2 Chronicles 34

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

Josiah [is] a son of eight years in his reigning, and he has 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 does that which is right in the eyes of YHWH, and walks in the ways of his father David, and has not turned aside [to] the right or 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 [is] yet a youth), he has begun to seek for the God of his father David, and in the twelfth year he has begun to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the Asherim, and the carved images, 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 they break down the altars of the Ba‘alim before him, and he has cut down the images that [are] on high above them, and the Asherim, and the carved images, and the molten images, he has broken and beaten small, and strews [them] on the surface of the graves of those sacrificing to them,

5 And the bones of priests did he burn upon their altars; and he purified Judah and Jerusalem.

and he has burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and cleanses Judah 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 in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even to Naphtali, with their tools, all around.

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 breaks down the altars and the Asherim, and he has beaten down the carved images very small, and he has cut down all the images in all the land of Israel, and turns back 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, to purify the land and the house, he has sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah head of the city, and Joah son of Johaz the remembrancer, to strengthen the house of his God YHWH.

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 come to Hilkiah the high priest, and they give the money that is brought into the house of God, that the Levites, keeping the threshold, have gathered from the hand of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Israel, and from all Judah, and Benjamin, and the inhabitants of 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 give [it] into the hand of the workmen, those appointed over the house of YHWH, and they give it [to] the workmen who are working in the house of YHWH, to repair and to 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.

and they give [it] to craftsmen and to builders to buy hewn stones, and wood for couplings and for beams [for] the houses that the kings of Judah 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 are working faithfully in the business, and over them are appointed Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathite, to overlook; and of the Levites, everyone understanding about instruments of song,

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 over the burden-bearers, and overseers of everyone doing work for every service; and of the Levites [are] scribes, and officers, and gatekeepers.

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 in their bringing out the money that is brought into the house of YHWH, Hilkiah the priest has found the Scroll of the Law of YHWH 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 Hilkiah answers and says to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found [the] Scroll of the Law in the house of YHWH”; and Hilkiah gives the scroll to Shaphan,

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 Shaphan brings in the scroll to the king, and brings the king back word again, saying, “All that has been given into the hand of your servants they are doing,

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 pour out the money that is found in the house of YHWH, and give it into the hand of those appointed and into the hands of those doing 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 Shaphan the scribe declares [it] to the king, saying, “Hilkiah the priest has given a scroll to me”; and Shaphan reads in 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 comes to pass, at the king’s hearing the words of the Law, that he tears 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 commands Hilkiah, and Ahikam son of Shaphan, and Abdon son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah, 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, seek YHWH for me, and for him who is left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the scroll that is found, for great [is] the fury of YHWH that is poured on us, because that our fathers did not keep the word of YHWH to do according to all that is written on this scroll.”

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 Hilkiah goes, and they of the king, to Huldah the prophetess, wife of Shallum son of Tikvath, son of Hasrah, keeper of the garments, and she is dwelling in Jerusalem in the Second [Quarter], and they speak to her thus.

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 says to them, “Thus said YHWH, God of Israel: Say to the man who has 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 said YHWH: Behold, I am bringing in calamity on this place and on its inhabitants, all the execrations that are written on the scroll that they read before the king of Judah,

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 that they have forsaken Me, and make incense to other gods, so as to provoke Me with all the works of their hands, and My fury is poured out on this place, and it is not 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 to the king of Judah who is sending you to inquire of YHWH, thus you say to him, Thus said YHWH God of Israel, whose words you have 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.

Because your heart [is] tender, and you are humbled before God in your hearing His words concerning this place and concerning its inhabitants, and are humbled before Me, and tear your garments, and weep before Me, indeed, I have also heard [you]—a declaration of YHWH.

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 am gathering you to your fathers, and you have been gathered to your graves in peace, and your eyes do not look on all the calamity that I am bringing on this place and on its inhabitants”; and they bring the king back word.

29 And the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.

And the king sends and gathers all the elderly of Judah 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 goes up to the house of YHWH, and [to] every man of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, even all the people, from great even to small, and he reads in their ears all the words of the scroll of the covenant that is found in the house of YHWH.

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 stands on his station, and makes the covenant before YHWH to walk after YHWH, and to keep His commands, and His testimonies, and His statutes, with all his heart and with all his soul, to do the words of the covenant that are written on this scroll.

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 presents everyone who is found in Jerusalem and Benjamin, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem do according to the covenant of God, the 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 Josiah turns aside all the abominations out of all the lands that the sons of Israel have, and causes everyone who is found in Israel to serve, to serve their God YHWH; all his days they did not turn aside from after YHWH, God of their fathers.