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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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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

  1. 2 Chronicles 34:2 Or “father”
  2. 2 Chronicles 34:3 Or “father”
  3. 2 Chronicles 34:11 Or “gave”
  4. 2 Chronicles 34:13 Literally “for service and service”
  5. 2 Chronicles 34:16 Literally “returned again a word to”
  6. 2 Chronicles 34:17 Or “emptied out”
  7. 2 Chronicles 34:21 Or “fathers”
  8. 2 Chronicles 34:27 Literally “declaration of”
  9. 2 Chronicles 34:28 Or “fathers”
  10. 2 Chronicles 34:32 Or “stood”
  11. 2 Chronicles 34:32 Or “fathers”
  12. 2 Chronicles 34:33 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  13. 2 Chronicles 34:33 Or “made”
  14. 2 Chronicles 34:33 Or “after”
  15. 2 Chronicles 34:33 Or “fathers”
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