Dual Panel1Josiah <02977> was eight <08083> years <08141> old <01121> when he became king, and he reigned <04427> for thirty-one <07970> years <08141> in Jerusalem <03389>.
2He did <06213> what the Lord <03068> approved <05869> <03477> and followed <01980> in his ancestor <01> David’s <01732> footsteps <01870>; he did not <03808> deviate <05493> to the right <03225> or the left <08040>.
3In the eighth <08083> year <08141> of his reign <04427>, while he <01931> was still <05750> young <05288>, he began <02490> to seek <01875> the God <0430> of his ancestor <01> David <01732>. In his twelfth <06240> <08147> year <08141> he began <02490> ridding <02891> Judah <03063> and Jerusalem <03389> of <04480> the high places <01116>, Asherah poles <0842>, idols <06456>, and images <04541>.
4He ordered the altars <04196> of the Baals <01168> to be torn down <05422>, and broke <01438> the incense altars <02553> that <0834> were above <04605> them. He smashed <07665> the Asherah poles <0842>, idols <06456> and images <04541>, crushed <01854> them up <01854> and sprinkled <02236> the dust over <05921> the tombs <06913> of those who had sacrificed <02076> to them.
5He burned <08313> the bones <06106> of the pagan priests <03548> on <05921> their altars <04196>; he purified <02891> Judah <03063> and Jerusalem <03389>.
6In the cities <05892> of Manasseh <04519>, Ephraim <0669>, and Simeon <08095>, as far <05704> as Naphtali <05321>, and in the ruins <02719> around <05439> them,
7he tore down <05422> the altars <04196> and Asherah poles <0842>, demolished <03807> the idols <06456>, and smashed <01854> all <03605> the incense altars <02553> throughout <03605> the land <0776> of Israel <03478>. Then he returned <07725> to Jerusalem <03389>.
8In the eighteenth <06240> <08083> year <08141> of his reign <04427>, he continued his policy of purifying <02891> the land <0776> and the temple <01004>. He sent <07971> Shaphan <08227> son <01121> of Azaliah <0683>, Maaseiah <04641> the city <05892> official <08269>, and Joah <03098> son <01121> of Joahaz <03099> the secretary <02142> to repair <02388> the temple <01004> of the Lord <03068> his God <0430>.
9They went <0935> to <0413> Hilkiah <02518> the high <01419> priest <03548> and gave <05414> him the silver <03701> that had been brought <0935> to God’s <0430> temple <01004>. The Levites <03881> who <0834> guarded <08104> the door <05592> had collected <0622> it from the people of Manasseh <04519> and Ephraim <0669> and from all <03605> who were left <07611> in Israel <03478>, as well as from all <03605> the people of Judah <03063> and Benjamin <01144> and the residents <03427> of Jerusalem <03389>.
10They handed <03027> <05414> it over <05921> to the construction foremen <04399> <06213> assigned <06485> to the Lord’s <03068> temple <01004>. They in turn paid <05414> the temple <03068> <01004> workers <04399> <06213> to restore <0918> and repair <02388> it <01004>.
11They gave <05414> money to the craftsmen <02796> and builders <01129> to buy <07069> chiseled <04274> stone <068> and wood <06086> for the braces <04226> and rafters <07136> of the buildings <01004> that <0834> the kings <04428> of Judah <03063> had allowed to fall into disrepair <07843>.
12The men <0582> worked <04399> <06213> faithfully <0530>. Their supervisors <06485> <05921> were Jahath <03189> and Obadiah <05662> (Levites <03881> descended <01121> from <04480> Merari <04847>), as well as Zechariah <02148> and Meshullam <04918> (descendants <01121> of Kohath <06956>). The Levites <03881>, all <03605> of whom were skilled <0995> musicians <07892>,
13supervised <05921> the laborers <05449> and all <03605> the foremen <04399> on their various jobs <05656> <05656>. Some of the Levites <03881> were scribes <05608>, officials <07860>, and guards <07778>.
14When they took out <03318> the silver <03701> that had been brought <0935> to the Lord’s <03068> temple <01004>, Hilkiah <02518> the priest <03548> found <04672> the law <08451> scroll <05612> the Lord <03068> had given to <03027> Moses <04872>.
15Hilkiah <02518> informed <06030> Shaphan <08227> the scribe <05608>, “I found <04672> the law <08451> scroll <05612> in the Lord’s <03068> temple <01004>.” Hilkiah <02518> gave <05414> the scroll <05612> to <0413> Shaphan <08227>.
16Shaphan <08227> brought <0935> the scroll <05612> to <0413> the king <04428> and reported <07725>, “Your servants <05650> are doing <06213> everything <03605> assigned <03027> <05414> to them <01992>.
17They melted down <05413> the silver <03701> in the Lord’s <03068> temple <01004> and handed <05414> it over <05414> to <05921> the supervisors <06485> of <05921> the construction foremen <04399> <06213>.”
18Then Shaphan <08227> the scribe <05608> told <05046> the king <04428>, “Hilkiah <02518> the priest <03548> has given <05414> me a scroll <05612>.” Shaphan <08227> read <07121> it out loud before <06440> the king <04428>.
19When <01961> the king <04428> heard <08085> the words <01697> of the law <08451> scroll, he tore <07167> his clothes <0899>.
20The king <04428> ordered <06680> Hilkiah <02518>, Ahikam <0296> son <01121> of Shaphan <08227>, Abdon <05658> son <01121> of Micah <04318>, Shaphan <08227> the scribe <05608>, and Asaiah <06222> the king’s <04428> servant <05650>,
21“Go <01980>, seek <01875> an oracle from the Lord <03068> for <01157> me and those who remain <07604> in Israel <03478> and Judah <03063>. Find out about <05921> the words <01697> of this scroll <05612> that <0834> has been discovered <04672>. For <03588> the Lord’s <03068> fury <02534> has been ignited <05413> against <05921> us, because <0834> our ancestors <01> have not <03808> obeyed <08104> the word <01697> of the Lord <03068> by doing <06213> all <03605> that this <02088> scroll <05612> instructs <03789>!”
22So Hilkiah <02518> and the others sent by the king <04428> went <01980> to Huldah <02468> the prophetess <05031>, the wife <0802> of Shallum <07967> son <01121> of Tokhath <08445>, the son <01121> of Hasrah <02641>, the supervisor <08104> of the wardrobe <0899>. (She lived in <03427> Jerusalem <03389> in the Mishneh district <04932>.) They stated <01696> their business,
23and she said <0559> to them: “This is what <03541> the Lord <03068> God <0430> of Israel <03478> says <0559>: ‘Say <0559> this to the man <0376> who <0834> sent <07971> you to <0413> me:
24“This is what <03541> the Lord <03068> says <0559>: ‘I am about to bring <0935> disaster <07451> on <05921> this <02088> place <04725> and its residents <03427>, the details <03605> of which are recorded <03789> in <05921> the scroll <05612> which <0834> they read <07121> before <06440> the king <04428> of Judah <03063>.
25This will happen because <0834> <08478> they have abandoned <05800> me and offered sacrifices <06999> to other <0312> gods <0430>, angering <03707> me with all <03605> the idols <04639> they have made <03027>. My anger <02534> will ignite <05413> against this <02088> place <04725> and will not <03808> be extinguished <03518>!’”
26Say this to <0413> the king <04428> of Judah <03063>, who sent <07971> you to seek <01875> an oracle from the Lord <03068>: “This is what <03541> the Lord <03068> God <0430> of Israel <03478> says <0559> concerning <0413> the words <01697> you have <0834> heard <08085>:
27‘You displayed a sensitive <07401> spirit <03824> and humbled <03665> yourself before <06440> God <0430> when you heard <08085> his words <01697> concerning <05921> this <02088> place <04725> and its residents <03427>. You humbled <03665> yourself before <06440> me, tore <07167> your clothes <0899> and wept <01058> before <06440> me, and <01571> I <0589> have heard <08085> you,’ says <05002> the Lord <03068>.
28‘Therefore I will allow <0622> you to <0413> die <0622> and be buried <06913> in peace <07965>. You will not <03808> have to <0413> witness <05869> <07200> all <03605> the disaster <07451> I <0589> will bring <0935> on <05921> this <02088> place <04725> and its residents <03427>.’”’” Then they reported back <07725> to the king <04428>.
29The king <04428> summoned <0622> all <03605> the leaders <02205> of Judah <03063> and Jerusalem <03389>.
30The king <04428> went up <05927> to the Lord’s <03068> temple <01004>, accompanied by all <03605> the people <0376> of Judah <03063>, the residents <03427> of Jerusalem <03389>, the priests <03548>, and the Levites <03881>. All <03605> the people <05971> were there, from the oldest <01419> to <05704> the youngest <06996>. He read <07121> aloud <0241> all <03605> the words <01697> of the scroll <05612> of the covenant <01285> that had been discovered <04672> in the Lord’s <03068> temple <01004>.
31The king <04428> stood <05975> by <05921> his pillar <05977> and renewed <03772> the covenant <01285> before <06440> the Lord <03068>, agreeing <01980> to follow <0310> the Lord <03068> and to obey <08104> his commandments <04687>, laws <05715>, and rules <02706> with all <03605> his heart <03824> and being <05315>, by carrying out <06213> the terms <01697> of this covenant <01285> recorded <03789> on <05921> this <02088> scroll <05612>.
32He made <05975> all <03605> who were <04672> in Jerusalem <03389> and Benjamin <01144> agree to it. The residents <03427> of Jerusalem <03389> acted <06213> in accordance with the covenant <01285> of God <0430>, the God <0430> of their ancestors <01>.
33Josiah <02977> removed <05493> all <03605> the detestable <08441> idols from all <03605> the areas <0776> belonging to <0834> the Israelites <03478> <01121> and encouraged <05647> all <03605> who were <04672> in Israel <03478> to worship <05647> the Lord <03068> their God <0430>. Throughout <03605> the rest of his reign <03117> they did not <03808> turn aside <05493> from following <0310> the Lord <03068> God <0430> of their ancestors <01>.