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 of the 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 of those 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 out the money 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 on us, because our fathers have 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 that I 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 of Jerusalem—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, and his statutes with all his heart and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that 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.
1 约西亚登基的时候是八岁; 他在耶路撒冷作王共三十一年。
2 他行耶和华看为正的事, 效法他先祖大卫所行的, 不偏左, 也不偏右。
3 他在位第八年, 还是年幼的时候, 就开始寻求他先祖大卫的 神。到了第十二年, 他就开始洁净犹大和耶路撒冷, 除掉邱坛、亚舍拉、雕像和铸像。
4 众人在他面前拆毁了巴力的祭坛, 他亲自打碎了坛上高高的香坛, 又把亚舍拉、雕像和铸像砍碎, 撒在向这些偶像献过祭的人的坟上。
5 他把祭司的骨头烧在他们的祭坛上, 这样就洁净了犹大和耶路撒冷。
6 他又在玛拿西、以法莲、西缅, 以至拿弗他利的各城, 以及它们周围荒废的地方, 都这样行。
7 他拆毁了祭坛, 把亚舍拉和雕刻的偶像打碎, 破碎了以色列全地所有的香坛, 就回耶路撒冷去了。
8 约西亚在位第十八年, 洁净犹大地和圣殿以后, 就差派亚萨利雅的儿子沙番、市长玛西雅和约哈斯的儿子史官约亚, 去修筑耶和华他的 神的殿。
9 于是他们来见大祭司希勒家, 把献给 神的殿的银子交给他。这银子都是守门的利未人, 从玛拿西、以法莲和以色列所有的余民, 以及犹大、便雅悯和耶路撒冷的居民那里收集来的。
10 他们又把银子交给在耶和华殿里负责监察的人; 他们又把银子发给在耶和华殿里作工的工人, 去修补圣殿。
11 他们把银子交给木匠和石匠, 去购买凿好的石头和作木架与横梁的木材, 修补犹大列王毁坏了的殿宇。
12 这些人忠心地工作; 管理他们的督工是利未人米拉利的子孙雅哈和俄巴底; 监管他们的是哥辖的子孙撒迦利雅和米书兰; 还有所有精通乐器的利未人,
13 管理扛抬的, 并且监管所有作各种工作的人; 利未人中, 也有作书记、作职员和作守门的。
14 他们把献给耶和华殿的银子拿出来的时候, 希勒家祭司发现了耶和华借摩西所传的律法书。
15 希勒家对书记沙番说: "我在耶和华的殿里发现了律法书。"希勒家就把书交给沙番。
16 沙番把书带到王那里, 同时向王报告: "你交托你仆人的事, 他们都办妥了。
17 他们把在耶和华殿里的银子倒出来, 交给监督和作工的人。"
18 书记沙番又告诉王, 说: "希勒家祭司还交给我一卷书卷。"于是沙番在王面前诵读那书。
19 王一听见律法书上的话, 就撕裂自己的衣服,
20 吩咐希勒家和沙番的儿子亚希甘、米迦的儿子亚比顿、书记沙番, 以及王的臣仆亚撒雅, 说:
21 "你们去, 为我、也为以色列和犹大的余民, 求问耶和华关于我们发现的这书上的话; 因为我们的列祖没有谨守耶和华的话, 也没有照着这书上所记的一切去行, 所以耶和华才向我们大发烈怒。"
22 于是希勒家和王所差派的人去见女先知户勒大。户勒大是掌管礼服的沙龙的妻子; 沙龙是哈斯拉的孙子、特瓦的儿子; 户勒大住在耶路撒冷第二区; 他们对户勒大这样说了。
23 她就回答他们: "耶和华以色列的 神这样说: ‘你们对那差你们来见我的人说:
24 耶和华这样说: 我要按着在犹大王面前诵读的那卷书上所写的一切咒诅, 降灾在这地和这地的居民身上。
25 因为他们离弃了我, 向别的神烧香, 用他们手所做的惹我发怒, 所以我的忿怒必倾倒在这地上, 总不熄灭。
26 至于那派你们来求问耶和华的犹大王, 你们要这样对他说: 耶和华以色列的 神这样说: 论到你听见的话;
27 因为你听了我指着这地方和这里的居民所说的话, 就心里感动, 在 神面前谦卑; 你既然在我的面前谦卑, 又撕裂衣服, 在我的面前哭泣, 所以我就垂听你的祷告; 这是耶和华的宣告。
28 我必使你归到你的列祖那里去, 你必平平安安归入你的坟墓。我所要降在这地方和这地上的居民身上的一切灾祸, 你必不会亲眼看见。’"他们就把这番话回复王去了。
29 于是王派人把犹大和耶路撒冷的众长老都召集了来。
30 王和犹大众人、耶路撒冷的居民、祭司、利未人, 以及所有的人民, 无论大小, 都一同上耶和华的殿去; 王就把在耶和华殿里发现的约书上的一切话, 都诵读给他们听。
31 王站在他的位上, 在耶和华面前立约, 要一心一意跟随耶和华, 谨守他的诫命、法度和律例, 实行这书上所记立约的誓言。
32 他又使所有在耶路撒冷和便雅悯的人, 都顺从这约。于是耶路撒冷的居民, 都遵照他们列祖的 神的约而行。
33 约西亚在以色列人所属的各地, 把一切可憎的物尽都除掉, 使所有在以色列的人都事奉耶和华他们的 神。约西亚在世的日子, 人民都跟随耶和华他们列祖的 神, 总不离开。