2 Chronicles 34

1 Iosiah was eight yeere olde when hee began to reigne, and he reigned in Ierusalem one and thirtie yeere.

Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign; he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem.

2 And he did vprightly in the sight of ye Lord, and walked in the wayes of Dauid his father, and bowed neither to the right hand nor to the left.

He did what was right in the eyes of Yahweh, and walked in the ways of David his ancestor, and did not turn away either to the right or to the left.

3 And in the eight yeere of his reigne (when he was yet a childe) he began to seeke after the God of Dauid his father: and in the twelft yeere he began to purge Iudah, and Ierusalem from the hie places, and the groues, and the carued images, and molten images:

For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek after the God of David, his ancestor. In the twelfth year, he began to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, the Asherah poles, and the carved figures and the cast metal figures.

4 And they brake downe in his sight the altars of Baalim, and hee caused to cut downe the images that were on hie vpon them: he brake also the groues, and the carued images, and the molten images, and stampt them to pouder, and strowed it vpon the graues of them that had sacrificed vnto them.

The people broke down the altars of the Baals in his presence; he cut apart the incense altars that were above them. He broke the Asherah poles and the carved figures, and the cast metal figures in pieces until they were dust. He scattered the dust on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.

5 Also he burnt the bones of the Priests vpon their altars, and purged Iudah and Ierusalem.

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

6 And in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, euen vnto Naphtali, with their maules they brake all round about.

He did the same in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, all the way to Naphtali, and in the ruins that surrounded them.

7 And when he had destroyed the altars and the groues, and had broken and stamped to pouder the images, and had cut downe all the idoles throughout all the land of Israel, hee returned to Ierusalem.

He broke down the altars, beat the Asherah poles and the carved images into powder, and cut apart all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

8 Then in the eightenth yere of his reigne, when hee had purged the lande and the Temple, he sent Shaphan the sonne of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the gouernour of the citie, and Ioah the sonne of Ioahaz the recorder, to repaire the house of the Lord his God.

Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, after Josiah had cleansed the land and the temple, he sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah, the governor of the city, and Joah son of Joahaz the secretary, to repair the house of Yahweh his God.

9 And when they came to Hilkiah the hie Priest, they deliuered ye money that was brought into the house of God, which the Leuites that kept the doore, had gathered at the hand of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and of all the residue of Israel, and of all Iudah and Beniamin, and of the inhabitantes of Ierusalem.

They went to Hilkiah, the high priest, and entrusted to him the money that had been brought into the house of God, that the Levites, the guards of the doors, had gathered from Manasseh and Ephraim, from all the remnant of Israel, from all Judah and Benjamin, and from the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

10 And they put it in the hands of them that should doe the worke and had the ouersight in the house of the Lord: and they gaue it to the workemen that wrought in the house of ye Lord, to repaire and amend the house.

They entrusted the money to the men who supervised the work on the temple of Yahweh. These men paid the workers who repaired and restored the temple.

11 Euen to the workemen and to the builders gaue they it, to bye hewed stone and timber for couples and for beames of the houses, which the Kings of Iudah had destroyed.

They paid it to the carpenters and builders to buy cut stone and timber for braces, and to make beams for the structures that some kings of Judah had let fall apart.

12 And the men did the worke faithfully, and the ouerseers of them were Iahath and Obadiah the Leuites, of the children of Merari, and Zechariah, and Meshullam, of the children of the Kohathites to set it forward: and of the Leuites all that could skill of instruments of musike.

The men did the work faithfully. Their supervisors Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, from the sons of the Kohathites. Other Levites, all of whom were very good musicians, closely directed the workmen.

13 And they were ouer the bearers of burdens, and them that set forwarde all the workemen in euery worke: and of the Leuites were scribes, and officers and porters.

These Levites were in charge of those who carried building material and all other men who worked in any way. There were also Levites who were secretaries, administrators, and gate guards.

14 And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the Lord, Hilkiah the Priest found the booke of the Lawe of the Lord giuen by the hand of Moses.

When they brought out the money that was brought into the house of Yahweh, Hilkiah the priest found the book of the law of Yahweh that had been given through Moses.

15 Therefore Hilkiah answered and sayde to Shaphan the chaceler, I haue found the booke of the Law in the house of the Lord: and Hilkiah gaue the booke to Shaphan.

Hilkiah said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the book of the law in the house of Yahweh.” Hilkiah brought the book to Shaphan.

16 And Shaphan caried the booke to the King, and brought the King worde againe, saying, All that is committed to the hand of thy seruants, that do they.

Shaphan took the book to the king, and also reported to him, saying, “Your servants are doing everything that has been entrusted to them.

17 For they haue gathered the money that was found in the house of the Lord, and haue deliuered it into the handes of the ouerseers, and to the handes of the workemen.

They have emptied out the money that was found in the house of Yahweh, and they gave it into the hand of the supervisors and to the workmen.”

18 Also Shaphan ye chanceler declared to the King, saying, Hilkiah the Priest hath giuen mee a booke, and Shaphan read it before the King.

Shaphan the scribe told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” Then Shaphan read in it to the king.

19 And when the King had heard the wordes of the Lawe, he tare his clothes.

It came about that when the king had heard the words of the law, he tore his clothes.

20 And the King commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the sonne of Shaphan, and Abdon the sonne of Micah, and Shaphan the chanceler, and Asaiah the Kings seruant, saying,

The king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah, his own servant, saying,

21 Goe and enquire of the Lord for me, and for the rest in Israel and Iudah, concerning the wordes of this booke that is founde: for great is the wrath of the Lord that is fallen vpon vs, because our fathers haue not kept the worde of the Lord, to doe after all that is written in this booke.

“Go and ask Yahweh's will for me, and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, because of the words of the book that has been found. For it is great, the anger of Yahweh that has been poured out on us. It is great, because our ancestors have not listened to the words of this book so as to obey all that was written in it.”

22 Then Hilkiah and they that the King had appoynted, went to Huldah the Prophetesse ye wife of Shallum, the sonne of Tokhath, the sonne of Hasrah keeper of the wardrobe (and she dwelt in Ierusalem within the colledge) and they communed hereof with her.

So Hilkiah, and those whom the king had commanded, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum son of Tokhath son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe (she lived in Jerusalem in the Second District), and they spoke with her in this way.

23 And shee answered them, Thus sayth the Lord God of Israel, Tell yee the man that sent you to me,

She said to them, “This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me,

24 Thus saith the Lord, Beholde, I will bring euill vpon this place, and vpon the inhabitantes thereof, euen all the curses, that are written in the booke which they haue read before the King of Iudah:

'This is what Yahweh says: See, I am about to bring disaster on this place and on its inhabitants, all the curses that have been written in the book that they have read before the king of Judah.

25 Because they haue forsaken me, and burnt incense vnto other gods, to anger mee with al the workes of their hands, therefore shall my wrath fall vpon this place, and shall not be quenched.

This will happen because they have forsaken me and have burned incense to other gods, and they have provoked me to anger by all that their hands have made, therefore, my anger will be poured out on this place, and it will not be extinguished.'

26 But to the King of Iudah, who sent you to enquire of the Lord, so shall ye say vnto him, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The words which thou hast heard, shall come to passe.

But to the king of Judah, who sent you to ask Yahweh what he should do, this is what you will say to him, 'Yahweh, the God of Israel says this: About the words that you heard,

27 But because thine heart did melt, and thou didest humble thy selfe before God, when thou heardest his wordes against this place and against the inhabitantes thereof, and humbledst thy selfe before mee and tarest thy clothes, and weptest before mee, I haue also heard it, sayth the Lord.

because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and its inhabitants, and because you have humbled yourself before me and have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have listened to you—this is Yahweh's declaration—

28 Beholde, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt bee put in thy graue in peace, and thine eyes shall not see all the euill, which I will bring vpon this place, and vpon the inhabitants of the same. Thus they brought ye King word againe.

see, I will gather you to your ancestors. You will be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes will not see any of the disaster I will bring on this place and its inhabitants.'” The men took this message back to the king.

29 Then the King sent and gathered all the Elders of Iudah and Ierusalem.

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

30 And the King went vp into the house of the Lord, and all the men of Iudah, and the inhabitants of Ierusalem, and the Priests and the Leuites, and all the people from the greatest to the smallest, and hee read in their eares all the wordes of the booke of the couenant that was found in the house of the Lord.

Then the king went up to the house of Yahweh, and all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, Levites, and all the people, from great to small. He then read in their hearing all the words of the book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of Yahweh.

31 And the King stood by his pillar, and made a couenant before the Lord, to walke after the Lord, and to keepe his commandements, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soule, and that he would accomplish the wordes of the couenant written in the same booke.

The king stood in his place and made a covenant before Yahweh, to walk after Yahweh, and to keep his commandments, his regulations, and his statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to obey the words of the covenant that were written in this book.

32 And he caused all that were found in Ierusalem, and Beniamin to stande to it: and the inhabitants of Ierusalem did according to the couenant of God, euen the God of their fathers.

He caused all who were found in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand by the covenant. The inhabitants of Jerusalem acted in obedience to the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors.

33 So Iosiah tooke away al the abominations out of all the countreis that perteined to the children of Israel, and compelled all that were found in Israel, to serue the Lord their God: so all his dayes they turned not backe from the Lord God of their fathers.

Josiah took away all the disgusting things from the lands that belonged to the people of Israel. He made everyone in Israel worship Yahweh, their God. For all of his days, they did not turn away from following Yahweh, the God of their ancestors.