which I will send on this place. So they took this news back to the king.

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