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22 1-2 New king of Judah: Josiah

His age at the beginning of his reign: 8 years old

Length of reign: 31 years, in Jerusalem

Mother’s name: Jedidah (daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath)

Character of his reign: good; he followed in the steps of his ancestor King David, obeying the Lord completely

3-4 In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent his secretary Shaphan (son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam) to the Temple to give instruction to Hilkiah, the High Priest:

“Collect the money given to the priests at the door of the Temple when the people come to worship. 5-6 Give this money to the building superintendents so that they can hire carpenters and masons to repair the Temple, and to buy lumber and stone.”

(The building superintendents were not required to keep account of their expenditures, for they were honest men.)

One day Hilkiah the High Priest went to Shaphan the secretary and exclaimed, “I have discovered a scroll in the Temple, with God’s laws written on it!”

He gave the scroll to Shaphan to read. 9-10 When Shaphan reported to the king about the progress of the repairs at the Temple, he also mentioned the scroll found by Hilkiah. Then Shaphan read it to the king. 11 When the king heard what was written in it, he tore his clothes in terror. 12-13 He commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Shaphan, and Asaiah, the king’s assistant, and Ahikam (Shaphan’s son), and Achbor (Michaiah’s son) to ask the Lord, “What shall we do? For we have not been following the instructions of this book: you must be very angry with us, for neither we nor our ancestors have followed your commands.”

14 So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah went to the Mishneh section of Jerusalem to find Huldah the prophetess. (She was the wife of Shallum—son of Tikvah, son of Harhas—who was in charge of the palace tailor shop.) 15-16 She gave them this message from the Lord God of Israel:

“Tell the man who sent you to me that I am going to destroy this city and its people, just as I stated in that book you read. 17 For the people of Judah have thrown me aside and have worshiped other gods and have made me very angry; and my anger can’t be stopped. 18-19 But because you were sorry and concerned and humbled yourself before the Lord when you read the book and its warnings that this land would be cursed and become desolate, and because you have torn your clothing and wept before me in contrition, I will listen to your plea. 20 The death of this nation will not occur until after you die—you will not see the evil that I will bring upon this place.”

So they took the message to the king.

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