2 Chronicles 34
A Young King Who Tore His Clothes at the Words
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Josiah King of Judah
34:1Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem.
34:2He did what was upright before the Lord and walked in the ways of his father David, turning aside neither to the right nor to the left.
The Cleansing of Judah and Israel
34:3In the eighth year of his reign, while still a boy, he began to seek the Lord, the God of his father David. In the twelfth year of his reign he began to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, sacred groves, and cast objects.
34:4He pulled down before him the altars of the Baals and the high places upon them. He cut down the sacred groves, shattered and pulverized the carved and cast objects, and scattered them over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
34:5He burned priests’ bones upon the altars and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.
34:6And in the cities of Ephraim, Manasseh, Simeon, and Naphtali, and in their surrounding places,
34:7he pulled down the sacred groves and altars, cut the idols into fine pieces, and cut down all the high places throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.
The Repair of the House and the Book Found
34:8In the eighteenth year of his reign, to cleanse the land and the house, he sent Shaphan son of Eselias, Maasias the city ruler, and Joah son of Joahaz his recorder to strengthen the house of the Lord his God.
34:9They came to Hilkiah the high priest and handed over the silver brought into God’s house, which the Levites guarding the gate had gathered from Manasseh, Ephraim, the rulers, all the remnant in Israel, the sons of Judah and Benjamin, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
34:10Those appointed in the Lord’s house put it into the hands of the workers, and they gave it to the workers laboring in the Lord’s house, to repair and strengthen the house.
34:11They gave it to the craftsmen and builders to buy four-foot stones and timber for beams, to roof the buildings the kings of Judah had destroyed.
34:12The men were faithful at the works. Their overseers were Jeth and Abdias, Levites from the sons of Merari, and Zacharias and Mosollam from the sons of Kohath, to oversee, and every Levite skilled in instruments of song,
34:13were over the burden-bearers and over all who did the works, task by task. From the Levites came scribes, judges, and gatekeepers.
34:14As they brought out the silver that had been received into the Lord’s house, Hilkiah the priest found a book of the Lord’s law through the hand of Moses.
34:15Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found a book of law in the Lord’s house.” Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan.
34:16Shaphan brought the book to the king and also reported to the king, “All the silver given is in the hands of your servants who are doing the work,
34:17and they melted the silver found in the Lord’s house and gave it into the hands of the overseers and those doing the work.”
34:18Shaphan the scribe told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” Shaphan read it before the king.
Josiah Tears His Garments
34:19When the king heard the words of the law, he tore his garments.
34:20The king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Michaias, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaias the king’s servant, saying,
34:21“Go, seek the Lord concerning me and all who are left in Israel and Judah, concerning the words of the book that has been found. The Lord’s great anger has burned against us because our fathers did not heed the Lord’s words by doing all that is written in this book.”
The Word of the Prophetess
34:22Hilkiah and those to whom the king had spoken went to Huldah the prophetess, wife of Sellem son of Thakouath son of Chelles, herself keeper of the robes. She lived in Jerusalem in Masana, and they spoke to her accordingly.
34:23She said to them, “Thus said the Lord God of Israel: Tell the man who sent you to me,
34:24‘Thus says the Lord: I am bringing evils upon this place—all the words written in the book read before the king of Judah,
34:25because they abandoned Me and burned incense to foreign gods, provoking Me with all the works of their hands. My anger has been kindled in this place and will not be quenched.’
34:26But concerning the king of Judah who sent you to seek the Lord, say this to him: ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: The words you heard—
34:27and your heart felt shame, and you humbled yourself before Me when you heard My words against this place and its inhabitants, and humbled yourself before Me, tore your garments, and wept before Me—I also have heard, says the Lord.
34:28I am adding you to your fathers, and you will be added to your tombs in peace. Your eyes will not see all the evils I am bringing upon this place and its inhabitants.’” They brought word back to the king.
The Covenant Renewed
34:29The king sent and gathered the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.
34:30The king went up to the Lord’s house with all Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, the Levites, and all the people from great to small. He read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant found in the Lord’s house.
34:31The king stood by the pillar and established a covenant before the Lord: to walk before the Lord and keep His commandments, testimonies, and ordinances with the whole heart and the whole soul—the words of the covenant written in this book.
34:32He made everyone found in Jerusalem and Benjamin stand. The inhabitants of Jerusalem made a covenant in the house of the Lord, the God of their fathers.
34:33Josiah removed all the abominations from all the land belonging to the sons of Israel and made everyone present in Jerusalem and Israel serve the Lord their God throughout his days. He did not turn aside from following the Lord, the God of his fathers.
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.