2 Chronicles 34
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Judah’s King Josiah
34 Josiah was eight years old(A) when he became king and reigned 31 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 incense altars 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.[a] 7 He tore down the altars, and he smashed the Asherah poles and the carved images to powder. He chopped down all the incense altars 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 Hilkiah(L) the high priest, and gave him the money brought into God’s temple. The Levites and the doorkeepers had collected money from Manasseh, Ephraim,(M) and from the entire remnant of Israel, and from all Judah, Benjamin, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10 They put it into the hands of 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 money that had been deposited in the Lord’s temple, Hilkiah the priest found the book of the law of the Lord written by the hand of Moses.(O) 15 Consequently,(P) Hilkiah told Shaphan the court secretary, “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 money that was found in the Lord’s temple and have put it into the hand of the overseers and the hand of those doing the work.” 18 Then Shaphan the court secretary told the king, “Hilkiah the priest 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, Shaphan the court secretary, and the king’s servant Asaiah, 21 “Go. Ask Yahweh 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 fathers 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[b] 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 Yahweh, the God of Israel says: Say to the man who sent you to Me, 24 ‘This is what Yahweh says: I am about to bring disaster on this place and on its inhabitants,(T) fulfilling 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 in order to provoke 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 ask Yahweh, ‘This is what Yahweh, the 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 fathers, 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 great to small. 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[c] 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 Yahweh, the God of their ancestors.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 34:6 One Hb tradition reads Naphtali with their swords; alt Hb tradition, Syr, Vg read Naphtali, the ruins all around; Hb obscure
- 2 Chronicles 34:22 LXX; MT omits designated
- 2 Chronicles 34:32 Lit take a stand.
2 Chronicles 34
International Standard Version
Josiah Succeeds Amon(A)
34 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for 31 years in Jerusalem. 2 He practiced what the Lord considered to be right, following the example[a] of his ancestor David, turning neither to the right nor to the left. 3 In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his ancestor David. In the twelfth year of his reign,[b] he began to remove the high places, Asherim, carved images, and cast images from Judah and Jerusalem.
4 They tore down the altars of Baals in his presence. He chopped down the incense altars that stood high above them. He broke into pieces the Asherim, the carved images, and the cast images, ground them to dust, and scattered the residue on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 5 He burned the bones of the priests on their altars, thus purging Judah and Jerusalem. 6 In the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, and as far as Naphtali and their surrounding ruins, 7 he also tore down altars, destroyed the Asherim and the carved images, grinding them[c] into dust, and chopped down all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he went back to Jerusalem.
Josiah’s Restoration Work(B)
8 In the eighteenth year of his reign, after he had purged the land and the Temple, he sent Azaliah’s son Shaphan, Maaseiah, mayor[d] of Jerusalem,[e] and Joahaz’s son Joah, the recorder, to repair the Temple of the Lord his God. 9 They approached Hilkiah the high priest and delivered to him the money that had been brought into God’s Temple that the descendants of Levi and gatekeepers had collected from Manasseh, Ephraim, the surviving Israelis, Judah, Benjamin, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10 They paid it to the workmen who supervised the Lord’s Temple, and the workmen who were employed in the Lord’s Temple to supervise restoration and repair of the Temple. 11 They, in turn, paid the carpenters and builders to purchase quarried stone and timber for binders and beams for the buildings that previous[f] kings of Judah had let deteriorate. 12 The workmen did their duties faithfully with these foremen supervising them: Jahath and Obadiah, descendants of Levi who were Merari’s sons, Zechariah and Meshullam, descendants of Kohath, and various descendants of Levi, who were skilled musicians. 13 These men also supervised the heavy lift workers and supervised all the workmen from job to job, while some of the descendants of Levi served as scribes, officials, and gatekeepers.
The Book of the Law is Discovered(C)
14 While they were bringing out the money that had come in as gifts to the Lord’s Temple, Hilkiah the priest discovered the Book of the Law of the Lord that had been handed down by Moses. 15 Hilkiah reported his finding to Shaphan the scribe, telling him, “I found the Book of the Law in the Lord’s Temple. Then he gave the book to Shaphan. 16 Shaphan took the book to the king and gave an additional report to the king, telling him “Everything that you’ve entrusted to your servants is being carried out. 17 They’ve removed the money that was found in the Lord’s Temple and have passed it on to the supervisors and the workmen.” 18 Shaphan the scribe also informed the king, “Hilkiah the priest gave me a book.” Shaphan read from its contents to the king.
19 As soon as he heard what the Law said, he tore his clothes. 20 He issued these orders to Hilkiah, Shaphan’s son Ahikam, Micah’s son Abdon, Shaphan the scribe, and the king’s personal assistant Asaiah: 21 “Go ask the Lord for me and for those who survive in Israel and in Judah about the words that we’ve read in this book that we found, because the wrath of the Lord that we deserve to have poured out on us is very great, since our ancestors haven’t obeyed the command from[g] the Lord that required us to do everything that is written in this book.”
Hilkiah Consults with Huldah, the Woman Prophet
22 So Hilkiah and the others who had received orders from the king went to visit Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Tokhath’s son Shallum, grandson of Hasrah. She was the king’s wardrobe supervisor, and she lived in Jerusalem’s Second Quarter. They asked her about what had happened. 23 In response, she replied:
“This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘Tell the man who sent you to me, 24 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Pay attention! I’m bringing evil to visit this place and its inhabitants—every single curse written in the book that they’ve been reading to the King of Judah. 25 Because they abandoned me and have burned incense to other gods, provoking me to become angry at everything they’re doing,[h] therefore my wrath is about to be poured out on this place, and it won’t be quenched.’”’
26 “Now tell the king of Judah who sent you to ask the Lord about this: ‘This is what the Lord God of Israel says about what you’ve heard: 27 “Because your heart was sensitive, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he had to say about this place and its inhabitants—indeed, because you humbled yourself before me, tore your clothes, and cried out to me, I have heard you,” declares the Lord. 28 “Look! I’m going to take you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in your grave in peace so that you won’t have to see all the evil that I’m going to bring to this place and to its inhabitants.”’”
So they all brought back this message to the king.
The Covenant is Renewed(D)
29 The king sent word to gather all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 30 Then the king went up to the Lord’s Temple, accompanied by the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and descendants of Levi, and everyone else from the most important to the least important, and he read out loud[i] all the words of the book of the covenant that had been found in the Lord’s Temple. 31 While standing in his appointed place, the king made a public covenant with the Lord to follow the Lord, to keep his commandments, his testimonies, and his statutes, and to do so with all of his heart and soul, and to carry out what was written in the covenant contained in the book. 32 He also made everyone who was present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand in agreement with him. As a result, the inhabitants of Jerusalem reconfirmed the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors. 33 Josiah also removed all the detestable things from the territories that belonged to the people of Israel, and made everyone who lived in Israel to serve the Lord their God. For the rest of his life, they didn’t abandon their quest to follow the Lord God of their ancestors.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 34:2 Lit. right, walking in the ways
- 2 Chronicles 34:3 The Heb. lacks of his reign
- 2 Chronicles 34:7 The Heb. lacks grinding them
- 2 Chronicles 34:8 Lit. governor
- 2 Chronicles 34:8 Lit. of the city
- 2 Chronicles 34:11 The Heb. lacks previous
- 2 Chronicles 34:21 Lit. the word of
- 2 Chronicles 34:25 Lit. doing with their hands
- 2 Chronicles 34:30 Lit. read in their hearing
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