2 Chronicles 34

1 Eight years old, was Josiah when he begun to reign, —and, thirty-one years, reigned he in Jerusalem.

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

2 And he did that which was right, in the eyes of Yahweh, —and walked in the ways of David his father, and turned not aside, to the right hand or to the left.

And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father: he declined not, neither to the right hand, nor to the left.

3 And, in the eighth year of his reign, he, being yet a boy, he began to seek unto the God of David his father, -and, in the twelfth year, he began to purify Judah and Jerusalem, from the high places and the Sacred Stems, and the carved images and the molten images.

And in the eighth year of his reign, when he was yet a boy, he began to seek the God of his father David: and in the twelfth year after he began to reign, he cleansed Juda and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the idols, and the graven things.

4 And they threw down before him, the altars of the Baalim, and, the sun-pillars which were on high above them, he hewed down, —and, the Sacred Stems and the carved images and the molten images, brake he in pieces and ground to dust, and tossed over the face of the graves, of them who had been sacrificing unto them.

And they broke down before him the altars of Baalim, and demolished the idols that had been set upon them: and be cut down the groves and the graven things, and broke them in pieces: and strewed the fragments upon the graves of them that had sacrificed to them.

5 And, the bones of the priests, burned he upon their altars, —and so purified Judah and Jerusalem:

And he burnt the bones of the priests on the altars of the idols, and he cleansed Juda and Jerusalem.

6 also throughout the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon, even as far as Naphtali, —searched he their houses, round about.

And in the cities of Manasses, and of Ephraim, and of Simeon, even to Nephtali he demolished all.

7 And, when he had thrown down the altars and the Sacred Stems, and, the images, he had beaten to powder, and, the sun-pillars, he had hewn down throughout all the land of Israel, then returned he to Jerusalem.

And when he had destroyed the altars, and the groves, and had broken the idols in pieces, and had demolished all profane temples throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.

8 And, in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purified the land and the house, he sent Shaphan son of Azaliah and Maaseiah the ruler of the city and Joah son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of Yahweh his God.

Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had cleansed the land, and the temple of the Lord, he sent Saphan the son of Eselias, and Maasias the governor of the city, Joha the son of Joachaz the recorder, to repair the house of the Lord his God.

9 So they went in unto Hilkiah the high priest, and delivered the silver that had been brought into the house of God, which the Levites who kept the entrance-hall had collected from the hand of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Israel, and from all Judah and Benjamin, —and returned to Jerusalem.

And they came to Helcias the high priest: and received of him the money which had been brought into the house of the Lord, and which the Levites and porters had gathered together from Manasses, and Ephraim, and all the remnant of Israel, and from all Juda, and Benjamin, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem,

10 And the overseers in the house of Yahweh, delivered it into the hand of the doer of the work, —yea they delivered it to the doers of the work, because they were working in the house of Yahweh, in searching and repairing the house:

Which they delivered into the hands of them that were over the workmen in the house of the Lord, to repair the temple, and mend all that was weak.

11 yea they delivered it to the artificers and to the builders, to buy carved stones and timbers for the joinings, —and to build up the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed.

But they gave it to the artificers, and to the masons, to buy stones out of the quarries, and timber for the couplings of the building, and to rafter the houses, which the kings of Juda had destroyed.

12 Now, the men, were working faithfully in the work, and over them as overseers, were—Jahath and Obadiah, Levites, of the sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to preside, —and Levites, all who had understanding in instruments of song;

And they did all faithfully. Now the overseers of the workmen were Jahath and Abdias of the sons of Merari, Zacharias and Mosollam of the sons of Caath, who hastened the work: all Levites skillful to play on instruments.

13 also over the burden-bearers, and such as took the lead, for everyone who was working in any manner of service, —and, of the Levites, were scribes and officers and doorkeepers.

But over them that carried burdens for divers uses, were scribes, and masters of the number of the Levites, and porters.

14 Now, as they were taking out the silver which had been brought into the house of Yahweh, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of Yahweh, by the hand of Moses.

Now when they carried out the money that had been brought into the temple of the Lord, Helcias the priest found the book of the law of the Lord, by the hand of Moses.

15 Then spake up Hilkiah, and said unto Shaphan the scribe, The Book of the Law, have I found, in the house of Yahweh, —and Hilkiah gave the book unto Shaphan.

And he said to Saphan the scribe: I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord: and he delivered it to him.

16 Then Shaphan took in the book unto the king, and returned yet further unto the king a message, saying, —All that was delivered into the hand of thy servants, they are doing;

But he carried the book to the king, and told him, saying: Lo, all that thou hast committed to thy servants, is accomplished.

17 and they have poured out the silver, that was found in the house of Yahweh, and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers, and into the hand of the doers of the work.

They have gathered together the silver that was found in the house of the Lord: and it is given to the overseers of the artificers, and of the workmen, for divers works.

18 Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, A book, hath Hilkiah the priest given to me. And Shaphan, read therein, before the king.

Moreover Helcias the priest gave me this book. And he read 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 when he had heard the words of the law, he rent his garments:

20 Then did the king command Hilkiah—and Ahikam son of Shaphan—and Abdon son of Micah—and Shaphan the scribe—and Asaiah servant of the king, saying:

And he commanded Helcias, and Ahicam the son of Saphan, and Abdon the son of Micha, and Saphan the scribe, and Asaa the king’s servant, saying:

21 Go, enquire of Yahweh for me, and for the remnant in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book which hath been found, —for great is the wrath of Yahweh, which hath been poured out upon us, because our fathers, kept not, the word of Yahweh, to do according to all that is written in this book.

Go, and pray to the Lord for me, and for the remnant of Israel, and Juda, concerning all the words of this book, which is found: for the great wrath of the Lord hath fallen upon us, because our fathers have not kept the words of the Lord, to do all things that are written in this book.

22 So Hilkiah and they whom the king had named went into Huldah the prophetess, wife of Shallum son of Tokhath son of Hasrah keeper of the wardrobe, she, having her dwelling in Jerusalem, in the new city, —and they spake unto her accordingly.

And Helcias and they that were sent with him by the king, went to Olda the prophetess, the wife of Sellum the son of Thecuath, the son of Hasra keeper of the wardrobe: who dwelt in Jerusalem in the Second part: and they spoke to her the words above mentioned.

23 And she said unto them, Thus, saith Yahweh God of Israel, —Say ye unto the man who hath sent you unto me:

And she answered them: Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel: Tell the man that sent you to me:

24 Thus, saith Yahweh, Behold me bringing in calamity upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, -even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah:

Thus saith the Lord: Behold I will bring evils upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, and all the curses that are written in this book which they read before the king of Juda.

25 Because they have forsaken me, and burned incense unto other gods, so as to provoke me to anger, with all the works of their hands, therefore hath my wrath been poured out upon this place, and shall not be quenched.

Because they have forsaken me, and have sacrificed to strange gods, to provoke me to wrath with all the works of their hands, therefore my wrath shall fall upon this place, and shall not be quenched.

26 But, unto the king of Judah, who hath sent you to enquire of Yahweh, thus, shall ye say unto him, —Thus, saith Yahweh God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard:

But as to the king of Juda that sent you to beseech the Lord, thus shall you say to him: Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel: Because thou hast heard the words of this book,

27 Because tender was thy heart, and thou didst humble thyself before God when thou heardest his words against this place and against the inhabitants thereof, and didst humble thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes and weep before me, therefore, I also, have heard, is the declaration of Yahweh.

And thy heart was softened. and thou hast humbled thyself in the sight of God for the things that are spoken against this place, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and reverencing my face, hast rent thy garments, and wept before me: I also have heard thee, saith the Lord.

28 Behold me! gathering thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered unto thy sepulchres in peace, and thine eyes shall not look upon all the calamity which, I, am bringing in upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof. And they returned, unto the king, the message.

For now I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be brought to thy tomb in peace: and thy eyes shall not see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and the inhabitants thereof. They therefore reported to the king all that she had said.

29 Then the king sent, —and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.

And he called together all the ancients of Juda and Jerusalem.

30 And the king went up to the house of Yahweh—and all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem—and the priests and the Levites, and all the people, from the great even unto the small, —and he read in their ears, all the words of the book of the covenant, which had been found in the house of Yahweh.

And went up to the house of the Lord, and all the men of Juda, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the Levites, and all the people from the least to the greatest. And the king read in their hearing, in the house of the Lord, all the words of the book.

31 And the king stood in his place, and solemnised the covenant before Yahweh, to walk after Yahweh, 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 standing up in his tribunal, he made a covenant before the Lord to walk after him, and keep his commandments, and testimonies, and justifications with all his heart, and with all his soul, and to do the things that were written in that book which he had read.

32 And he caused to take a stand, all that were present in Jerusalem, and Benjamin, —and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.

And he adjured all that were found in Jerusalem and Benjamin to do the same: and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of the Lord the God of their fathers.

33 And Josiah removed all the abominations, out of all the lands which belonged to the sons of Israel, and caused all that were present in Jerusalem to serve, yea to serve, Yahweh their God, —all his days, turned they not aside from following Yahweh, God of their fathers.

And Josias took away all the abominations out of all the countries of the children of Israel: and made all that were left in Israel, to serve the Lord their God. As long as he lived they departed not from the Lord the God of their fathers.