Josiah Rules Judah

22 Josiah was eight years old when he became king. He ruled for thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. ² Josiah did what is right in the eyes of the Lord. He walked in all the way of his father David. He did not turn aside to the right or to the left.

Hilkiah Finds the Book of the Law

³ In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan the writer, the son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, to the house of the Lord. He said, ⁴ “Go up to Hilkiah the head religious leader, that he may add up the money brought into the Lord’s house which the door-keepers have gathered from the people. ⁵ Let the money be given to the workmen who are watching over the work on the Lord’s house. And let them give it to the workmen who are doing the work on the Lord’s house. ⁶ Have them pay the builders and the men who work with wood and with stone. Have them use it for buying wood and cut stone needed to work on the house. ⁷ But do not make them tell you how the money was spent that was given to them. For they are honest men.”

⁸ Then Hilkiah the head religious leader said to Shaphan the writer, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. ⁹ Then Shaphan the writer came to the king and told him, “Your servants have taken all the money found in the house. And they have given it to the workmen who are watching over the work on the Lord’s house.” ¹⁰ Then Shaphan the writer told the king, “Hilkiah the religious leader has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it in front of the king. ¹¹ When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes. ¹² Then he told Hilkiah the religious leader, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Achbor the son of Micaiah, Shaphan the writer, and Asaiah the king’s servant, ¹³ “Go, ask the Lord for me and all Judah about the words of this book that has been found. For the Lord is very angry with us, because our fathers have not listened to the words of this book. They have not done all that is written for us to do.”

¹⁴ So Hilkiah the religious leader, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to Huldah the woman who spoke for God. She was the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, and watched over the clothes of the house. (She lived in the Second Part of Jerusalem.) They spoke to her. ¹⁵ She said to them, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says. Tell the man who sent you to me ¹⁶ that the Lord says, ‘See, I will bring trouble upon this place and upon its people. All the words of the book which the king of Judah has read will come true ¹⁷ because they have turned away from Me and have burned special perfume to other gods. They have made Me angry with all the work of their hands. So My anger burns against this place, and it will not be stopped.’ ¹⁸ But tell the king of Judah who sent you to ask of the Lord, ‘This is what the Lord God of Israel says about the words you have heard. ¹⁹ “You heard how I spoke against this place and against its people. I said that they should be destroyed and laid waste. They should be hated and destroyed. But when you heard this, you were sorry in your heart. You put away your pride before the Lord. You have torn your clothes and cried before Me, and I have heard you,” says the Lord. ²⁰ “So I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace. Your eyes will not see all the trouble which I will bring upon this place.”’” So they returned to the king and told him what was said.