Josiah's Reforms
1
Josiah was eight years old when he became king,
and he reigned in Jerusalem thiry-one years.
2
He did what was right in the eyes of te LORD and walked in the ways of
his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.
3
In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek
the God of his father David. In his twelfth year he began to purge Judah and
Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles, carved idols and cast images.
4
Under his direction the altars of the Baals were torn down; he cut to pieces
the incense altars that were above them, and smashed the Asherah poles,
the idols and the images. These he broke to pieces and scattered over
the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
5
He burned the bones of the priests on their altars,
and so he purged Judah and Jerusalem.
6
In the towns of Manasseh, Ephraim and Simeon, as far as Naphtali,
and in the ruins around them,
7
he tore down the altars and Asherah poles and crushed the idols to powder
and cut to pieces all the incense altars throughout Israel.
Then he went back to Jeusalem.
8
In the eighteenth year of Josiah's reign, to purify the land and the temple,
he sent Shaphan son of Azaliah and Maaseiah the ruler of the city,
with Joah son of Joahaz, the recorder, to repair the temple of the LORD his God.
9
They went to Hilkiah the high priest and gave him the money that had been
brought into the temple of God, which the Levites who were the doorkeepers
had collected from the people of Manasseh, Ephraim and the entire remnant
of Israel and from all the people of Judah and Benjamin and the inhabitants
of Jerusalem.
10
Then they entrusted it to the men appointed to supervise the work on the LORD's
temple. These men paid the workers who repaired and restored the temple.
11
They also gave money to the carpenters and builders to purchase dressed stone,
and timber for joists and beams for the buildings that the kings of Judah
had allowed to fall into ruin.
12
The men did the work faithfully. Over them to direct them were Jahath and
Obadiah, Levites descended from Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam,
descended from Kohath. The Levites - all who were skilled in playing
musical instruments -
13
had charge of laborers and supervised all the workers from job to job.
Some of the Levites were secretaries, scribes and doorkeepers.
The Book of the Law Found
14
While they were bringing out the money that had been taken into the temple of
the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the LORD
that had been given through Moses.
15
Hilkiah said to Shphan the secretary, "I have found the Book of the Law
in the temple of the LORD." He gave it to Shaphan.
16
Then Shaphan took the bok to the king and reported to him:
"Your officiasl are doing everything that had been committed to them.
17
They have paid out the money that was in the temple of the LORD
and have entrusted it to the supervisors and workers."
18
Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, "Hilkiah the priest has given
me a book." And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.
19
When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes.
20
He gave these orders to Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah,
Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king's attendant:
21
"Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for the remnant in Israel and Judah
about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the LORD's
anger that is poured out on us because our fathers have not kept the word
of the LORD; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written
in this book."
22
Hilkiah and those the king sent with him went to speak to the prophetess
Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah,
keeper of the wardeobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the Second District.
23
She said to them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Isrsael, says:
Tell the man who sent you to me,
24
'This is what the LORD says:
I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people - all the curses written
in the book that has been read in the presence of the king of Judah.
25
Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and provoked
me to anger by all that their hands have made, my anger will be poured out
on this place and will not be quenched.'
26
Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD,
'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard:
27
Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God
when you heard what he spoke against this place and its place and its people,
and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept
in my presence, I have heard you, declares the LORD.
28
Now I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be buried in peace.
Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place
and on those who live here.' " So they took her answer back to the king.
29
Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.
30
He went up to the temple of the LORD with the men of Judah, the people of
Jerusalem, the priests and the Levites - all the people from the least to
the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant,
which had been found in the temple of the LORD.
31
The king stood by his pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of
the LORD and keep his commands, regulations and decrees with all his
heart and all his soul, and to obey the words of the covenant written in this book.
32
Then he had everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin pledge themselves to it;
the people of Jerusalem did this in accordance with the covenant of God,
the God of their fathers.
33
Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the territory belonging to
the Israelites, and he had all who were present in Israel serve the LORD their God.
As long as he lived, they did not fail to follow the LORD, the God of their fathers.
