Josiah Does Right Before the Father
During temple repairs the high priest finds the Book of the Law, and when it is read aloud Josiah tears his clothes. He sends to the prophet Huldah, who confirms our Father's disaster is coming, but says that because his heart was soft he will be buried first.
22 1Josiah, eight when made king, reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. Mother: Jedidah daughter of Adaiah, from Bozkath. 2He did right in our Father's eyes, walking in all the ways of David his father, turning neither right nor left.
3In his eighteenth year, King Josiah sent Shaphan son of Azaliah son of Meshullam, the secretary, to our Father's house, saying: 4Go up to Hilkiah the high priest and have him total the money brought into our Father's house, which the doorkeepers collected from the people. 5Give it to the supervisors appointed over the work in our Father's house, and have them pay the workers in our Father's house repairing its damage. 6The carpenters, builders, masons—and to buy timber and hewn stone to repair the house. 7No accounting is required of the money entrusted to them, for they act faithfully.
The Book of the Law Is Found
8High priest Hilkiah told secretary Shaphan, "I found the Book of the Law in our Father's house." He gave it to Shaphan, who read it. 9Shaphan the secretary told the king, "Your servants poured out the money found in the temple and gave it to the workers and supervisors at the house of our Father." 10Shaphan the scribe told the king, "Hilkiah the priest gave me a scroll," and read it aloud before him.
11When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes. 12The king commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam Shaphan's son, Achbor Micaiah's son, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king's servant: 13"Go, ask our Father for me, for the people, for all Judah about the words of this discovered book. Great is our Father's anger burning against us, because our ancestors did not obey this book's words by doing all that is written about us."
14So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the woman prophet, wife of Shallum son of Tikvah son of Harhas, wardrobe keeper, living in Jerusalem's Second District, and spoke with her.
15She told them, "This is what our Father, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me, 16our Father says: I am bringing disaster on this place and its people—all the words the king of Judah has read in the book. 17Because they abandoned me, burned incense to other gods, provoking me to anger with all their handiwork, my anger will burn against this place unquenched.
18Tell Judah's king, who sent you to inquire of the Father: our Father, Israel's God, says this about the words you heard.
19Because your heart was soft and you humbled yourself before the Father on hearing what I spoke against this place and its people—that they would become a ruin and a curse—and tore your clothes and wept before me, I too have heard you, declares the Father. 20So I will gather you to your ancestors; you will be gathered to your grave in peace, your eyes not seeing all the disaster I will bring on this place." Then they brought her answer back to the king.
