Ii Paralipomenon 34
1 Octo annorum erat Iosias cum regnare coepisset, et triginta et uno anno regnavit in Ierusalem.
Josiah was eight years old when he became the king [of Judah]. He ruled from Jerusalem for 31 years.
2 Fecitque quod erat rectum in conspectu Domini, et ambulavit in viis David patris sui: non declinavit neque ad dextram, neque ad sinistram.
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.
3 Octavo autem anno regni sui, cum adhuc esset puer, coepit quaerere Deum patris sui David: et duodecimo anno postquam coeperat, mundavit Iuda et Ierusalem ab excelsis, et lucis, simulacrisque et sculptilibus.
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.
4 Destruxeruntque coram eo aras Baalim: et simulacra, quae superposita fuerant, demoliti sunt: lucos etiam, et sculptilia succidit atque comminuit: et super tumulos eorum, qui eis immolare consueverant, fragmenta dispersit.
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.
5 Ossa praeterea sacerdotum combussit in altaribus idolorum, mundavitque Iuda et Ierusalem.
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.
6 Sed et in urbibus Manasse, et Ephraim, et Simeon, usque Nephthali cuncta subvertit.
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,
7 Cumque altaria dissipasset, et lucos, et sculptilia contrivisset in frustra, cunctaque delubra demolitus esset de universa Terra Israel, reversus est in Ierusalem.
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.
8 Igitur anno octavodecimo regni sui, mundata iam terra, et templo Domini, misit Saphan filium Eseliae, et Maasiam principem civitatis, et Ioha filium Ioachaz a commentariis, ut instaurarent domum Domini Dei sui.
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.
9 Qui venerunt ad Helciam Sacerdotem magnum: acceptamque ab eo pecuniam, quae illata fuerat in domum Domini, et quam congregaverant Levitae, et ianitores de Manasse, et Ephraim, et universis reliquiis Israel, ab omni quoque Iuda, et Beniamin, et habitatoribus Ierusalem,
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.
10 tradiderunt in manibus eorum, qui praeerant operariis in domo Domini ut instaurarent templum, et infirma quaeque sarcirent.
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.
11 At illi dederunt eam artificibus, et caementariis ut emerent lapides de lapicidinis, et ligna ad commissuras aedificii, et ad contignationem domorum, quas destruxerant reges Iuda.
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.
12 Qui fideliter cuncta faciebant. Erant autem praepositi operantium, Iahath et Abdias de filiis Merari, Zacharias et Mosollam de filiis Caath, qui urgebant opus: omnes Levitae scientes organis canere.
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,
13 Super eos vero, qui ad diversos usus onera portabant, erant scribae, et magistri de Levitis ianitores.
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].
14 Cumque efferrent pecuniam, quae illata fuerat in templum Domini, reperit Helcias Sacerdos Librum legis Domini per manum Moysi.
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.
15 Et ait ad Saphan scribam: Librum legis inveni in domo Domini: et tradidit ei.
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.
16 At ille intulit volumen ad regem, et nunciavit ei dicens: Omnia, quae dedisti in manu servorum tuorum, ecce complentur.
Shaphan [took the scroll] to the king and said to him, “Your officials are doing everything that you told them to do.
17 Argentum, quod repertum est in domo Domini, conflaverunt: datumque est praefectis artificum, et diversa opera fabricantium.
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.”
18 Praeterea tradidit mihi Helcias sacerdos hunc librum. Quem cum rege praesente recitasset,
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.
19 audissetque ille verba legis, scidit vestimenta sua:
When the king heard the laws [that were written in the scroll], he tore his clothes [because he was very dismayed/worried].
20 et praecepit Helciae, et Ahicam filio Saphan, et Abdon filio Micha, Saphan quoque scribae, et Asaae servo regis, dicens:
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:
21 Ite, et orate Dominum pro me, et pro reliquiis Israel, et Iuda, super universis sermonibus Libri istius, qui repertus est: magnus enim furor Domini stillavit super nos, eo quod non custodierint patres nostri verba Domini ut facerent omnia, quae scripta sunt in isto volumine.
“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.”
22 Abiit ergo Helcias, et hi qui simul a rege missi fuerant, ad Oldam prophetidem, uxorem Sellum filii Thecuath, filii Hasra custodis vestium: quae habitabat in Ierusalem in Secunda: et locuti sunt ei verba, quae supra narravimus.
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].
23 At illa respondit eis: Haec dicit Dominus Deus Israel: Dicite viro, qui misit vos ad me:
[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
24 Haec dicit Dominus: Ecce ego inducam mala super locum istum, et super habitatores eius, cunctaque maledicta, quae scripta sunt in Libro hoc, quem legerunt coram rege Iuda.
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.
25 Quia dereliquerunt me, et sacrificaverunt diis alienis, ut me ad iracundiam provocarent in cunctis operibus manuum suarum, idcirco stillabit furor meus super locum istum, et non extinguetur.
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.
26 Ad regem autem Iuda, qui misit vos pro Domino deprecando, sic loquimini: Haec dicit Dominus Deus Israel: Quoniam audisti verba voluminis,
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:
27 atque emollitum est cor tuum, et humiliatus es in conspectu Domini super his, quae dicta sunt contra locum hunc, et habitatores Ierusalem, reveritusque faciem meam, scidisti vestimenta tua, et flevisti coram me: ego quoque exaudivi te, dicit Dominus.
“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.
28 Iam enim colligam te ad patres tuos, et infereris in sepulchrum tuum in pace: nec videbunt oculi tui omne malum, quod ego inducturus sum super locum istum, et super habitatores eius. Retulerunt itaque regi cuncta quae dixerat.
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.
29 At ille convocatis universis maioribus natu Iuda et Ierusalem,
Then the king summoned all the elders of Jerusalem and [other places in] Judea.
30 ascendit in domum Domini, unaque omnes viri Iuda et habitatores Ierusalem, Sacerdotes et Levitae, et cunctus populus a minimo usque ad maximum. Quibus audientibus in domo Domini, legit rex omnia verba voluminis:
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.
31 et stans in tribunali suo, percussit foedus coram Domino ut ambularet post eum, et custodiret praecepta, et testimonia, et iustificationes eius in toto corde suo, et in tota anima sua, faceretque quae scripta sunt in volumine illo, quod legerat.
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.
32 Adiuravit quoque super hoc omnes, qui reperti fuerant in Ierusalem, et Beniamin: et fecerunt habitatores Ierusalem iuxta pactum Domini Dei patrum suorum.
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.
33 Abstulit ergo Iosias cunctas abominationes de universis regionibus filiorum Israel: et fecit omnes, qui residui erant in Israel, servire Domino Deo suo. Cunctis diebus eius non recesserunt a Domino Deo patrum suorum.
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].
