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2 Chronicles 34
New Living Translation

Josiah Rules in Judah

34 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. 2 He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight and followed the example of his ancestor David. He did not turn away from doing what was right.

3 During the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, Josiah began to seek the God of his ancestor David. Then in the twelfth year he began to purify Judah and Jerusalem, destroying all the pagan shrines, the Asherah poles, and the carved idols and cast images. 4 He ordered that the altars of Baal be demolished and that the incense altars which stood above them be broken down. He also made sure that the Asherah poles, the carved idols, and the cast images were smashed and scattered over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 5 He burned the bones of the pagan priests on their own altars, and so he purified Judah and Jerusalem.

6 He did the same thing in the towns of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, even as far as Naphtali, and in the regions[a] all around them. 7 He destroyed the pagan altars and the Asherah poles, and he crushed the idols into dust. He cut down all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Finally, he returned to Jerusalem.

8 In the eighteenth year of his reign, after he had purified the land and the Temple, Josiah appointed Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the governor of Jerusalem, and Joah son of Joahaz, the royal historian, to repair the Temple of the Lord his God. 9 They gave Hilkiah the high priest the money that had been collected by the Levites who served as gatekeepers at the Temple of God. The gifts were brought by people from Manasseh, Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Israel, as well as from all Judah, Benjamin, and the people of Jerusalem.

10 He entrusted the money to the men assigned to supervise the restoration of the Lord’s Temple. Then they paid the workers who did the repairs and renovation of the Temple. 11 They hired carpenters and builders, who purchased finished stone for the walls and timber for the rafters and beams. They restored what earlier kings of Judah had allowed to fall into ruin.

12 The workers served faithfully under the leadership of Jahath and Obadiah, Levites of the Merarite clan, and Zechariah and Meshullam, Levites of the Kohathite clan. Other Levites, all of whom were skilled musicians, 13 were put in charge of the laborers of the various trades. Still others assisted as secretaries, officials, and gatekeepers.

Hilkiah Discovers God’s Law

14 While they were bringing out the money collected at the Lord’s Temple, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the Lord that was written by Moses. 15 Hilkiah said to Shaphan the court secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the Lord’s Temple!” Then Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan.

16 Shaphan took the scroll to the king and reported, “Your officials are doing everything they were assigned to do. 17 The money that was collected at the Temple of the Lord has been turned over to the supervisors and workmen.” 18 Shaphan also told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a scroll.” So Shaphan read it to the king.

19 When the king heard what was written in the Law, he tore his clothes in despair. 20 Then he gave these orders to Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Acbor son of Micaiah,[b] Shaphan the court secretary, and Asaiah the king’s personal adviser: 21 “Go to the Temple and speak to the Lord for me and for all the remnant of Israel and Judah. Inquire about the words written in the scroll that has been found. For the Lord’s great anger has been poured out on us because our ancestors have not obeyed the word of the Lord. We have not been doing everything this scroll says we must do.”

22 So Hilkiah and the other men went to the New Quarter[c] of Jerusalem to consult with the prophet Huldah. She was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, son of Harhas,[d] the keeper of the Temple wardrobe.

23 She said to them, “The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken! Go back and tell the man who sent you, 24 ‘This is what the Lord says: I am going to bring disaster on this city[e] and its people. All the curses written in the scroll that was read to the king of Judah will come true. 25 For my people have abandoned me and offered sacrifices to pagan gods, and I am very angry with them for everything they have done. My anger will be poured out on this place, and it will not be quenched.’

26 “But go to the king of Judah who sent you to seek the Lord and tell him: ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the message you have just heard: 27 You were sorry and humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this city and its people. You humbled yourself and tore your clothing in despair and wept before me in repentance. And I have indeed heard you, says the Lord. 28 So I will not send the promised disaster until after you have died and been buried in peace. You yourself will not see the disaster I am going to bring on this city and its people.’”

So they took her message back to the king.

Josiah’s Religious Reforms

29 Then the king summoned all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 30 And the king went up to the Temple of the Lord with all the people of Judah and Jerusalem, along with the priests and the Levites—all the people from the greatest to the least. There the king read to them the entire Book of the Covenant that had been found in the Lord’s Temple. 31 The king took his place of authority beside the pillar and renewed the covenant in the Lord’s presence. He pledged to obey the Lord by keeping all his commands, laws, and decrees with all his heart and soul. He promised to obey all the terms of the covenant that were written in the scroll. 32 And he required everyone in Jerusalem and the people of Benjamin to make a similar pledge. The people of Jerusalem did so, renewing their covenant with God, the God of their ancestors.

33 So Josiah removed all detestable idols from the entire land of Israel and required everyone to worship the Lord their God. And throughout the rest of his lifetime, they did not turn away from the Lord, the God of their ancestors.

Footnotes

  1. 34:6 As in Syriac version; Hebrew reads in their temples, or in their ruins. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
  2. 34:20 As in parallel text at 2 Kgs 22:12; Hebrew reads Abdon son of Micah.
  3. 34:22a Or the Second Quarter, a newer section of Jerusalem. Hebrew reads the Mishneh.
  4. 34:22b As in parallel text at 2 Kgs 22:14; Hebrew reads son of Tokhath, son of Hasrah.
  5. 34:24 Hebrew this place; also in 34:27, 28.
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2 Chronicles 34
New American Standard Bible

Josiah Succeeds Amon in Judah

34 (A)Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned for thirty-one years in Jerusalem. 2 (B)He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of his father David and did not turn aside to the right or the left. 3 For in the eighth year of his reign while he was still a youth, he began to (C)seek the God of his father David; and in the twelfth year he began (D)to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the [a]Asherim, the carved images, and the cast metal images. 4 They tore down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he chopped down (E)the incense altars that were high above them; also he broke in pieces the Asherim, the carved images, and the cast metal images, and (F)ground them to powder, and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 5 Then (G)he burned the bones of the priests on their altars and purged Judah and Jerusalem. 6 (H)In the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, and as far as Naphtali, in their surrounding spaces, 7 he also tore down the altars and (I)crushed the [b]Asherim and the carved images into powder, and chopped down all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

Josiah Repairs the Temple

8 (J)Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, Maaseiah (K)an official of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the secretary, to repair the house of the Lord his God. 9 They came to (L)Hilkiah the high priest and gave him the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites, the [c]doorkeepers, had collected [d]from (M)Manasseh and Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Israel, from all Judah and Benjamin and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10 Then they handed it over to the workmen who had the oversight of the house of the Lord, and the workmen who were working in the house of the Lord [e]used it to restore and repair the house. 11 They in turn gave it to the carpenters and the builders to buy quarried stone and timber for couplings, and to make beams for the houses (N)which the kings of Judah had let go to ruin. 12 (O)The men did the work faithfully with foremen over them to supervise: Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites of the sons of Merari, Zechariah and Meshullam of the sons of the Kohathites, and (P)the Levites, all who were skillful with musical instruments. 13 They were also in charge of (Q)the burden bearers, and supervised all the workmen from job to job; and some of the Levites were scribes, and officials, and gatekeepers.

Hilkiah Discovers the Lost Book of the Law

14 When they were bringing out the money which had been brought into the house of the Lord, (R)Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the Lord given by Moses. 15 Hilkiah responded and said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan. 16 Then Shaphan brought the book to the king and [f]reported further word to the king, saying, “Everything that was [g]entrusted to your servants, they are doing. 17 They have also emptied out the money which was found in the house of the Lord, and have handed it over to the supervisors and the workmen.” 18 Moreover, Shaphan the scribe informed the king, saying, “Hilkiah the priest gave me a book.” And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.

19 When the king heard (S)the words of the Law, (T)he tore his clothes. 20 Then the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, [h]Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying, 21 “Go, inquire of the Lord for me and for those who are left in Israel and Judah, concerning the words of the book which has been found; for (U)the wrath of the Lord which has poured out on us is great, because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord, to act in accordance with everything that is written in this book.”

Huldah, the Prophetess, Speaks

22 So Hilkiah and those [i]whom the king had told went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of [j]Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, the keeper of the wardrobe (she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter); and they spoke to her regarding this. 23 Then she said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘Tell the man who sent you to Me, 24 this is what the Lord says: “Behold, (V)I am bringing [k]evil on this place and on its inhabitants, all (W)the curses written in the book which they have read in the presence of the king of Judah. 25 (X)Since they have abandoned Me and have burned incense to other gods, so that they may provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands, My wrath will be poured out on this place and it will not be quenched.”’ 26 But to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the Lord, this is what you shall say to him: ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: In regard to the words which you have heard, 27 “(Y)Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and its inhabitants, and because you humbled yourself before Me, tore your clothes, and wept before Me, I have indeed heard you,” declares the Lord. 28 “Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace, so your eyes will not see all the evil which I am bringing on this place and its inhabitants.”’” And they brought back word to the king.

29 (Z)Then the king sent word and gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 30 The king went up to the house of the Lord [l]with (AA)all the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, the Levites, and all the people, from the greatest to the least; and he read in their [m]presence all the words of the Book of the Covenant which was found in the house of the Lord.

Josiah’s Good Reign

31 Then the king (AB)stood [n]in his place and (AC)made a covenant before the Lord to walk after the Lord, and to keep His commandments, His testimonies, and His statutes with all his heart and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that are written in this book. 32 Furthermore, he made all who were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin stand with him. So the inhabitants of Jerusalem acted in accordance with the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. 33 Josiah (AD)removed all the abominations from all the lands belonging to the sons of Israel, and made all who were present in Israel serve the Lord their God. Throughout his [o]lifetime they did not turn from following the Lord God of their fathers.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 34:3 I.e., wooden symbols of a female deity (Asherah)
  2. 2 Chronicles 34:7 I.e., wooden symbols of a female deity (Asherah)
  3. 2 Chronicles 34:9 Lit guardians of the threshold
  4. 2 Chronicles 34:9 Lit from the hand of
  5. 2 Chronicles 34:10 Lit gave
  6. 2 Chronicles 34:16 Lit returned
  7. 2 Chronicles 34:16 Lit given into the hand of
  8. 2 Chronicles 34:20 In 2 Kin 22:12, Achbor, son of Micaiah
  9. 2 Chronicles 34:22 As in LXX; MT who were the king’s men
  10. 2 Chronicles 34:22 In 2 Kin 22:14, Tikvah, son of Harhas
  11. 2 Chronicles 34:24 Or disaster
  12. 2 Chronicles 34:30 Lit and
  13. 2 Chronicles 34:30 Lit ears
  14. 2 Chronicles 34:31 LXX by a pillar
  15. 2 Chronicles 34:33 Lit days
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