1 O novo rei de Judá foi Josias. Começou a reinar com a idade de 8 anos. Reinou durante 31 anos em Jerusalém. A sua mãe chamava-se Jedida; era filha de Adaías, de Bozcate.

2 Fez o que era recto aos olhos do Senhor. Andou nos caminhos de David, seu pai; não se afastou deles nunca, obedecendo integralmente à palavra do Senhor.

3 No décimo oitavo ano do seu reinado, o rei Josias mandou Safã, seu secretário (filho de Azalia e neto de Mesulão) até ao templo com as seguintes instruções para Hilquias, o sumo sacerdote: Recolhe o dinheiro que é dado aos sacerdotes à porta do templo, quando o povo entra para o culto. Entrega-o ao encarregado de obras do templo para que contrate pedreiros e carpinteiros que façam as devidas reparações no edifício e para que comprem o material necessário.

7 Não se pedia contas do dinheiro entregue aos encarregados das obras, porque eram pessoas que actuavam com a máxima honestidade.

8 Um dia Hilquias o sumo sacerdote foi ter com Safã o secretário real exclamando: Descobri um livro no templo que tem escritas as leis de Deus!E deu o livro a ler a Safã. Quando este foi em audiência ao rei apresentar o relatório do andamento das obras de reparação do templo, fez também menção do livro que Hilquias tinha achado, e leu nele diante do rei. Ao ouvir aquelas palavras escritas, o monarca rasgou a roupa que tinha vestida, em sinal de profunda consternação. Mandou então a Hilquias o sacerdote, a Safã, a Asaia (assistente do rei), a Aicão (filho de Safã) e a Acbor (filho de Micaías) que perguntassem ao Senhor: Que devemos nós fazer? Porque não obedecemos às instruções deste livro: deves estar tremendamente irado contra nós, pois que nem nós nem os nossos antepassados seguimos os teus mandamentos.

14 Então Hilquias, mais os homens referidos, foram ter com Hulda, a profetisa, ao bairro de Misné, em Jerusalém. (Esta profetisa era mulher de Salum - o filho de Ticva e neto de Harás - que tinha o encargo do guardaroupa real.) Ela deu-lhes pois esta mensagem da parte do Senhor Deus de Israel: Diz ao homem que te mandou ter comigo que vou destruir esta cidade e a sua população, tal como está escrito no livro que leste. Pois que o povo de Judá me abandonou, adorou outros deuses e levantou a minha ira intensa de tal maneira que não poderá ser sustida. Mas, devido ao facto de que te consternaste e te humilhaste perante o Senhor, quando leste o livro e os seus avisos de que esta terra haveria de ser amaldiçoada e se tornaria desolada, e visto que rasgaste a tua roupa, chorando perante mim de tristeza, darei ouvidos aos teus rogos. A morte desta nação não ocorrerá antes de morreres - não verás o mal que prometo trazer sobre este lugar. Foi esta a mensagem que levaram ao rei.

1 Eight years old, was Josiah when he began to reign, and, thirty-one years, reigned he in Jerusalem,and, this mothers name, was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah, of Bozkath.

2 And he did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh,and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside, to the right hand or to the left.

3 And it came to pass, in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan son of Azaliah son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of Yahweh, saying

4 Go up unto Hilkiah, the high priest, that he pour out the silver that hath been brought into the house of Yahweh,which the keepers of the entrance-hall have gathered from the people,

5 that they may give it into the hand of the doers of the work, who have oversight of the house of Yahweh, that they may give it to the doers of the work, who are in the house of Yahweh, to repair the breaches of the house;

6 to the carpenters, and to the builders, and to the masons,and to buy timber, and hewn stones, for repairing the house.

7 Howbeit there used to be no reckoning made with them, as to the silver that was given into their hand,because, with faithfulness, were they dealing.

8 Then said Hilkiah the high priest, unto Shaphan the scribeThe book of the law, have I found, in the house of Yahweh. So Hilkiah delivered the book unto Shaphan, and he read it.

9 Then came Shaphan the scribe unto the king, and brought the king word again,and saidThy servants have poured out the silver that was found in the house, and have delivered it unto the hand of the doers of the work, who have oversight of the house of Yahweh.

10 Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, sayingA book, hath Hilkiah the priest delivered unto me. And Shaphan read it before the king.

11 And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.

12 And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam son of Shaphan, and Achbor son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the kings servant, saying:

13 Go yeenquire of Yahweh, for me and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book which hath been found,for, great, is the wrath of Yahweh, in that it hath fired up against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according to all which is written concerning us.

14 So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, son of Harhas keeper of the vestments, she having her dwelling in Jerusalem, in the new city,and they spake unto her.

15 And she said unto them, Thus, saith Yahweh, God of Israel, Say ye unto the man who hath sent you unto me:

16 Thus, saith Yahweh, Behold me! about to bring calamity upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof,all the words of the book, which, the king of Judah, hath read:

17 Because they have forsaken me, and burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger, with all the workmanship of their hands; and so my wrath shall fire up against this place, and shall not be quenched:

18 But, unto the king of Judah, who hath sent you to enquire of Yahweh, thus, shall ye say unto him,Thus, saith Yahweh, God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard:

19 Because, tender, was thy heart, and thou didst humble thyself before Yahweh when thou heardest what I had spoken against this place and against the inhabitants thereofthat they should become a desolation and a curse, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me, therefore also, I, have hearkeneddeclareth Yahweh.

20 For this cause, behold me! about to gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered unto thy graves, in peace, and so thine eyes shall not look upon all the misfortune which I am about to bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again.