2 Chronicles 34

Josiah Purges Judah and Repairs the Temple

1Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. 2He did what was right in the eyes of Yahweh, walking in the ways of his forefather David without swerving to the right or to the left. 3It was in the eighth year of his reign, when he was still a boy, that he began to seek the God of his forefather David; and in the twelfth year he set about clearing Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherah poles, the carved images and the cast idols. 4In his presence they pulled down the altars of the Baals, and he cut to pieces the incense stands that stood above them. The Asherah poles, the carved images and the cast idols he shattered and ground to dust, and he scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 5The bones of the priests he burned on their own altars; in this way he purged Judah and Jerusalem. 6He did the same in the towns of Manasseh, Ephraim and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, amid their ruins on every side. 7He broke down the altars and the Asherah poles, crushed the carved images to powder and cut down every incense stand throughout the land of Israel. Then he went back to Jerusalem. 8The eighteenth year of his reign, with the land and the temple now purified, he dispatched Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the city governor and Joah son of Joahaz the recorder to put the house of Yahweh his God back in repair. 9They came to Hilkiah the high priest and handed over the silver that had been brought into the house of God, which the Levites who guarded the threshold had gathered from Manasseh and Ephraim, from all the remnant of Israel, and from all Judah and Benjamin; then they returned to Jerusalem.* 10They put it into the hands of those who did the work, the men appointed over the house of Yahweh; and the workmen at work in the house of Yahweh paid it out for the mending and strengthening of the building. 11They gave it to the craftsmen and the builders to buy dressed stone, and timber for the joists and rafters of the buildings that the kings of Judah had ruined. 12The men did the work faithfully. Over them were set Jahath and Obadiah, Levites of the sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam of the sons of the Kohathites, to direct it; and there were Levites, every one of them skilled with musical instruments. 13They also had charge of the load-bearers and directed all who worked at any task; and some of the Levites served as scribes, officers and gatekeepers.

The Book of the Law and the Word of Huldah

14As they were bringing out the silver that had been brought into the house of Yahweh, Hilkiah the priest found the book of the law of Yahweh given through Moses. 15Hilkiah told Shaphan the secretary, “In the house of Yahweh I have found the book of the law.” Then he passed the book to Shaphan. 16Shaphan carried the book to the king and brought him this report as well: “Your servants are carrying out everything placed in their charge. 17They have poured out the silver found in the house of Yahweh and put it into the hands of the overseers and of the workers.” 18Shaphan the secretary went on to inform the king, “A book has been given me by Hilkiah the priest.” And Shaphan read aloud from it before the king. 19The moment the king heard the words of the law, he tore his garments. 20The king then gave this order to Hilkiah, to Ahikam son of Shaphan, to Abdon son of Micah, to Shaphan the secretary and to Asaiah the king’s servant: 21“Go, inquire of Yahweh for me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah about the words of the book that has been found. Great is the fury of Yahweh that has been poured out on us, because our ancestors did not keep the word of Yahweh and act according to everything written in this book.” 22So Hilkiah and the men the king had named went to Huldah the prophetess, wife of Shallum son of Tokhath, son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the Second Quarter, and they spoke with her about all this. 23She said to them, “This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me: 24‘This is what Yahweh says. I am bringing disaster on this place and on its inhabitants — all the curses written in the book that has been read before the king of Judah. 25Because they abandoned me and burned incense to other gods, provoking me to anger with everything their hands have made, my fury will pour out on this place and will not be quenched.’ 26But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of Yahweh, say this: ‘This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says about the words you have heard. 27Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and its inhabitants — because you humbled yourself before me, tore your garments and wept before me — I too have heard you, declares Yahweh. 28I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be laid in your grave in peace; your eyes will not see all the disaster I am bringing on this place and on its inhabitants.’” And they took the answer back to the king. 29The king sent out a summons, and all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem were gathered to him. 30He went up to the house of Yahweh with every man of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the Levites — all the people, great and small — and he read in their hearing every word of the book of the covenant that had been found in the house of Yahweh. 31The king stood at his post and sealed the covenant before Yahweh: to follow Yahweh, to keep his commandments, his testimonies and his statutes with all his heart and with all his soul, and so to carry out the words of the covenant written in this book. 32He had everyone present in Jerusalem and in Benjamin take their stand on it, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem lived by the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors. 33Josiah swept away every detestable thing from all the territories belonging to the Israelites, and he made everyone in Israel serve Yahweh their God. As long as he lived they did not turn away from following Yahweh, the God of their ancestors.