Josiah was eight
years
old
when he began to reign
, and he reigned
in Jerusalem
one
and thirty
years
.
And he did that which was right
in the sight
of the LORD
, and walked
in the ways
of David
his father
, and declined
neither to the right hand
, nor to the left
.
For in the eighth year
of his reign
, while he was yet young
, he began
to seek
after the God
of David
his father
: and in the twelfth
year
he began
to purge
Judah
and Jerusalem
from the high places
, and the groves
, and the carved images
, and the molten images
.
And they brake down the altars
of Baalim
in his presence
; and the images
, that were on high above them
, he cut down
; and the groves
, and the carved images
, and the molten images
, he brake in pieces
, and made dust
of them , and strowed
it upon
the graves
of them that had sacrificed
unto them.
And he burnt the bones
of the priests
upon their altars
, and cleansed
Judah
and Jerusalem
.
And so did he in the cities of Manasseh
, and Ephraim
, and Simeon
, even unto Naphtali
, with their mattocks
round about
.
And when he had broken down the altars
and the groves
, and had beaten
the graven images
into powder
, and cut down
all the idols
throughout all the land
of Israel
, he returned
to Jerusalem
.
Now in the eighteenth year
of his reign
, when he had purged
the land
, and the house
, he sent
Shaphan
the son
of Azaliah
, and Maaseiah
the governor
of the city
, and Joah
the son
of Joahaz
the recorder
, to repair
the house
of the LORD
his God
.
And when they came to Hilkiah
the high
priest
, they delivered
the money
that was brought
into the house
of God
, which the Levites
that kept
the doors
had gathered
of the hand
of Manasseh
and Ephraim
, and of all the remnant
of Israel
, and of all Judah
and Benjamin
; and they returned
to Jerusalem
.
And they put it in the hand
of the workmen
that had the oversight
of the house
of the LORD
, and they gave
it to the workmen
that wrought
in the house
of the LORD
, to repair
and amend
the house
:
Even to the artificers and builders
gave
they it , to buy
hewn
stone
, and timber
for couplings
, and to floor
the houses
which the kings
of Judah
had destroyed
.
And the men did
the work
faithfully
: and the overseers
of them were Jahath
and Obadiah
, the Levites
, of the sons
of Merari
; and Zechariah
and Meshullam
, of the sons of the Kohathites
, to set it forward
; and other of the Levites
, all that could skill
of instruments
of musick
.
Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and were overseers
of all that wrought
the work
in any manner of service
: and of the Levites
there were scribes
, and officers
, and porters
.
And when they brought out the money
that was brought into
the house
of the LORD
, Hilkiah
the priest
found
a book
of the law
of the LORD
given by
Moses
.
And Hilkiah answered
and said
to Shaphan
the scribe
, I have found
the book
of the law
in the house
of the LORD
. And Hilkiah
delivered
the book
to Shaphan
.
And Shaphan carried
the book
to the king
, and brought
the king
word
back
again, saying
, All that was committed
to
thy servants
, they do
it .
And they have gathered together the money
that was found
in the house
of the LORD
, and have delivered
it into the hand
of the overseers
, and to the hand
of the workmen
.
Then Shaphan the scribe
told
the king
, saying
, Hilkiah
the priest
hath given
me a book
. And Shaphan
read
it before
the king
.
And it came to pass, when the king had heard
the words
of the law
, that he rent
his clothes
.
And the king commanded
Hilkiah
, and Ahikam
the son
of Shaphan
, and Abdon
the son
of Micah
, and Shaphan
the scribe
, and Asaiah
a servant
of the king's
, saying
,
Go, enquire
of the LORD
for me, and for them that are left
in Israel
and in Judah
, concerning the words
of the book
that is found
: for great
is the wrath
of the LORD
that is poured out
upon us, because our fathers
have not kept
the word
of the LORD
, to do
after all that is written
in this book
.
And Hilkiah, and they that the king
had appointed , went
to Huldah
the prophetess
, the wife
of Shallum
the son
of Tikvath
, the son
of Hasrah
, keeper
of the wardrobe
; (now she dwelt
in Jerusalem
in the college
:) and they spake
to her to that effect .
And she answered them, Thus saith
the LORD
God
of Israel
, Tell
ye the man
that sent
you to me,
Thus saith the LORD
, Behold, I will bring
evil
upon this place
, and upon the inhabitants
thereof, even all the curses
that are written
in the book
which they have read
before
the king
of Judah
:
Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense
unto other
gods
, that they might provoke me to anger
with all the works
of their hands
; therefore my wrath
shall be poured out
upon this place
, and shall not be quenched
.
And as for the king
of Judah
, who sent
you to enquire
of the LORD
, so shall ye say
unto him, Thus saith
the LORD
God
of Israel
concerning the words
which thou hast heard
;
Because thine heart was tender
, and thou didst humble
thyself before
God
, when thou heardest
his words
against this place
, and against the inhabitants
thereof, and humbledst
thyself before
me, and didst rend
thy clothes
, and weep
before
me; I have even heard
thee also, saith
the LORD
.
Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers
, and thou shalt be gathered
to thy grave
in peace
, neither shall thine eyes
see
all the evil
that I will bring
upon this place
, and upon the inhabitants
of the same. So they brought
the king
word
again
.
Then the king sent
and gathered together
all the elders
of Judah
and Jerusalem
.
And the king went up
into the house
of the LORD
, and all the men
of Judah
, and the inhabitants
of Jerusalem
, and the priests
, and the Levites
, and all the people
, great
and small
: and he read
in their ears
all the words
of the book
of the covenant
that was found
in the house
of the LORD
.
And the king stood
in his place
, and made
a covenant
before
the LORD
, to walk
after
the LORD
, and to keep
his commandments
, and his testimonies
, and his statutes
, with all his heart
, and with all his soul
, to perform
the words
of the covenant
which are written
in this book
.
And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem
and Benjamin
to stand
to it . And the inhabitants
of Jerusalem
did
according to the covenant
of God
, the God
of their fathers
.
And Josiah took away
all the abominations
out of all the countries
that pertained to the children
of Israel
, and made all that were present
in Israel
to serve
, even to serve
the LORD
their God
. And all his days
they departed
not from following
the LORD
, the God
of their fathers
.