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22 Octo annorum erat Josias cum regnare coepisset: triginta et uno anno regnavit in Jerusalem: nomen matris ejus Idida filia Hadaia de Besecath.

Fecitque quod placitum erat coram Domino, et ambulavit per omnes vias David patris sui: non declinavit ad dexteram, sive ad sinistram.

Anno autem octavodecimo regis Josiae, misit rex Saphan filium Aslia filii Messulam scribam templi Domini, dicens ei:

Vade ad Helciam sacerdotem magnum, ut confletur pecunia quae illata est in templum Domini, quam collegerunt janitores templi a populo:

deturque fabris per praepositos domus Domini, qui et distribuant eam his qui operantur in templo Domini, ad instauranda sartatecta templi:

tignariis videlicet et caementariis, et iis qui interrupta componunt: et ut emantur ligna, et lapides de lapicidinis, ad instaurandum templum Domini.

Verumtamen non supputetur eis argentum quod accipiunt, sed in potestate habeant, et in fide.

Dixit autem Helcias pontifex ad Saphan scribam: Librum legis reperi in domo Domini. Deditque Helcias volumen Saphan, qui et legit illud.

Venit quoque Saphan scriba ad regem, et renuntiavit ei quod praeceperat, et ait: Conflaverunt servi tui pecuniam quae reperta est in domo Domini, et dederunt ut distribueretur fabris a praefectis operum templi Domini.

10 Narravit quoque Saphan scriba regi, dicens: Librum dedit mihi Helcias sacerdos. Quem cum legisset Saphan coram rege,

11 et audisset rex verba libri legis Domini, scidit vestimenta sua.

12 Et praecepit Helciae sacerdoti, et Ahicam filio Saphan, et Achobor filio Micha, et Saphan scribae, et Asaiae servo regis, dicens:

13 Ite et consulite Dominum super me, et super populo, et super omni Juda, de verbis voluminis istius, quod inventum est: magna enim ira Domini succensa est contra nos, quia non audierunt patres nostri verba libri hujus, ut facerent omne quod scriptum est nobis.

14 Ierunt itaque Helcias sacerdos, et Ahicam, et Achobor, et Sapham, et Asaia, ad Holdam prophetidem, uxorem Sellum filii Thecuae filii Araas custodis vestium, quae habitabat in Jerusalem in Secunda: locutique sunt ad eam.

15 Et illa respondit eis: Haec dicit Dominus Deus Israel: Dicite viro qui misit vos ad me:

16 Haec dicit Dominus: Ecce ego adducam mala super locum istum, et super habitatores ejus, omnia verba legis quae legit rex Juda:

17 quia dereliquerunt me, et sacrificaverunt diis alienis, irritantes me in cunctis operibus manuum suarum: et succendetur indignatio mea in loco hoc, et non extinguetur.

18 Regi autem Juda, qui misit vos ut consuleretis Dominum, sic dicetis: Haec dicit Dominus Deus Israel: Pro eo quod audisti verba voluminis,

19 et perterritum est cor tuum, et humiliatus es coram Domino, auditis sermonibus contra locum istum et habitatores ejus, quod videlicet fierent in stuporem et in maledictum: et scidisti vestimenta tua, et flevisti coram me, et ego audivi, ait Dominus:

20 idcirco colligam te ad patres tuos, et colligeris ad sepulchrum tuum in pace, ut non videant oculi tui omnia mala quae inducturus sum super locum istum.

The Book of the Law Found(A)

22 Josiah(B) was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. His mother’s name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath.(C) He did what was right(D) in the eyes of the Lord and followed completely the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right(E) or to the left.

In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent the secretary, Shaphan(F) son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to the temple of the Lord. He said: “Go up to Hilkiah(G) the high priest and have him get ready the money that has been brought into the temple of the Lord, which the doorkeepers have collected(H) from the people. Have them entrust it to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple. And have these men pay the workers who repair(I) the temple of the Lord the carpenters, the builders and the masons. Also have them purchase timber and dressed stone to repair the temple.(J) But they need not account for the money entrusted to them, because they are honest in their dealings.”(K)

Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law(L) in the temple of the Lord.” He gave it to Shaphan, who read it. Then Shaphan the secretary went to the king and reported to him: “Your officials have paid out the money that was in the temple of the Lord and have entrusted it to the workers and supervisors at the temple.” 10 Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.(M)

11 When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law,(N) he tore his robes. 12 He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam(O) son of Shaphan, Akbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant:(P) 13 “Go and inquire(Q) of the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord’s anger(R) that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.”

14 Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Akbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to speak to the prophet(S) Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the New Quarter.

15 She said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me, 16 ‘This is what the Lord says: I am going to bring disaster(T) on this place and its people, according to everything written in the book(U) the king of Judah has read. 17 Because they have forsaken(V) me and burned incense to other gods and aroused my anger by all the idols their hands have made,[a] my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.’ 18 Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire(W) of the Lord, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: 19 Because your heart was responsive and you humbled(X) yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people—that they would become a curse[b](Y) and be laid waste(Z)—and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I also have heard you, declares the Lord. 20 Therefore I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace.(AA) Your eyes(AB) will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.’”

So they took her answer back to the king.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 22:17 Or by everything they have done
  2. 2 Kings 22:19 That is, their names would be used in cursing (see Jer. 29:22); or, others would see that they are cursed.

22 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath.

And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.

And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of the Lord, saying,

Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may sum the silver which is brought into the house of the Lord, which the keepers of the door have gathered of the people:

And let them deliver it into the hand of the doers of the work, that have the oversight of the house of the Lord: and let them give it to the doers of the work which is in the house of the Lord, to repair the breaches of the house,

Unto carpenters, and builders, and masons, and to buy timber and hewn stone to repair the house.

Howbeit there was no reckoning made with them of the money that was delivered into their hand, because they dealt faithfully.

And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, 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.

And Shaphan the scribe came to the king, and brought the king word again, and said, Thy servants have gathered the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of them that do the work, that have the oversight of the house of the Lord.

10 And Shaphan the scribe shewed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.

11 And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.

12 And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah a servant of the king's, saying,

13 Go ye, enquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us.

14 So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college;) and they communed with her.

15 And she said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me,

16 Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read:

17 Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched.

18 But to the king of Judah which sent you to enquire of the Lord, thus shall ye say to him, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard;

19 Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the Lord.

20 Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again.