2 Chronicles 34
1 Josie was of eiyte yeer, whanne he bigan to regne, and he regnede in Jerusalem oon and thritti yeer.
Josiah was eight when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for thirty-one years.
2 And he dide that, that was riytful in the siyt of the Lord; and yede in the waies of Dauid, his fadir, and bowide not to the riyt side nether to the left side.
He did what was right in the Lord's sight and followed the ways of his forefather David—he did not deviate to the right or to the left.
3 Forsothe in the eiytethe yeer of the rewme of his empire, whanne he was yit a child, he bigan to seke God of his fadir Dauid; and in the tweluethe yeer after that he bigan, he clenside Juda and Jerusalem fro hiy places, and wodis, and similacris, and grauun ymagis.
In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, Josiah began to publicly worship the God of David his forefather, and in the twelfth year of his reign he began to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem by removing the high places, the Asherah poles, the carved idols, and the metal images.
4 And thei destrieden bifor hym the auteris of Baalym, and thei destrieden the symylacris, that weren put aboue. Also he hewide doun the wodis, and grauun ymagis, and brak to smale gobetis; and scateride abrood `the smale gobetis on the birielis of hem, that weren wont to offre `to tho.
He had the altars of Baal torn down in front of him, and the incense altars above them cut down. In addition, the Asherah poles, the carved idols, and the metal images were smashed to pieces and scattered over the graves of those who had been sacrificing to them.
5 Ferthermore he brente the boonys of preestis in the auteris of idols, and he clenside Juda and Jerusalem.
He burned the bones of the idolatrous priests on their altars. In this way he cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.
6 But also he destriede alle idols in the citees of Manasses, and of Effraym, and of Symeon, `til to Neptalym.
Josiah repeated this in the towns of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, all the way to Naphtali, and in their surrounding areas.
7 And whanne he hadde scateride the auteris, and hadde al to-broke in to gobetis the wodis, and grauun ymagis, and hadde destried alle templis of ydols fro al the lond of Israel, he turnede ayen in to Jerusalem.
He tore down the altars and crushed the Asherah poles and the images to dust, and cut down all the incense altars across the whole land of Israel. Then he went back to Jerusalem.
8 Therfor in the eiytenthe yeer of his rewme, whanne the lond and temple `of the Lord was clensid nowe, he sente Saphan, the sone of Helchie, and Masie, the prince of the citee, and Joa, the sone of Joachaz, chaunceler, that thei schulden reparele the hous `of his Lord God.
In the eighteenth year of his reign, once he had finished cleansing the land and the Temple, Josiah sent Shaphan, son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the city governor, and Joah, son of Joahaz, the record-keeper, to repair the Temple of the Lord his God.
9 Whiche camen to Helchie, the grete preest; and whanne thei hadden take of hym the money, which was brouyt in to the hows of the Lord; and which monei the dekenes and porteris hadden gaderid of Manasses, and of Effraym, and of alle the residue men of Israel, and of al Juda and Beniamyn, and of the dwelleris of Jerusalem,
They went to Hilkiah the high priest and gave him the money that had been brought to God's Temple. The Levites at the entrances had collected this money from the people of Manasseh and Ephraim, from what was left of the people of Israel, as well as contributions from Judah, Benjamin, and the people of Jerusalem.
10 thei yauen it in the hondis of hem that weren souereyns of the werk men in the hows of the Lord, that thei schulden restore the temple, and reparele alle feble thingis.
They handed it over to those who were supervising the repair work on Lord's Temple, who in turn paid the workmen doing the restoring and repairing.
11 And thei yauen that monei to the crafti men and masouns, for to bie stoonys hewid out of the `delues, ether quarreris, and trees to the ioynyngis of the bildyng, and to the coupling of housis, whiche the kingis of Juda hadden destried.
They also paid carpenters and builders to buy cut stone, as well as timber for joists and beams for the buildings that the kings of Judah had let deteriorate.
12 Whiche men diden feithfuli alle thingis. Sotheli the souereyns of worcheris weren Jabath, and Abdie, of the sones of Merari; Zacarie, and Mosallam, of the sones of Caath; whiche hastiden the werk; alle weren dekenes, kunnynge to synge with orguns.
The men did good, honest work. In charge of them were Jahath and Obadiah, Levites from the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, Levites from the sons of the Kohathites. The Levites, all skilled musicians,
13 Sotheli ouer them that baren birthuns to dyuerse vsis weren the scribis, and maistris of the dekenes, and porteris.
were in charge of the workmen and directed everyone involved, depending on what was required. Some of the Levites were scribes, some officers, and some gatekeepers.
14 And whanne thei baren out the monei, that was borun in to the temple of the Lord, Helchie, `the preest, foond the book of the lawe of the Lord bi the hond of Moises.
In the process of taking out the money donated to the Lord's Temple, Hilkiah the priest discovered the Book of the Lord's Law written down by Moses.
15 And he seide to Saphan, the writere, Y haue founde the book of the lawe in the hows of the Lord.
Hilkiah told Shaphan the scribe, “I've found the Book of the Law in the Lord's Temple.” He gave it to Shaphan.
16 And Helchie took to Saphan, and he bar in the book to the king; and telde to hym, and seide, Lo! alle thingis ben fillid, whiche thou hast youe in to the hondis of thi seruauntis.
Shaphan took the book to the king and told him, “We your servants are doing everything we were instructed to do.
17 Thei han wellyd togidere the siluere, which is foundun in the hous of the Lord; and it is youun to the souereyns of the crafti men, and makynge dyuerse werkis;
The money collected at the Lord's Temple has been handed over to those who are supervising the workers, paying them to do the repairs.”
18 ferthermore Helchie, the preest, took to me this book. And whanne he hadde rehersid this book in the presence of the kyng,
Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, “Hilkiah the priest gave me this book.” Shaphan read it to the king.
19 and he hadde herd the wordis of the lawe, he to-rente hise clothis; and he comaundide to Helchie,
When the king heard what the Law said, he tore his clothes.
20 and to Aichan, the sone of Saphan, and to Abdon, the sone of Mycha, and to Saphan, the scryuen, and to Asaie, the seruaunt of the kyng,
Then he issue the following orders to Hilkiah, Ahikam, son of Shaphan, Abdon, son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah, the king's assistant:
21 and seide, Go ye, and preie the Lord for me, and for the resydue men of Israel and of Juda, on alle the wordis of this book, which is foundun. For greet veniaunce of the Lord hath droppid on vs, for oure fadris kepten not the wordis of the Lord, to do alle thingis that ben writun in this book.
“Go and talk to the Lord for me, and also for those who still live in Israel and Judah, about what is said in the book that's been found. For the Lord must be really angry with us because our forefathers have not obeyed the Lord's instructions by following all that's written in this book.”
22 Therfor Helchie yede, and thei that weren sent togidere of the king, to Olda, the prophetesse, the wijf of Sellum, sone of Thecuath, sone of Asra, kepere of clothis, which Olda dwellide in Jerusalem in the secounde warde; and thei spaken to hir the wordis, whiche we telden bifore.
Hilkiah and those the king had selected went and talked with Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum, son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, custodian of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the city's second quarter.
23 And sche answeride to hem, The Lord God of Israel seith these thingis, Seie ye to the man, that sente you to me,
Huldah told them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me,
24 The Lord seith these thingis, Lo! Y schal brynge ynne yuels on this place, and on the dwelleris therof, and alle the cursyngis that ben writun in this book, which thei redden bifor the kyng of Juda.
this is what the Lord says: I am about to bring disaster down on this place and on its people, in accordance with all the curses written in the book that has been read to the king of Judah.
25 For thei han forsake me, and han sacrified to alien goddis, for to terre me to wrathfulnesse in alle the werkis of her hondis; therfor my strong veniaunce schal droppe on this place, and it schal not be quenchid.
They have abandoned me and offered sacrifices to other gods, making me angry by everything they've done. My anger will be poured out upon this place and will not be stopped.
26 But speke ye thus to the kyng of Juda, that sente you to preye the Lord, The Lord God of Israel seith these thingis, For thou herdist the wordis of the book,
But tell the king of Judah who sent you to ask the Lord, tell him this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: As for the what you heard read to you—
27 and thin herte is maad neisch, and thou art mekid in the siyt of the Lord of these thingis that ben seide ayens this place and the dwelleris of Jerusalem, and thou hast reuerensid my face, and hast to-rente thi clothis, and hast wepte bifor me; also Y haue herd thee, seith the Lord.
because you were receptive and repentant before God when you heard his warnings against this place and against its people, and because you have repented, tearing your clothes and weeping before me, I have also heard you, declares the Lord.
28 For now Y schal gadere thee to thi fadris, and thou schalt be borun in to thi sepulcre in pees; and thin iyen schulen not se al yuel, which Y schal brynge yn on this place, and on the dwelleris therof. Therfor thei telden to the king alle thingis, whiche Olda hadde seid.
All this will not happen until after you have died, and you will die in peace. You will not see all the disaster that I'm going to bring down on this place and on its inhabitants.” They went back to the king and gave him her response.
29 And aftir that he hadde clepid togidere alle the eldere men of Juda and of Jerusalem,
Then the king summoned all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.
30 he stiede in to the hows of the Lord, and togidere alle the men of Juda, `and the dwelleris of Jerusalem, preestis, and dekenes, and al the puple, fro the leeste `til to the moste; to whiche herynge in the hows of the Lord, the kyng redde alle the wordis of the book.
He went to the Lord's Temple with all the people of Judah and Jerusalem, together with the priests and the Levites, all the people from the least to the greatest, and he read to them the whole Book of the Agreement that had been discovered in the Lord's Temple.
31 And he stood in his trone, and smoot a boond of pees bifor the Lord, for to `go aftir hym, and to kepe the comaundementis, and witnessyngis, and iustifiyngis of hym, in al his herte and in al his soule; and to do tho thingis that weren writun in that book, which he hadde red.
The king stood by the pillar and made a solemn agreement before the Lord to follow him and to keep his commandments, laws, and regulations with total dedication, and to observe the requirements of the agreement as written in the book.
32 And he chargide greetli on this thing alle men, that weren foundun in Jerusalem and Beniamyn; and the dwellers of Jerusalem diden aftir the couenaunt of the Lord God of her fadris.
Then he had everyone present from Jerusalem and Benjamin stand up to show they agreed to it. So all the people of Jerusalem accepted and followed the agreement with God, the God of their forefathers.
33 Therfor Josie dide awei alle abhomynaciouns fro alle the cuntreis of the sones of Israel; and he made alle men, that weren residue in Israel, to serue her Lord God; in alle the daies of his lijf thei yeden not awei fro the Lord God of her fadris.
Josiah demolished all the vile idols from the whole territory belonging to the Israelites, and he made everyone in Israel serve the Lord their God. During his reign they did not give up worshiping the Lord, the God of their fathers.
