2 Chronicles 34

1Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem.

2He acted uprightly before Yahweh and walked in his father David's ways, deviating neither right nor left.

3In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still a boy, he began to seek the God of David his father; and in the twelfth year he began to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, the Asherim, the carved images, and the molten images.

4They demolished the Baal altars before him, cut down the incense altars that rose high above them, shattered the Asherim, the engraved images, and the molten images, ground them to dust, and scattered it across the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.

5He burned the bones of the priests on their altars and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.

6He did so in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, throughout their hills, houses, and ruins.

7He demolished the altars, the Asherah poles, and the carved images, crushing them to dust, and cut down every incense altar throughout all the land of Israel, then returned to Jerusalem.

8In the eighteenth year of his reign, after he cleansed the land and the house, he sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the city ruler, and Joah son of Joahaz the recorder to strengthen the house of Yahweh his God.

9They came to Hilkiah the chief priest and handed him the silver brought into God's house, which the Levites guarding the threshold had gathered from Manasseh and Ephraim, from all Israel's survivors, from all Judah and Benjamin, and from those dwelling in Jerusalem, then returned to Jerusalem.

10They gave it into the hands of the appointed overseers of the work in Yahweh's house, and they gave it to the workmen doing the work in Yahweh's house to repair and strengthen the house.

11They gave it to the craftsmen and builders to buy hewn stones and timbers for the joints, and to lay beams in the houses that the kings of Judah had destroyed.

12The men carried out the work faithfully, and supervising them were Jahath and Obadiah the Levites from Merari's sons, Zechariah and Meshullam from the sons of the Kohathites to oversee it, along with the Levites, every one skilled with musical instruments.

13They were over the burden bearers and overseers of all who did the work in every kind of service, and among the Levites were scribes, officers, and gatekeepers.

14When they brought out the money delivered into the house of Yahweh, Hilkiah the priest found the book of the law of Yahweh by the hand of Moses.

15Hilkiah replied to Shaphan the scribe, "I have found the book of the law in the house of Yahweh," and gave him the book.

16Shaphan brought the book to the king and moreover reported to the king, saying, "All that was given into your servants' hands, they are doing."

17They have emptied the money found in the house of Yahweh and given it into the hands of the overseers and the workmen.

18Shaphan the scribe declared to the king, "Hilkiah the priest gave me a book," and Shaphan read it before the king.

19When the king heard the words of the law, he tore his garments.

20The king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying,

21Go, inquire of Yahweh for me and for those remaining in Israel and Judah about the words of the book that has been found, for great is Yahweh's wrath that has been poured out on us because our fathers did not keep Yahweh's word to do everything written in this book.

22Hilkiah and those whom the king sent went to Huldah the prophetess, wife of Shallum son of Tikvath son of Hasrah, keeper of the garments (she lived in Jerusalem in the second quarter), and they spoke to her accordingly.

23She said to them, "Thus says Yahweh, God of Israel: Tell the man who sent you to me."

24Thus says Yahweh: "Behold, I will bring disaster on this place and its inhabitants, all the curses written in the book that they read before the king of Judah."

25Because they forsook me and offered incense to other gods in order to arouse my anger through everything their hands produced, my wrath pours out on this place and will not be quenched.

26To the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of Yahweh, here is what you shall say to him: here is what Yahweh, 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 dwellers, and you humbled yourself before me, tore your clothes, and wept before me, I too have heard, says Yahweh.

28Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace; your eyes will not see all the disaster that I am bringing upon this place and its inhabitants. They brought word back to the king.

29The king sent and gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.

30The king went up to Yahweh's house with all the men of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem, the priests, the Levites, and all the people, from great to small, and read aloud to them every word of the covenant book that was found in Yahweh's house.

31The king stood in his place and cut a covenant before Yahweh to follow Yahweh and keep his commandments, testimonies, and statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to carry out the words of the covenant written in this book.

32He made all who were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin stand, and Jerusalem's residents kept the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.

33Josiah removed all the abominations from all the lands belonging to the children of Israel and made everyone found in Israel serve Yahweh their God. All his days they never turned aside from following Yahweh, God of their fathers.