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2 Kings 22
English Standard Version

Josiah Reigns in Judah

22 (A)Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of (B)Bozkath. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the way of David his father, (C)and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.

Josiah Repairs the Temple

3 In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, the secretary, to the house of the Lord, saying, 4 “Go up to (D)Hilkiah the high priest, that he may count the money (E)that has been brought into the house of the Lord, which (F)the keepers of the threshold have collected from the people. 5 (G)And let it be given into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the Lord, and let them give it to the workmen who are at the house of the Lord, repairing the house 6 (that is, to the carpenters, and to the builders, and to the masons), and let them use it for buying timber and quarried stone to repair the house. 7 But (H)no accounting shall be asked from them for the money that is delivered into their hand, for they deal honestly.”

Hilkiah Finds the Book of the Law

8 And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found (I)the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. 9 And Shaphan the secretary came to the king, and reported to the king, “Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the Lord.” 10 Then Shaphan the secretary told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it before the king.

11 When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, (J)he tore his clothes. 12 And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and (K)Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and (L)Achbor the son of (M)Micaiah, and Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying, 13 “Go, inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is (N)the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.”

14 So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of (O)Tikvah, son of (P)Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in (Q)the Second Quarter), and they talked with her. 15 And she said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘Tell the man who sent you to me, 16 Thus says the Lord, Behold, I will bring disaster upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the words of the book that the king of Judah has read. 17 (R)Because they have forsaken me and have made offerings to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore (S)my wrath will be kindled against this place, and it will not be quenched. 18 But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, thus shall you say to him, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Regarding the words that you have heard, 19 (T)because your heart was penitent, and you (U)humbled yourself before the Lord, when you heard how I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they should become (V)a desolation and (W)a curse, and you (X)have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the Lord. 20 Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and (Y)you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring upon this place.’” And they brought back word to the king.

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2 Kings 22
New English Translation

Josiah Repents

22 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned for thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother[a] was Jedidah, daughter of Adaiah, from Bozkath. 2 He did what the Lord approved[b] and followed in his ancestor David’s footsteps;[c] he did not deviate to the right or the left.

3 In the eighteenth year of King Josiah’s reign, the king sent the scribe Shaphan son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, to the Lord’s temple with these orders:[d] 4 “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest and have him melt down[e] the silver that has been brought by the people to the Lord’s temple and has been collected by the guards at the door. 5 Have them hand it over to the construction foremen[f] assigned to the Lord’s temple. They in turn should pay the temple workers to repair it,[g] 6 including craftsmen, builders, and masons, and should buy wood and chiseled stone for the repair work.[h] 7 Do not audit the foremen who disburse the silver, for they are honest.”[i]

8 Hilkiah the high priest informed Shaphan the scribe, “I found the scroll of the law in the Lord’s temple.” Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan and he read it. 9 Shaphan the scribe went to the king and reported,[j] “Your servants melted down the silver in the temple[k] and handed it over to the construction foremen assigned to the Lord’s temple.” 10 Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a scroll.” Shaphan read it out loud before the king. 11 When the king heard the words of the law scroll, he tore his clothes. 12 The king ordered Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Achbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, 13 “Go, seek an oracle from[l] the Lord for me and the people—for all Judah. Find out about the words of this scroll that has been discovered. For the Lord’s great fury has been ignited against us, because our ancestors have not obeyed the words of this scroll by doing all that it instructs us to do.”[m]

14 So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shullam son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, the supervisor of the wardrobe.[n] (She lived in Jerusalem in the Mishneh[o] district.) They stated their business,[p] 15 and she said to them: “This is what the Lord God of Israel has said: ‘Say this to the man who sent you to me: 16 “This is what the Lord has said: ‘I am about to bring disaster on this place and its residents, all the things in the scroll that the king of Judah has read. 17 This will happen because they have abandoned me and offered sacrifices[q] to other gods, angering me with all the idols they have made.[r] My anger will ignite against this place and will not be extinguished!’” 18 Say this to the king of Judah, who sent you to seek an oracle from the Lord: “This is what the Lord God of Israel has said concerning the words you have heard: 19 ‘You displayed a sensitive spirit[s] and humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard how I intended to make this place and its residents into an appalling example of an accursed people.[t] You tore your clothes and wept before me, and I have heard you,’ says the Lord. 20 ‘Therefore I will allow you to die and be buried in peace.[u] You will not have to witness[v] all the disaster I will bring on this place.’”’” Then they reported back to the king.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 22:1 tn Heb “the name of his mother.”
  2. 2 Kings 22:2 tn Heb “he did what was proper in the eyes of the Lord.”
  3. 2 Kings 22:2 tn Heb “and walked in all the way of David his father.”
  4. 2 Kings 22:3 tn Heb “temple, saying.”
  5. 2 Kings 22:4 tc The MT has וְיַתֵּם (veyattem), “and let them add up” (Hiphil of תָּמָם [tammam], “be complete”), but the appearance of הִתִּיכוּ (hittikhu), “they melted down” (Hiphil of נָתַךְ [natakh], “pour out”) in v. 9 suggests that the verb form should be emended to וְיַתֵּךְ (veyattekh), “and let him melt down” (a Hiphil of נָתַךְ [natakh]). For a discussion of this and other options see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 281.
  6. 2 Kings 22:5 tn Heb “doers of the work.”
  7. 2 Kings 22:5 tn Heb “and let them give it to the doers of the work who are in the house of the Lord to repair the damages to the house.”
  8. 2 Kings 22:6 tn Heb “and to buy wood and chiseled stone to repair the house.”
  9. 2 Kings 22:7 tn Heb “only the silver that is given into their hand should not be reckoned with them, for in faithfulness they are acting.”
  10. 2 Kings 22:9 tn Heb “returned the king a word and said.”
  11. 2 Kings 22:9 tn Heb “that was found in the house.”
  12. 2 Kings 22:13 tn Or “inquire of.”
  13. 2 Kings 22:13 tn Heb “by doing all that is written concerning us.” Perhaps עָלֵינוּ (ʿalenu), “concerning us,” should be altered to עָלָיו (ʿalayv), “upon it,” in which case one could translate, “by doing all that is written in it.”
  14. 2 Kings 22:14 tn Heb “the keeper of the clothes.”
  15. 2 Kings 22:14 tn Or “second.” For a discussion of the possible location of this district, see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 283.
  16. 2 Kings 22:14 tn Heb “and they spoke to her.”
  17. 2 Kings 22:17 tn Or “burned incense.”
  18. 2 Kings 22:17 tn Heb “so as to anger me with all the work of their hands.” The translation assumes that this refers to idols they have manufactured (note the preceding reference to “other gods,” as well as 19:18). However, it is possible that this is a general reference to their sinful practices, in which case one might translate, “angering me by all the things they do.”
  19. 2 Kings 22:19 tn Heb “Because your heart was tender.”
  20. 2 Kings 22:19 tn Heb “how I said concerning this place and its residents to become [an object of] horror and [an example of] a curse.” The final phrase (“horror and a curse”) refers to Judah becoming a prime example of an accursed people. In curse formulations they would be held up as a prime example of divine judgment. For an example of such a curse, see Jer 29:22.
  21. 2 Kings 22:20 tn Heb “Therefore, look, I am gathering you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your tomb in peace.”
  22. 2 Kings 22:20 tn Heb “your eyes will not see.”
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

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