1
Yoshiyahu was eight years old when he began to reign; and he reigned thirty-one years in Yerushalayim.
2
He did that which was right in the eyes of the Yahuah, and walked in the ways of Daviyd his father, and did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.
3
For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the Elohim of Daviyd his father; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Yehudah and Yerushalayim from the high places, and the Asherim, and the engraved images, and the molten images.
4
They broke down the altars of the Baals in his presence; and the incense altars that were on high above them he cut down; and the Asherim, and the engraved images, and the molten images, he broke in pieces, and made dust of them, and strewed it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
5
He burnt the bones of the kohenim on their altars, and purged Yehudah and Yerushalayim.
6
He did this in the cities of Menasheh and Efrayim and Shim’on, even to Naphtali, around in their ruins.
7
He broke down the altars, and beat the Asherim and the engraved images into powder, and cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Yisra’el, and returned to Yerushalayim.
8
Now 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 the Yahuah his Elohim.
9
They came to Hilkiah the high kohen, and delivered the money that was brought into Elohim's house, which the Leviyim, the keepers of the threshold, had gathered of the hand of Menasheh and Efrayim, and of all the remnant of Yisra’el, and of all Yehudah and Binyamin, and of the inhabitants of Yerushalayim.
10
They delivered it into the hand of the workmen who had the oversight of the house of the Yahuah; and the workmen who labored in the house of the Yahuah gave it to mend and repair the house;
11
even to the carpenters and to the builders gave they it, to buy cut stone, and timber for couplings, and to make beams for the houses which the kings of Yehudah had destroyed.
12
The men did the work faithfully: and their overseers were Jahath and Obadiah, the Leviyim, of the sons of Merari; and Zekharyahu and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to set it forward; and others of the Leviyim, all who were skillful with instruments of music.
13
Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and set forward all who did the work in every kind of service: and of the Leviyim there were scribes, and officers, and porters.
14
When they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the Yahuah, Hilkiah the kohen found the book of the Torah of the Yahuah given by Mosheh.
15
Hilkiah answered Shaphan the scribe, "I have found the book of the Torah in the house of the Yahuah." Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan.
16
Shaphan carried the book to the king, and moreover brought back word to the king, saying, "All that was committed to your servants, they are doing.
17
They have emptied out the money that was found in the house of the Yahuah, and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers, and into the hand of the workmen."
18
Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, "Hilkiah the kohen has delivered me a book." Shaphan read therein before the king.
19
It happened, when the king had heard the words of the Torah, that he tore his clothes.
20
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,
21
"Go inquire of the Yahuah for me, and for those who are left in Yisra’el and in Yehudah, concerning the words of the book that is found; for great is the wrath of the Yahuah that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the Yahuah, to do according to all that is written in this book."
22
So Hilkiah, and they whom the king had commanded, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she lived in Yerushalayim in the second quarter;) and they spoke to her to that effect.
23
She said to them, "Thus says the Yahuah, the Elohim of Yisra’el: 'Tell the man who sent you to me,
24
"Thus says the Yahuah, 'Behold, I will bring disaster on this place, and on its inhabitants, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Yehudah.
25
Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other powers, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore is my wrath poured out on this place, and it shall not be quenched.'"'
26
But to the king of Yehudah, who sent you to inquire of the Yahuah, thus you shall tell him, 'Thus says the Yahuah, the Elohim of Yisra’el: "As touching the words which you have heard,
27
because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before Elohim, when you heard his words against this place, and against its inhabitants, and have humbled yourself before me, and have torn your clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard you," says the Yahuah.
28
"Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, neither shall your eyes see all the disaster that I will bring on this place, and on its inhabitants."'" They brought back word to the king.
29
Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Yehudah and Yerushalayim.
30
The king went up to the house of the Yahuah, and all the men of Yehudah and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, and the kohenim, and the Leviyim, 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 the Yahuah.
31
The king stood in his place, and made a Covenant before the Yahuah, to walk after the Yahuah, 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.
32
He caused all who were found in Yerushalayim and Binyamin to stand. The inhabitants of Yerushalayim did according to the Covenant of Elohim, the Elohim of their fathers.
33
Yoshiyahu took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Yisra’el, and made all who were found in Yisra’el to serve, even to serve the Yahuah their Elohim. All his days they did not depart from following the Yahuah, the Elohim of their fathers.