2 Chronicles 34

1Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign; and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem.

1Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he ruled in Jerusalem for thirty-one years.

2And he did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, and walked in the ways of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.

2He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. He followed the example of his ancestor David and did not stray to the right or to the left.

3For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the Asherim, and the graven images, and the molten images.

3In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still a teenager, he began to seek the God of his ancestor David. In his twelfth year, he began to clear out from Judah and Jerusalem the hilltop shrines, the Asherah poles, and the carved and molded idols.

4And they brake down the altars of the Baalim in his presence; and the sun-images that were on high above them he hewed down; and the Asherim, and the graven images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strewed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them.

4In his presence, they tore down the altars of the Baals. He cut down the incense altars that stood high above them. He broke the Asherah poles and the idols into pieces, ground them into dust, and scattered it over the graves of the people who had sacrificed to them.

5And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and purged Judah and Jerusalem.

5He burned the bones of the idolatrous priests on their own altars, purifying Judah and Jerusalem.

6And so did he in the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, in their ruins round about.

6He did the same thing in the towns of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, and as far as Naphtali, and in the ruins around them.

7And he brake down the altars, and beat the Asherim and the graven images into powder, and hewed down all the sun-images throughout all the land of Israel, and returned to Jerusalem.

7After he had torn down the altars and the Asherah poles, crushed the idols into powder, and cut down all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.

8Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of Jehovah his God.

8In the eighteenth year of his reign, after he had finished purifying the land and the temple, Josiah sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the city governor, and Joah son of Joahaz the recorder to repair the temple of the LORD his God.

9And they came to Hilkiah the high priest, and delivered the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites, the keepers of the threshold, had gathered of the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and of all the remnant of Israel, and of all Judah and Benjamin, and of the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

9They went to Hilkiah the high priest and gave him the money that had been brought to the house of God. The Levites who guarded the doors had collected this money from the people of Manasseh, Ephraim, and the rest of Israel, as well as from all of Judah, Benjamin, and the people living in Jerusalem.

10And they delivered it into the hand of the workmen that had the oversight of the house of Jehovah; and the workmen that wrought in the house of Jehovah gave it to mend and repair the house:

10They gave the money to the men appointed to supervise the work on the LORD’s temple. These men then paid the workers who were repairing and restoring the building.

11even to the carpenters and to the builders gave they it, to buy hewn stone, and timber for couplings, and to make beams for the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed.

11They gave the money to the carpenters and builders to buy finished stone and timber for joints and beams for the buildings that the kings of Judah had allowed to fall into ruin.

12And the men did the work faithfully: and the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to set it forward; and others of the Levites, all that were skilful with instruments of music.

12The men did their work honestly. Their supervisors were Jahath and Obadiah, who were Levites from the clan of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam from the clan of Kohath. Other Levites, who were all skilled musicians, were also involved.

13Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and set forward all that did the work in every manner of service: and of the Levites there were scribes, and officers, and porters.

13They were in charge of the laborers and supervised all the workers in every task. Other Levites served as secretaries, officers, and gatekeepers.

14And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of Jehovah, Hilkiah the priest found the book of the law of Jehovahgivenby Moses.

14While they were bringing out the money that had been taken into the LORD’s temple, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the LORD that had been given through Moses.

15And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of Jehovah. And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan.

15Hilkiah said to Shaphan the secretary, "I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the LORD." Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan.

16And Shaphan carried the book to the king, and moreover brought back word to the king, saying, All that was committed to thy servants, they are doing.

16Shaphan took the book to the king and reported, "Your servants are doing everything they were assigned to do.

17And they have emptied out the money that was found in the house of Jehovah, and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers, and into the hand of the workmen.

17They have collected the money that was in the temple of the LORD and have handed it over to the supervisors and the workers."

18And Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read therein before the king.

18Then Shaphan the secretary told the king, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." And Shaphan read from it in the king’s presence.

19And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes.

19When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his clothes in grief.

20And the king commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Abdon the son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying,

20He gave these orders to Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king’s personal servant:

21Go ye, inquire of Jehovah for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found; for great is the wrath of Jehovah that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of Jehovah, to do according unto all that is written in this book.

21"Go and ask the LORD for me and for the people left in Israel and Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. The LORD’s great anger has been poured out on us because our ancestors did not keep the word of the LORD; they did not obey everything written in this book."

22So Hilkiah, and they whom the kinghad commanded, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the second quarter); and they spake to her to that effect.

22So Hilkiah and those the king had sent went to talk to Huldah the prophetess. She was the wife of Shallum son of Tokhath (the son of Hasrah), who was in charge of the royal wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem in the Second District.

23And she said unto them, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel: Tell ye the man that sent you unto me,

23She said to them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me,

24Thus saith Jehovah, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah.

24'This is what the LORD says: I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people—all the curses written in the book that has been read in the presence of the king of Judah.

25Because 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 is my wrath poured out upon this place, and it shall not be quenched.

25Because they have abandoned me and burned incense to other gods, making me angry with everything they have made, my anger will be poured out on this place and it will not be put out.'

26But unto the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of Jehovah, thus shall ye say to him, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel: As touching the words which thou hast heard,

26But tell the king of Judah, who sent you to ask the LORD, 'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says regarding the words you heard:

27because thy heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and hast humbled thyself before me, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith Jehovah.

27Because your heart was sensitive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and its people—because you humbled yourself before me, tore your clothes, and wept in my presence—I have heard you, declares the LORD.

28Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof. And they brought back word to the king.

28Now I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place and on those who live here.'" So they took her answer back to the king.

29Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.

29Then the king sent for all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem and gathered them together.

30And the king went up to the house of Jehovah, and all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, both great and small: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of Jehovah.

30The king went up to the temple of the LORD with the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, the Levites, and everyone from the most important to the least important. He read to them everything written in the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the temple of the LORD.

31And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before Jehovah, to walk after Jehovah, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book.

31The king stood by his pillar and made a promise in the presence of the LORD to follow the LORD and obey his commands, laws, and decrees with all his heart and soul. He promised to carry out the words of the covenant written in this book.

32And he caused all that were found in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.

32Then he had everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin promise to do the same. The people of Jerusalem lived according to the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors.

33And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were found in Israel to serve, even to serve Jehovah their God. All his days they departed not from following Jehovah, the God of their fathers.

33Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the land belonging to the Israelites, and he required everyone in Israel to serve the LORD their God. As long as he lived, they did not stop following the LORD, the God of their ancestors.