2 Chronicles 34

1 Josiah [is] a son of eight years in his reigning, and he has reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem,

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

2 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.

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 (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.

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 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,

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 he has burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and cleanses Judah and Jerusalem,

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

6 and in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even to Naphtali, with their tools, all around.

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

7 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.

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, 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.

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 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,

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 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;

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 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.

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 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,

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

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 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,

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 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,

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 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.”

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 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.

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 comes to pass, at the king’s hearing the words of the Law, that he tears his garments,

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

20 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,

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, 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.”

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 amongst 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 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.

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 says to them, “Thus said YHWH, God of Israel: Say to the man who has 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 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,

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 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.

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 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:

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 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.

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 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.

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 sends and gathers all the elderly of Judah and Jerusalem,

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

30 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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.