The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Chronicles 34
1 Josiah was eight years old when he
began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one
years in Jerusalem.
2 He did that which was right in Yahweh’s eyes, and walked in the ways of
David his father, and didn’t turn away 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 God of David his father; and in
the twelfth year he began to purge Judah
and Jerusalem from the high places, the
Asherah poles, the engraved images, and
the molten images.
4 They broke down the altars ofthe Baals
in his presence; and he cut down the incense altars that were on high above them.
He broke the Asherah poles, the engraved
images, and the molten images in pieces,
made dust of them, and scattered it on the
graves ofthose who had sacrificed to them.
5 He burned the bones of the priests
on their altars, and purged Judah and
Jerusalem.
6 He did this in the cities of Manasseh,
Ephraim, and Simeon, even to Naphtali,
around in their ruins.
7 He broke down the altars, beat the
Asherah poles and the engraved images
into powder, and cut down all the incense
altars throughout all the land of Israel,
then returned to Jerusalem.
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, Maaseiah the governor of the city,
and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder to
repair the house of Yahweh his God.
9 They came to Hilkiah the high priest
and delivered the money that was brought
into God’s house, which the Levites, the
keepers of the threshold, had gathered
from the hands of Manasseh, Ephraim,
of all the remnant of Israel, of all Judah
and Benjamin, and of the inhabitants of
Jerusalem.
10 They delivered it into the hands of
the workmen who had the oversight of
Yahweh’s house; and the workmen who
labored in Yahweh’s house gave it to mend
and repair the house.
11 They gave it to the carpenters and to
the builders to buy cut stone and timber
for couplings, and to make beams for the
houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed.
12 The men did the work faithfully. Their overseers were Jahath and Obadiah
the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and
Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of
the Kohathites, to give direction; and others of the Levites, who were all skillful
with musical instruments.
13 Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and directed all who did the work in
every kind of service. Of the Levites, there
were scribes, officials, and gatekeepers.
14 When they brought outthemoney that
was brought into Yahweh’s house, Hilkiah
the priest found the book of Yahweh’s law
given by Moses.
15 Hilkiah answered Shaphan the scribe,
“I have found the book of the law in Yahweh’s house.” So 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 Yahweh’s house, 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 priest has delivered me a
book.” Shaphan read from it to the king.
19 When the king had heard the words of
the law, he tore his clothes.
20 The king commanded Hilkiah,
Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon the son
of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah
the king’s servant, saying,
21 “Go inquire of Yahweh for me, and for
those who are left in Israel and in Judah,
concerning the words of the book that is
found; for great is Yahweh’s wrath that is
poured out onus, because our fathershave
not kept Yahweh’s word, to do according to
all that is written in this book.”
22 So Hilkiah and those 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 Jerusalem in
the second quarter), and they spoke to her
to that effect.
23 She said to them, “Yahweh, the God of
Israel says: ‘Tell the man who sent you to
me,
24 “Yahweh says, ‘Behold, I will bring evil
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
Judah.
25 Because they have forsaken me, and
have burned incense to other gods, that
they might provoke me to anger with all
the works of their hands, therefore my
wrath is poured out on this place, and it
will not be quenched.
26 But to the king of Judah, who sent
you to inquire of Yahweh, you shall tell
him this, ‘Yahweh, the God of Israel says:
“About the words which you have heard,
27 because your heart was tender, and
you humbled yourself before God 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 Yahweh.
28 “Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be
gathered to your grave in peace. Your eyes won’t see all the
evil thatI will bring on this place and on its
inhabitants.”They brought back this message to the
king.
29 Then the king sent and gathered
together all the elders of Judah and
Jerusalem.
30 The king went up to Yahweh’s house
with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants ofJerusalem—the priests, the Levites,
and all the people, both great and small—
and he read in their hearing all the words
of the book of the covenant that was found
in Yahweh’s house.
31 The king stood in his place and made
a covenant before Yahweh, to walk after
Yahweh, and to keep his commandments,
his testimonies, andhis statutes withallhis
heart and with all his soul, to perform the
words ofthe covenantthat were written in
this book.
32 He caused all who were found in
Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand. The inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the
covenant of God, the God of their fathers.
33 Josiah took away all the abominations
out of all the countries that belonged to the children of Israel, and made all who
were found in Israel to serve, even to serve
Yahweh their God. All his days they didn’t
depart from following Yahweh, the God of
their fathers.