1 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years.2 He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and followed the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.3 In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David. In his twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles and idols.4 Under his direction the altars of the Baals were torn down; he cut to pieces the incense altars that were above them, and smashed the Asherah poles and the idols. These he broke to pieces and scattered over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.5 He burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and so he purged Judah and Jerusalem.6 In the towns of Manasseh, Ephraim and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, and in the ruins around them,7 he tore down the altars and the Asherah poles and crushed the idols to powder and cut to pieces all the incense altars throughout Israel. Then he went back to Jerusalem.8 In the eighteenth year of Josiah's reign, to purify the land and the temple, he sent Shaphan son of Azaliah and Maaseiah the ruler of the city, with Joah son of Joahaz, the recorder, to repair the temple of the LORD his God.9 They went to Hilkiah the high priest and gave him the money that had been brought into the temple of God, which the Levites who were the gatekeepers had collected from the people of Manasseh, Ephraim and the entire remnant of Israel and from all the people of Judah and Benjamin and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.10 Then they entrusted it to the men appointed to supervise the work on the LORD's temple. These men paid the workers who repaired and restored the temple.11 They also gave money to the carpenters and builders to purchase dressed stone, and timber for joists and beams for the buildings that the kings of Judah had allowed to fall into ruin.12 The workers labored faithfully. Over them to direct them were Jahath and Obadiah, Levites descended from Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, descended from Kohath. The Levites —all who were skilled in playing musical instruments —13 had charge of the laborers and supervised all the workers from job to job. Some of the Levites were secretaries, scribes and gatekeepers.14 While they were bringing out the money that had been taken into the temple of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the LORD that had been given through Moses.15 Hilkiah said to Shaphan the secretary, "I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the LORD." He gave it to Shaphan.16 Then Shaphan took the book to the king and reported to him: "Your officials are doing everything that has been committed to them.17 They have paid out the money that was in the temple of the LORD and have entrusted it to the supervisors and workers."18 Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.19 When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes.20 He gave these orders to Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, "Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king's attendant:21 "Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for the remnant in Israel and Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the LORD's anger that is poured out on us because those who have gone before us have not kept the word of the LORD; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written in this book."22 Hilkiah and those the king had sent with him "went to speak to the prophet Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tokhath, "the son of Hasrah, "keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the New Quarter.23 She said to them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me,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.25 Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and aroused my anger by all that their hands have made, "my anger will be poured out on this place and will not be quenched.'26 Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, 'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard:27 Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the LORD.28 Now 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.29 Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.30 He went up to the temple of the LORD with the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the Levites —all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the LORD.31 The king stood by his pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the LORD —to follow the LORD and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, and to obey the words of the covenant written in this book.32 Then he had everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin pledge themselves to it; the people of Jerusalem did this in accordance with the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors.33 Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the territory belonging to the Israelites, and he had all who were present in Israel serve the LORD their God. As long as he lived, they did not fail to follow the LORD, the God of their ancestors.

1 Octo annorum erat Josias cum regnare cpisset, et triginta et uno anno regnavit in Jerusalem. 2 Fecitque quod erat rectum in conspectu Domini, et ambulavit in viis David patris sui : non declinavit neque ad dextram, neque ad sinistram. 3 Octavo autem anno regni sui, cum adhuc esset puer, cpit qurere Deum patris sui David : et duodecimo anno postquam regnare cperat, mundavit Judam et Jerusalem ab excelsis, et lucis, simulacrisque et sculptilibus. 4 Destruxeruntque coram eo aras Baalim, et simulacra qu superposita fuerant, demoliti sunt : lucos etiam et sculptilia succidit atque comminuit, et super tumulos eorum qui eis immolare consueverant, fragmenta dispersit. 5 Ossa prterea sacerdotum combussit in altaribus idolorum, mundavitque Judam et Jerusalem. 6 Sed et in urbibus Manasse, et Ephraim, et Simeon, usque Nephthali, cuncta subvertit. 7 Cumque altaria dissipasset, et lucos et sculptilia contrivisset in frustra, cunctaque delubra demolitus esset de universa terra Isral, reversus est in Jerusalem. 8 Igitur anno octavodecimo regni sui, mundata jam terra et templo Domini, misit Saphan filium Eseli, et Maasiam principem civitatis, et Joha filium Joachaz a commentariis, ut instaurarent domum Domini Dei sui. 9 Qui venerunt ad Helciam sacerdotem magnum : acceptamque ab eo pecuniam qu illata fuerat in domum Domini, et quam congregaverant Levit, et janitores de Manasse, et Ephraim, et universis reliquiis Isral, ab omni quoque Juda, et Benjamin, et habitatoribus Jerusalem, 10 tradiderunt in manibus eorum qui prerant operariis in domo Domini, ut instaurarent templum, et infirma quque sarcirent. 11 At illi dederunt eam artificibus et cmentariis, ut emerent lapides de lapicidinis, et ligna ad commissuras dificii, et ad contignationem domorum quas destruxerant reges Juda. 12 Qui fideliter cuncta faciebant. Erant autem prpositi operantium Jahath et Abdias de filiis Merari, Zacharias et Mosollam de filiis Caath, qui urgebant opus : omnes Levit scientes organis canere. 13 Super eos vero qui ad diversos usus onera portabant, erant scrib, et magistri de Levitis, janitores.14 Cumque efferrent pecuniam qu illata fuerat in templum Domini, reperit Helcias sacerdos librum legis Domini per manum Moysi. 15 Et ait ad Saphan scribam : Librum legis inveni in domo Domini : et tradidit ei. 16 At ille intulit volumen ad regem, et nuntiavit ei, dicens : Omnia qu dedisti in manu servorum tuorum, ecce complentur. 17 Argentum quod repertum est in domo Domini, conflaverunt, datumque est prfectis artificum, et diversa opera fabricantium. 18 Prterea tradidit mihi Helcias sacerdos hunc librum. Quem cum rege prsente recitasset, 19 audissetque ille verba legis, scidit vestimenta sua : 20 et prcepit Helci, et Ahicam filio Saphan, et Abdon filio Micha, Saphan quoque scrib, et Asa servo regis, dicens : 21 Ite, et orate Dominum pro me, et pro reliquiis Isral et Juda, super universis sermonibus libri istius, qui repertus est : magnus enim furor Domini stillavit super nos, eo quod non custodierint patres nostri verba Domini ut facerent omnia qu scripta sunt in isto volumine. 22 Abiit ergo Helcias, et hi qui simul a rege missi fuerant, ad Oldam prophetidem, uxorem Sellum filii Thecuath filii Hasra custodis vestium, qu habitabat in Jerusalem in Secunda : et locuti sunt ei verba qu supra narravimus. 23 At illa respondit eis : Hc dicit Dominus Deus Isral : Dicite viro qui misit vos ad me : 24 Hc dicit Dominus : Ecce ego inducam mala super locum istum et super habitatores ejus, cunctaque maledicta qu scripta sunt in libro hoc, quem legerunt coram rege Juda. 25 Quia dereliquerunt me, et sacrificaverunt diis alienis, ut me ad iracundiam provocarent in cunctis operibus manuum suarum, idcirco stillabit furor meus super locum istum, et non extinguetur. 26 Ad regem autem Juda, qui misit vos pro Domino deprecando, sic loquimini : Hc dicit Dominus Deus Isral : Quoniam audisti verba voluminis, 27 atque emollitum est cor tuum, et humiliatus es in conspectu Dei super his qu dicta sunt contra locum hunc et habitatores Jerusalem, reveritusque faciem meam scidisti vestimenta tua, et flevisti coram me : ego quoque exaudivi te, dicit Dominus. 28 Jam enim colligam te ad patres tuos, et infereris in sepulchrum tuum in pace : nec videbunt oculi tui omne malum quod ego inducturus sum super locum istum, et super habitatores ejus. Retulerunt itaque regi cuncta qu dixerat.29 At ille convocatis universis majoribus natu Juda et Jerusalem, 30 ascendit in domum Domini, unaque omnes viri Juda et habitatores Jerusalem, sacerdotes et Levit, et cunctus populus a minimo usque ad maximum. Quibus audientibus in domo Domini, legit rex omnia verba voluminis : 31 et stans in tribunali suo, percussit fdus coram Domino ut ambularet post eum, et custodiret prcepta, et testimonia, et justificationes ejus in toto corde suo, et in tota anima sua, faceretque qu scripta sunt in volumine illo, quod legerat. 32 Adjuravit quoque super hoc omnes qui reperti fuerant in Jerusalem et Benjamin : et fecerunt habitatores Jerusalem juxta pactum Domini Dei patrum suorum. 33 Abstulit ergo Josias cunctas abominationes de universis regionibus filiorum Isral : et fecit omnes qui residui erant in Isral, servire Domino Deo suo. Cunctis diebus ejus non recesserunt a Domino Deo patrum suorum.