2 Chronicles 34

1 Josiah was eight years old when he became the king [of Judah]. He ruled from Jerusalem for 31 years.

[was] a son of Eight years Josiah when became king he and thirty and one year[s] he reigned in Jerusalem.

2 He did things that were pleasing to Yahweh and conducted his life like his ancestor King David had done. He fully obeyed [IDM] all the laws of God.

And he did the right in [the] eyes of Yahweh and he walked in [the] ways of David ancestor his and not he turned aside right and left.

3 When he had been ruling for almost eight years, while he was still a young man, he began to worship God like his ancestor [King] David had done. Four years later, he began to get rid of all the pagan shrines on hilltops in Jerusalem and in [other places in] Judah, and the poles to [honor the goddess] Asherah, and the carved idols and statues of gods.

And in eight years of reigning his and he still he [was] a youth he began to seek [the] God of David ancestor his and in two [plus] ten year he began to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem from the high places and the Asherah poles and the idols and the molten images.

4 While he directed them, his workers tore down the altars where people worshiped Baal. They smashed the altars that were near those altars, where people burned incense. They smashed the poles [honor the goddess] Asherah and the idols and statues. They smashed them to bits and scattered the bits over the graves of those who had offered sacrifices to them.

And people pulled down before him [the] altars of the Baals and the incense altars which [were] upwards above them he cut down and the Asherah poles and the idols and the molten images he broke in pieces and he pulverized [them] and he sprinkled [them] on [the] surface of the graves who sacrificed to them.

5 They burned the bones of the priests [who had offered sacrifices]; they burned them on their own altars. In that way Josiah caused Jerusalem and other places in Judah to be acceptable places to worship Yahweh again.

And [the] bones of priests he burned on (altars their *Q(K)*) and he cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.

6 In the towns in [the tribes of] Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, and as far [north] as [the tribe of] Naphtali and in the ruins around all those towns,

And in [the] cities of Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon and to Naphtali (in [the] hill country of with swords their *Q(K)*) all around.

7 Josiah’s [workers] tore down the pagan altars and the poles to [honor the goddess] Asherah, and crushed the idols to powder. They also smashed to pieces all the altars for burning incense throughout Israel. Then Josiah returned to Jerusalem.

And he pulled down the altars and the Asherah poles and the idols he crushed to pulverize and all the incense altars he cut down in all [the] land of Israel and he returned to Jerusalem.

8 When Josiah had been ruling for almost 18 years, he [did something else to] cause the land and the temple to be acceptable places to worship Yahweh. He sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah and Maaseiah the governor of the city and Joah the son of Joahaz, who wrote on a scroll what happened in the city, to repair the temple of Yahweh.

And in year eight-teen of reigning his to cleanse the land and the house he sent Shaphan [the] son Azaliah and Maaseiah [the] official of the city and Joah [the] son of Joahaz the recorder to repair [the] house of Yahweh God his.

9 They went to Hilkiah the Supreme Priest and gave him the money that had been brought to the temple. That was the money that the descendants of Levi who guarded the doors of the temple had collected from the people of [the tribes of] Manasseh and Ephraim and [other places in northern] Israel, and also from all the people in Jerusalem and other places in the tribes of Judah and Benjamin.

And they went to Hilkiah - the priest great and they gave the money which had been brought [the] house of God which they had gathered the Levites [the] keepers of the threshold from [the] hand of Manasseh and Ephraim and from all [the] remnant of Israel and from all Judah and Benjamin (and they returned of *Q(K)*) Jerusalem.

10 Then Hilkiah gave some of the money to the men who had been appointed to supervise the work of repairing the temple. The supervisors paid the men who did the repair work.

And they gave [it] on [the] hand of [the] doer of the work who were appointed in [the] house of Yahweh and they gave it [the] doers of the work who [were] working in [the] house of Yahweh to mend and to repair the house.

11 They also gave some of the money to the carpenters and builders to buy the cut stones and the timber for the joists and the beams for the buildings that the kings of Judah had allowed to decay.

And they gave [it] to the craftsmen and to the builders to buy stones of hewing and wood for the clamps and to make beams for the houses which they had ruined [the] kings of Judah.

12 The workers did their work faithfully. Their supervisors were Jahath and Obadiah, who were descendants of [Levi’s son] Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, who were descendants of [Levi’s son] Kohath. All the other descendants of Levi, those who played musical instruments well,

And the men [were] working in faithfulness in the work and over them - [were] appointed Jahath and Obadiah the Levites of [the] descendants of Merari and Zechariah and Meshullam of [the] descendants of the Kohathites to act as overseers and the Levites every [one who] was skilled in instruments of song.

13 supervised all the workers as they did their various jobs. Some of the descendants of Levi were secretaries and some kept records and some guarded the gates [of the temple].

[were] over The burden-bearers and [were] acting as overseers of every doer of work for labor and labor and some of the Levites [were] scribes and officials and gatekeepers.

14 While they were giving to the supervisors the money that had been taken to the temple, Hilkiah the [Supreme] Priest found a scroll on which were written the laws that Yahweh had told Moses to give to the people.

And when brought out they the money which had been brought [the] house of Yahweh he found Hilkiah the priest [the] scroll of [the] law of Yahweh by [the] hand of Moses.

15 So Hilkiah said to Shaphan, “I have found in the temple a scroll on which are written the laws [that God gave to Moses]!” Then Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan.

And he answered Hilkiah and he said to Shaphan the scribe [the] scroll of the law I have found in [the] house of Yahweh and he gave Hilkiah the scroll to Shaphan.

16 Shaphan [took the scroll] to the king and said to him, “Your officials are doing everything that you told them to do.

And he brought Shaphan the scroll to the king and he brought back again the king a word saying all that it was given in [the] hand of servants your they [are] doing.

17 They have taken the money that was in the temple, and they have given it to the men who will supervise the workers who will repair the temple.”

And they have poured out the money which was found in [the] house of Yahweh and they have put it on [the] hand of those [who] were appointed and on [the] hand of [the] doers of the work.

18 Then Shaphan said to the king, “[I have brought to you] a scroll [that] Hilkiah gave to me.” And Shaphan started to read it to the king.

And he told Shaphan the scribe to the king saying a scroll he has given to me Hilkiah the priest and he read aloud in it Shaphan before the king.

19 When the king heard the laws [that were written in the scroll], he tore his clothes [because he was very dismayed/worried].

And it was when heard the king [the] words of the law and he tore clothes his.

20 Then he gave these instructions to Hilkiah, to Shaphan’s son Ahikam, to Micah’s son Abdon, to Shaphan, and to Asaiah the king’s special advisor:

And he commanded the king Hilkiah and Ahikam [the] son of Shaphan and Abdon [the] son of Micah and - Shaphan the scribe and Asaiah [the] servant of the king saying.

21 “Go and ask Yahweh for me, and for all his people who are still alive in Judah and Israel, about what is written in this scroll that has been found. Because [it is clear that] Yahweh is very angry with us because our ancestors disobeyed what Yahweh said; they did not obey the laws that are written on this scroll.”

Go consult Yahweh for me and for the remnant among Israel and among Judah on [the] words of the scroll which it has been found for [is] great [the] anger of Yahweh which it has been poured out on us on that not they took care ancestors our [the] word of Yahweh to observe according to every [thing] written on the scroll this.

22 So Hilkiah and the others went to talk with a woman whose name was Huldah, who was a prophetess who lived in the newer part of Jerusalem. Her husband Shallum who was the son of Tikvah, took care of the robes that were worn [in the temple].

And he went Hilkiah and [those] whom the king to Huldah the prophetess [the] wife of - Shallum [the] son of (Tokhath *Q(K)*) [the] son of Hasrah [the] keeper of the garments and she [was] dwelling in Jerusalem in the second district and they spoke to her like this.

23 [When they told her what the king had said, ] she said to them, “This is what Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship], says: ‘Go back and tell the king who sent you

And she said to them thus he says Yahweh [the] God of Israel say to the man who he sent you to me.

24 that this is what Yahweh says: “Listen to this carefully. I am going to cause a disaster to strike Jerusalem and all the people who live here. I will cause them to experience the curses that were written in the scroll that was read to the king of Judah.

Thus he says Yahweh here I [am] about to bring harm on the place this and on inhabitants its all the curses which are written on the scroll which people have read aloud before [the] king of Judah.

25 I will do that because they have rejected me, and they burn incense to [honor] other gods. They have caused me to become very angry because of all the idols that they have made (OR, because of all the wicked things that they have done), [and my anger is like] a fire that will not be extinguished.

Because - that they have forsaken me (and they have made smoke *Q(K)*) to gods other so as to provoke to anger me by all [the] works of hands their so it may pour forth rage my on the place this and not it will be quenched.

26 The king of Judah sent you to ask what I, Yahweh, want. Go and tell him that this is what I, Yahweh, the God whom you Israelis worship, say about what you read:

And to [the] king of Judah who sent you to consult Yahweh thus you will say to him. Thus he says Yahweh [the] God of Israel the words which you have heard.

27 “Because you heeded [what was written in the scroll], and you humbled yourself when you heard what I said to warn [about what would happen to] this city and the people who live here, and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you.

Because it was soft heart your and you humbled yourself - from to before God when hearing you words his on the place this and on inhabitants its and you humbled yourself before me and you tore clothes your and you wept before me and also I I have heard [the] utterance of Yahweh.

28 So I will allow you to die and be buried peacefully. I will cause a great disaster to strike this place and the people who live here, but you will not [be alive to] see it.”’” So they reported her reply to the king.

Here I [will] gather you to ancestors your and you will be gathered to grave your in peace and not they will look eyes your on all the distress which I [am] about to bring on the place this and on inhabitants its and they brought back the king word.

29 Then the king summoned all the elders of Jerusalem and [other places in] Judea.

And he sent the king and he gathered all [the] elders of Judah and Jerusalem.

30 They went up together to the temple with the leaders of Judah and many other people of Jerusalem and the priests and other descendants of Levi, from the least important to the most important ones. And while they listened, the king read to them everything that was in the scroll containing God’s laws that had been found in the temple.

And he went up the king [the] house of Yahweh and every person of Judah and [the] inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and the Levites and all the people from great and unto small and he read aloud in ears their all [the] words of [the] scroll of the covenant which had been found [the] house of Yahweh.

31 Then the king stood next to the pillar [at the entrance to the temple, where kings stood when they announced something important], and while Yahweh was listening, he repeated his promise to very sincerely and completely obey Yahweh and all his commands and regulations and decrees that were written on the scroll.

And he stood the king at place his and he made the covenant before Yahweh to walk after Yahweh and to keep commandments his and testimonies his and statutes his with all heart his and with all being his to observe [the] words of the covenant which was written on the scroll this.

32 Then the king said that everyone who lived in Jerusalem and from [the tribe of] Benjamin should promise that they also would obey those laws. And they did that, agreeing that they would keep the agreement that God, whom their ancestors had worshiped, had made with them.

And he made stand every [one who] was found in Jerusalem and Benjamin and they did [the] inhabitants of Jerusalem according to [the] covenant of God [the] God of ancestors their.

33 Josiah [instructed his workers to] remove all the detestable idols from everywhere in the land of the Israeli people, and he commanded that all the people from Israel who were there should worship [only] Yahweh their God. And as long as Josiah was alive, the people did what was pleasing to Yahweh, the God whom their ancestors [worshiped].

And he removed Josiah all the abominations from all the lands which [belonged] to [the] people of Israel and he made to serve every [one who] was found in Israel to serve Yahweh God their all days his not they turned aside from after Yahweh [the] God of ancestors their.