2 Chronicles 34
Christian Standard Bible
Judah’s King Josiah
34 Josiah was eight years old(A) when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. 2 He did what was right in the Lord’s sight and walked in the ways of his ancestor David;(B) he did not turn aside to the right or the left.
Josiah’s Reform
3 In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still a youth, Josiah began to seek the God of his ancestor David,(C) and in the twelfth year he began to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherah poles, the carved images,(D) and the cast images. 4 Then in his presence the altars of the Baals were torn down, and he chopped down the shrines[a] that were above them. He shattered the Asherah poles, the carved images, and the cast images, crushed them to dust, and scattered(E) them over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.(F) 5 He burned the bones of the priests on their altars.(G) So he cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. 6 He did the same in the cities(H) of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, and as far as Naphtali and on their surrounding mountain shrines.[b] 7 He tore down the altars, and he smashed the Asherah poles and the carved images to powder. He chopped down all the shrines throughout the land of Israel and returned to Jerusalem.(I)
Josiah’s Repair of the Temple
8 In the eighteenth year of his reign,(J) in order to cleanse the land and the temple, Josiah sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, along with Maaseiah the governor(K) of the city and the court historian Joah son of Joahaz, to repair the temple of the Lord his God.
9 So they went to the high priest Hilkiah(L) and gave him the silver brought into God’s temple. The Levites and the doorkeepers had collected it from Manasseh, Ephraim,(M) and from the entire remnant of Israel, and from all Judah, Benjamin, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10 They gave it to those doing the work—those who oversaw the Lord’s temple. They gave it to the workmen who were working in the Lord’s temple, to repair and restore the temple; 11 they gave it to the carpenters and builders and also used it to buy quarried stone and timbers—for joining and making beams—for the buildings that Judah’s kings had destroyed.
12 The men were doing the work with integrity. Their overseers were Jahath and Obadiah, Levites from the Merarites, and Zechariah and Meshullam from the Kohathites as supervisors. The Levites were all skilled with musical instruments.(N) 13 They were also over the porters and were supervising all those doing the work task by task. Some of the Levites were secretaries, officers, and gatekeepers.
The Recovery of the Book of the Law
14 When they brought out the silver that had been deposited in the Lord’s temple, the priest Hilkiah found the book of the law of the Lord written by the hand of Moses.(O) 15 Consequently,(P) Hilkiah told the court secretary Shaphan, “I have found the book of the law in the Lord’s temple,” and he gave the book to Shaphan.
16 Shaphan took the book to the king, and also reported, “Your servants are doing all that was placed in their hands. 17 They have emptied out the silver that was found in the Lord’s temple and have given it to the overseers and to those doing the work.” 18 Then the court secretary Shaphan told the king, “The priest Hilkiah gave me a book,” and Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.(Q)
19 When the king heard the words of the law, he tore his clothes.(R) 20 Then he commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, the court secretary Shaphan, and the king’s servant Asaiah, 21 “Go and inquire of the Lord for me and for those remaining in Israel and Judah, concerning the words of the book that was found. For great is the Lord’s wrath that is poured out on us(S) because our ancestors have not kept the word of the Lord in order to do everything written in this book.”
Huldah’s Prophecy of Judgment
22 So Hilkiah and those the king had designated[c] went to the prophetess Huldah, the wife of Shallum son of Tokhath, son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem in the Second District. They spoke with her about this.
23 She said to them, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: Say to the man who sent you to me, 24 ‘This is what the Lord says: I am about to bring disaster on this place and on its inhabitants,(T) fulfilling[d] all the curses written in the book that they read in the presence of the king of Judah,(U) 25 because they have abandoned me(V) and burned incense to other gods so as to anger me with all the works of their hands. My wrath will be poured out on this place, and it will not be quenched.’ 26 Say this to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the Lord: ‘This is what the Lord God of Israel says: As for the words that you heard, 27 because(W) your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and against its inhabitants, and because you humbled yourself before me, and you tore your clothes and wept before me, I myself have heard’—this is the Lord’s declaration. 28 ‘I will indeed gather you to your ancestors, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster that I am bringing on this place and on its inhabitants.’”(X)
Then they reported to the king.
Affirmation of the Covenant by Josiah and the People
29 So the king sent messengers and gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 30 The king went up to the Lord’s temple with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, as well as the priests and the Levites—all the people from the oldest to the youngest. He read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant that had been found in the Lord’s temple.(Y) 31 Then the king stood at his post(Z) and made a covenant in the Lord’s presence(AA) to follow the Lord and to keep his commands, his decrees, and his statutes with all his heart and with all his soul(AB) in order to carry out the words of the covenant written in this book.(AC)
32 He had all those present in Jerusalem and Benjamin agree[e] to it. So all the inhabitants of Jerusalem carried out the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors.
33 So Josiah removed everything that was detestable from all the lands belonging to the Israelites,(AD) and he required all who were present in Israel to serve the Lord their God. Throughout his reign they did not turn aside from following the Lord, the God of their ancestors.
2 Chronicles 34
Lexham English Bible
The Reign of Josiah
34 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of Yahweh, and he walked in the ways of David his ancestor[a] and did not deviate to the right or to the left. 3 In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still a boy, he began to seek the God of David his ancestor.[b] And in the twelfth year he began to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherahs, the idols, and the images. 4 And he destroyed before him the altars for the Baals, and he cut down the incense stands above them. And the Asherahs, the idols, and the images he smashed. And he ground them to powder and sprinkled the dust over the burial sites of those who sacrificed to them. 5 And he burned the bones of the priests on the altars and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. 6 And in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, and as far as Naphtali, in their ruins all around, 7 he broke down the altars and the Asherahs and crushed the idols, grinding them to dust, and he cut down all the incense stands in all the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.
The Scroll of the Law Discovered
8 Now in the eighteenth year of his reign after he purged the land and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the commander of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz, the recorder, to repair the house of Yahweh his God. 9 And they came to Hilkiah the high priest and gave the money that was brought for the house of God, which the Levites, the guardians of the threshold, had gathered from the hand of Manasseh, Ephraim, and from the whole remnant of Israel, and from all Judah and Benjamin and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10 And they delivered it into the hand of the workmen who were appointed in the house of Yahweh, and they in turn gave it to those doing the work who were at work in the house of Yahweh, to repair and restore the house. 11 And they dispensed[c] it to the skilled craftsmen and the builders to buy stone for hewing and timber for the seams and for binding the houses that the kings of Judah had destroyed. 12 And the men did the work faithfully. Over them as supervisors were appointed Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites from the Merarites, and Zechariah and Meshullam from the Kohathites. And other Levites, all who were skilled in instruments of song, 13 were over the porters and were directing all who worked on each task.[d] And some of the Levites were scribes, officials, and gatekeepers.
14 And when they brought out the money that had been brought to the house of Yahweh, Hilkiah the priest found a scroll of the law of Yahweh by the hand of Moses. 15 And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found a scroll of the law in the house of Yahweh!” Then Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan. 16 And Shaphan brought the scroll to the king and also informed[e] the king, saying, “All that was put into the hand of your servants they are doing. 17 They have dispensed[f] the money which was found in the house of Yahweh and have put it into the hand of the overseers and those doing the work.” 18 Then Shaphan the scribe reported to the king, “Hilkiah the priest gave to me a scroll.” Then Shaphan read from it before the king. 19 And when the king heard the words of the law, he tore his garments, 20 and the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the servant of the king, saying, 21 “Go! Seek Yahweh on my behalf and on behalf of those remaining in Israel and Judah concerning the words of the scroll that was found, for the anger of Yahweh that was poured out on us is great, because our ancestors[g] have not kept the word of Yahweh, to do all that is written in this scroll.”
22 Then Hilkiah and those whom the king had sent went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum, son of Tikvath, son of Hasrah, keeper of the garments. (Now she was living in Jerusalem in the second district.) And they spoke to her concerning this. 23 And she said to them, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: ‘Say to the man who sent you all to me: 24 “Thus says Yahweh: ‘Behold, I am bringing disaster upon this place and upon its inhabitants—all the curses written in the scroll that were read before the king of Judah— 25 because they have abandoned me and burned incense to other gods so as to provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands. And 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 seek Yahweh, thus shall you say to him: ‘Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: As for the words which you heard, 27 because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and against its inhabitants and you humbled yourself before me and tore your garments and wept before me, now I also have heard,’ declares[h] Yahweh. 28 ‘Behold, I will gather you to your ancestors,[i] and you will be gathered to your grave in peace. Your eyes will not see any of the disaster that I am bringing upon this place.’”’”
29 Then they sent word to the king, and he gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 30 And the king went up to the house of Yahweh with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with the priests and the Levites—all the people from great to small—and they read in their ears all the words of the scroll of the covenant that was found in the house of Yahweh. 31 And the king stood at his position. And he made the covenant before Yahweh, to walk after Yahweh and to keep his commands and statutes and regulations with all his heart and with all his soul, to do the words of the covenant that were written on this scroll. 32 Then he obligated[j] all who were found in Jerusalem and in Benjamin, that the inhabitants of Jerusalem would do according to the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors.[k] 33 And Josiah removed all the detestable things from the whole land that belonged to the Israelites[l] and obligated[m] all who were found in Israel to serve Yahweh their God. All his days they did not turn aside from following[n] Yahweh, the God of their ancestors.[o]
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 34:2 Or “father”
- 2 Chronicles 34:3 Or “father”
- 2 Chronicles 34:11 Or “gave”
- 2 Chronicles 34:13 Literally “for service and service”
- 2 Chronicles 34:16 Literally “returned again a word to”
- 2 Chronicles 34:17 Or “emptied out”
- 2 Chronicles 34:21 Or “fathers”
- 2 Chronicles 34:27 Literally “declaration of”
- 2 Chronicles 34:28 Or “fathers”
- 2 Chronicles 34:32 Or “stood”
- 2 Chronicles 34:32 Or “fathers”
- 2 Chronicles 34:33 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- 2 Chronicles 34:33 Or “made”
- 2 Chronicles 34:33 Or “after”
- 2 Chronicles 34:33 Or “fathers”
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