Josiah's good reign.

1 ¶ Josiahº [was] eightº yearsº oldº when he began to reign,ºª and he reignedºª in Jerusalemº oneº and thirtyº years.º 2 And he didºª [that which was] rightº in the sightº of the LORD,º and walked¹ª² in the waysº of Davidº his father,º and declinedºª [neither] to the right hand,º nor to the left.º

He destroyeth idolatry.

3 ¶ For in the eighthº yearº of his reign,ºª while he² was yet² young,º he beganºª to seekºª after the Godº of Davidº his father:º and in the twelfthºº yearº he beganºª to purgeºª² Judahº and Jerusalemº from² the high places,º and the groves,º and the carved images,º and the molten images.º 4 And they brake downºª² the altarsº of Baalimº in his presence;º and the images,º that² [were] on high² above²² them,¹ he cut down;ºª and the groves,º and the carved images,º and the molten images,º he brake in pieces,ºª and made dustºª [of them], and strowedºª [it] uponº² the gravesº of them that had sacrificedºª unto them. 5 And he burntºª the bonesº of the priestsº upon² their altars,º and cleansedºª² Judahº and Jerusalem.º 6 And [so did he] in the citiesº of Manasseh,º and Ephraim,º and Simeon,º even unto² Naphtali,º with their mattocksº round about.º 7 And when he had broken downºª² the altarsº and the groves,º and had beatenºª the graven imagesº into powder,ºª and cut downºª all² the idolsº throughout all² the landº of Israel,º he returnedºª to Jerusalem.º

He taketh order for the repair of the Temple.

8 ¶ Now in the eighteenthºº yearº of his reign,ºª when he had purgedºª the land,º and the house,º he sentºª² Shaphanº the sonº of Azaliah,º and Maaseiahº the governorº of the city,º and Joahº the sonº of Joahazº the recorder,ºª to repairºª² the houseº of the LORDº his God.º 9 And when they cameºª to² Hilkiahº the highº priest,º they deliveredºª² the moneyº that was brought¹ª into² the houseº of God,º which² the Levitesº that keptºª the doorsº had gatheredºª of the handº² of Manassehº and Ephraim,º and of all²² the remnantº of Israel,º and of all²² Judahº and Benjamin;º and they returnedºªª¹ª to Jerusalem.º 10 And they putºª [it] in² the handº of the workmenººª that had the oversightºª of the houseº of the LORD,º and they gaveºª it to the workmenººª that² wroughtºª in the houseº of the LORD,º to repairºª and amendºª the house:º 11 Even to the artificersº and buildersºª gaveºª they [it], to buyºª hewnº stone,º and timberº for couplings,º and to floorºª² the housesº which² the kingsº of Judahº had destroyed.ºª 12 And the men¹² didºª the workº faithfully:º and the overseersºª of² them [were] Jahathº and Obadiah,º the Levites,º of² the sonsº of Merari;º and Zechariahº and Meshullam,º of² the sons² of the Kohathites,º to set [it] forward;ºª and [other of] the Levites,º all² that could skillºª of instrumentsº of musick.º 13 Also [they were] over² the bearers of burdens,º and [were] overseersºª of all² that wroughtºª the workº in any manner of service:º and of² the Levitesº [there were] scribes,ºª and officers,ºª and porters.º

Hilkiah having found a book of the Law, Josiah sendeth to Huldah to enquire of the LORD.

14 ¶ And when they brought outºª² the moneyº that was brought intoºª the houseº of the LORD,º Hilkiahº the priestº foundºª² a bookº of the lawº of the LORDº [given] byº Moses.º 15 And Hilkiahº answeredºª and saidºª to² Shaphanº the scribe,ºª I have foundºª the bookº of the lawº in the houseº of the LORD.º And Hilkiahº deliveredºª² the bookº to² Shaphan.º 16 And Shaphanº carriedºª² the bookº to² the king,º and broughtºª² the kingº wordº back¹ª again,² saying,ºª All² that² was committedºª to¹ thy servants,º² they² doºª [it]. 17 And they have gathered togetherºª² the moneyº that was foundºª in the houseº of the LORD,º and have deliveredºª it into² the handº of the overseers,ºª and to² the handº of the workmen.ººª 18 Then Shaphanº the scribeºª toldºª the king,º saying,ºª Hilkiahº the priestº hath givenºª me a book.º And Shaphanº readºª it beforeº the king.º 19 And it came to pass,² when the kingº had heardºª² the wordsº of the law,º that he rentºª² his clothes.º 20 And the kingº commandedºª² Hilkiah,º and Ahikamº the sonº of Shaphan,º and Abdonº the sonº of Micah,º and Shaphanº the scribe,ºª and Asaiahº a servantº of the king's,º saying,ºª 21 Go,¹ª² enquire¹ª of²² the LORDº for² me, and for² them that are leftºª in Israelº and in Judah,º concerning² the wordsº of the bookº that² is found:ºª for² greatº [is] the wrathº of the LORDº that² is poured outºª upon us, because²² our fathersº have not² keptºª² the wordº of the LORD,º to doºª after all² that is writtenºª in² this² book.º 22 And Hilkiah,º and [they] that² the kingº [had appointed], went¹ª² to² Huldahº the prophetess,º the wifeº of Shallumº the sonº of Tikvath,ºª¹ the sonº of Hasrah,º keeperºª of the wardrobe;º (now she² dweltºª in Jerusalemº in the college:)º and they spakeºª to² her to that² [effect].

Huldah prophesieth the destruction of Jerusalem, but respite thereof in Josiah's time.

23 ¶ And she answeredºª them, Thus² saithºª the LORDº Godº of Israel,º Tellºª ye the manº that² sentºª you to² me, 24 Thus² saithºª the LORD,º Behold,² I will bringºª evilº upon² this² place,º and upon² the inhabitantsºª thereof, [even]² all² the cursesº that are writtenºª in² the bookº which² they have readºª beforeº the kingº of Judah:º 25 Because²² they have forsakenºª me, and have burned incenseºªªª unto otherº gods,º that² they might provoke me to angerºª with all² the worksº of their hands;º therefore my wrathº shall be poured outºª upon this² place,º and shall not² be quenched.ºª 26 And as forº the kingº of Judah,º who sentºª you to enquireºª of the LORD,º so² shall ye sayºª unto² him, Thus² saithºª the LORDº Godº of Israelº [concerning] the wordsº which² thou hast heard;ºª 27 Because² thine heartº was tender,ºª and thou didst humble¹ª thyself² beforeº² God,º when thou heardestºª² his wordsº against² this² place,º and against² the inhabitantsºª thereof, and humbledst¹ª thyself² beforeº me, and didst rendºª² thy clothes,º and weepºª beforeº me; I² have even heardºª [thee] also,² saithºª the LORD.º 28 Behold,² I will gatherºª thee to² thy fathers,º and thou shalt be gatheredºª to² thy graveº in peace,º neither² shall thine eyesº seeºª all² the evilº that² I² will bringºª upon² this² place,º and upon² the inhabitantsºª of the same. So they broughtºª² the kingº wordº again.¹ª

Josiah, causing it to be read in a solemn assembly, reneweth the Covenant with God.

29 ¶ Then the kingº sentºª and gathered togetherºª² all² the eldersº of Judahº and Jerusalem.º 30 And the kingº went upºª into the houseº of the LORD,º and all² the menº of Judah,º and the inhabitantsºª of Jerusalem,º and the priests,º and the Levites,º and all² the people,º greatº² and small:º and he readºª in their earsº² all² the wordsº of the bookº of the covenantº that was foundºª in the houseº of the LORD.º 31 And the kingº stoodºª in² his place,º and madeºª² a covenantº beforeº the LORD,º to walk¹ª² afterº the LORD,º and to keepºª² his commandments,º and his testimonies,º and his statutes,º with all² his heart,º and with all² his soul,º to performºª² the wordsº of the covenantº which are writtenºª in² this² book.º 32 And he caused² all² that were presentºª in Jerusalemº and Benjaminº to standºª [to it]. And the inhabitantsºª of Jerusalemº didºª according to the covenantº of God,º the Godº of their fathers.º 33 And Josiahº took awayºª² all² the abominationsº out of² all² the countriesº that² [pertained] to the childrenº of Israel,º and made² all² that were presentºª in Israelº to serve,ºª [even] to serveºª² the LORDº their God.º [And] all² his daysº they departedºª not² from followingº² the LORD,º the Godº of their fathers.º