Josiah Walks in the Father's Ways
Josiah begins seeking our Father as a boy and purges the shrines. Repairing the temple turns up the Book of the Law; he tears his clothes and sends to Huldah, who says the disaster is certain but not in his lifetime, because his heart was tender.
34 1Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. 2He did what was right in our Father's eyes and walked in the ways of David his father, not turning right or left.
3In the eighth year of his reign, while still a boy, he began to seek our Father, the God of David his father. In the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, Asherah poles, carved images, and cast metal images. 4In his presence they tore down the Baals' altars; he cut down the incense altars above them, shattered the Asherah poles, carved images, and cast images, ground them to dust, and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 5He burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and so he purged Judah and Jerusalem. 6In the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, in their ruins all around. a a v6 The northern towns Josiah visited had been left largely in ruins by Assyrian conquest and deportation decades earlier. 7He tore down the altars, crushed the Asherah poles and carved images to powder, and cut down all the incense altars throughout Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.
8In the eighteenth year of his reign, having cleansed the land and the house, he sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the city governor, and Joah son of Joahaz the recorder to repair the house of our Father. 9They came to Hilkiah the high priest and handed over the money brought into the house of our Father, which the Levites who guarded the gates had collected from Manasseh, Ephraim, and all the remnant of Israel, from all Judah and Benjamin, and the residents of Jerusalem. 10They gave it to the workers overseeing the house of our Father, and the workers in the house of our Father used it to repair and restore it. 11They paid the carpenters and builders to buy cut stone, and timber for the joists and beams of the buildings the kings of Judah had let fall to ruin. 12The men worked faithfully. Over them, directing the work, were Jahath and Obadiah, Levites of Merari's sons, and Zechariah and Meshullam of the Kohathites; and the Levites, all skilled musicians, 13were over the laborers, directing all the workers task by task. Some Levites were scribes, officials, and gatekeepers.
Hilkiah Finds the Book of the Law
14As they brought out the money brought into the house of our Father, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of our Father, given through Moses. 15Hilkiah told Shaphan the scribe, "I've found the Book of the Law in our Father's house," and gave it to Shaphan.
16Shaphan brought the king the book and reported, "Your servants are doing everything put in their care. 17They emptied out the money found in the house of our Father and handed it to the overseers and workmen." 18Shaphan the scribe told the king, "Hilkiah the priest gave me a book," and read it to the king.
19When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his clothes. 20The king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king's servant: 21"Go, ask our Father for me and those left in Israel and Judah about the words of the book that was found. Great is his anger poured out on us, because our ancestors did not keep our Father's word, doing all written in this book."
22So Hilkiah and the king's men went to Huldah, the woman prophet, wife of Shallum son of Tokhath, son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem's Second Quarter. They spoke with her about this.
23She told them, "This is what our Father, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me: 24This is what our Father says: I am about to bring disaster on this place and its residents—all the curses written in the book read to the king of Judah. 25Because they abandoned me and made offerings to other gods, provoking me to anger with all they have made, my wrath will pour out on this place and not be put out. 26But tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of me: This is what our Father, the God of Israel, says about the words you heard: 27Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before our Father when you heard his words against this place and its residents, and humbled yourself before me, tore your clothes, and wept before me, I myself have heard you, declares our Father. 28I will gather you to your ancestors, laid in your grave in peace. Your eyes won't see any of the disaster I'm bringing on this place and its people." So they brought the king this reply.
29Then the king summoned all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 30The king went up to the house of our Father with all Judah's men, Jerusalem's residents, the priests, the Levites, and all the people, great and small. He read them all the words of the Book of the Covenant found in the house of our Father. 31The king stood in his place and made a covenant before our Father—to follow our Father, keep his commandments, testimonies, and statutes with all his heart and all his soul, and carry out the covenant's words written in this book. 32He made everyone present in Jerusalem and Benjamin pledge to it, and the people of Jerusalem acted by the covenant of our Father, the God of their fathers. 33Josiah removed all detestable things from the territory of the people of Israel, and made everyone in Israel serve our Father, their God. As long as he lived, they did not turn from following our Father.
