2 Kings 22

1 Josiah was eight years old when he had begun to reign. He reigned for thirty-one years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah, from Bozkath.

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.

2 And he did what was pleasing before the Lord, and he walked in all the ways of his father David. He did not turn aside to the right, or to the left.

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.

3 Then, in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, the king sent Shaphan, the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, the scribe of the temple of the Lord, saying to him:

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,

4 “Go to Hilkiah, the high priest, so that the money may be put together which has been brought into the temple of the Lord, which the doorkeepers of the temple have collected from the people.

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;

5 And let it be given, by those in charge of the house of the Lord, to the workers. And let them distribute it to those who are working in the temple of the Lord in order to repair the surfaces of the temple,

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;

6 specifically, to carpenters and masons, and to those who mend gaps, and so that wood may be purchased, and stones from the quarries, in order to repair the temple of the Lord.

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

7 Yet truly, let no account be given by them of the money that they receive. Instead, let them have it within their power and trust.”

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.

8 Then Hilkiah, the high priest, said to Shaphan, the scribe, “I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord.” And Hilkiah gave the volume to Shaphan, and he read it.

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;

9 Also, Shaphan, the scribe, went to the king, and reported to him what he had instructed. And he said: “Your servants have brought together the money which was found in the house of the Lord. And they have given it so that it would be distributed to the workers by the overseers of the works of the temple of the Lord.”

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.

10 Also, Shaphan, the scribe, explained to the king, saying, “Hilkiah, the priest, gave the book to me.” And when Shaphan had read it before the king,

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

11 and the king had heard the words of the book of the law of the Lord, he tore his garments.

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;

12 And he instructed Hilkiah, the priest, and Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, and Achbor, the son of Micaiah, and Shaphan, the scribe, and Asaiah, the servant of the king, saying:

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,

13 “Go and consult the Lord concerning me, and the people, and all of Judah, about the words of this volume which has been found. For the great wrath of the Lord has been kindled against us because our fathers did not listen to the words of this book, so that they would do all that has been written for us.”

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.

14 Therefore, Hilkiah, the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah, went to Huldah, the prophetess, the wife of Shallum, the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, the keeper of the vestments, who was living in Jerusalem, in the second part. And they spoke with her.

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.

15 And she responded to them: “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Tell the man who sent you to me:

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

16 Thus says the Lord: Behold, I will lead evils over this place, and over its inhabitants, all the words of the law that the king of Judah has read.

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;

17 For they have abandoned me, and they have sacrificed to foreign gods, provoking me by all the works of their hands. And so my indignation will be kindled against this place. And it will not be extinguished.

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.

18 But to the king of Judah, who sent you so that you would consult the Lord, so shall you say: Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: In so far as you have heard the words of the volume,

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,

19 and your heart was terrified, and you humbled yourself before the Lord, listening to the words against this place and its inhabitants, specifically, that they would become an astonishment and a curse, and because you have torn your garments, and have wept before me: I also have heard you, says the Lord.

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.

20 For this reason, I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your sepulcher in peace, so that your eyes may not see all the evils that I will bring over this place.”

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.