2 Chronicles 34 :: Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Josiah Reigns over Judah

(2Ki 22:1, 2 )

Josiah^H2977 was eight^H8083 years^H8141 old^H1121 when he became^H4427 king^H4427, and he reigned^H4427 thirty-one^H7970^H259 years^H8141 in Jerusalem^H3389.

2Ch 34:2

2Ch 34:2And he did what was right in the sight of Yahweh and walked in the ways of his father David and did not turn aside to the right or to the left.

2Ch 34:3

2Ch 34:3Now in the eighth year of his reign while he was still a youth, he began to seek the God of his father David; and in the twelfth year he began to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim, the graven images, and the molten images.

2Ch 34:4

2Ch 34:4And they tore down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and the incense altars that were high above them he cut in pieces; also the Asherim, the graven images, and the molten images he broke in pieces and ground to powder and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.

2Ch 34:5

2Ch 34:5Then he burned the bones of the priests on their altars and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.

2Ch 34:6

2Ch 34:6And in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, even as far as Naphtali, in their surrounding [fn]ruins,

2Ch 34:7

2Ch 34:7he also tore down the altars and beat the Asherim and the graven images into powder, and cut in pieces all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

Josiah Repairs the House of Yahweh

(2Ki 22:3–20 )

2Ch 34:8

Now in the eighteenth^H8083^H6240 year^H8141 of his reign^H4427, when he had cleansed^H2891 the land^H776 and the house^H1004, he sent^H7971 Shaphan^H8227 the son^H1121 of Azaliah^H683, and Maaseiah^H4641 an official^H8269 of the city^H5892, and Joah^H3098 the son^H1121 of Joahaz^H3099 the recorder^H2142, to repair^H2388 the house^H1004 of Yahweh^H3068 his God^H430.

2Ch 34:9

2Ch 34:9And they came to Hilkiah the high priest and gave him the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites, the [fn]doorkeepers, had gathered from the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Israel, and from all Judah and Benjamin and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

2Ch 34:10

2Ch 34:10Then they gave it into the hand of [fn]those who did the work, who had the oversight of the house of Yahweh; and those who did the work, who were doing this in the house of Yahweh, [fn]used it to restore and repair the house.

2Ch 34:11

2Ch 34:11They in turn gave it to the craftsmen and to the builders to buy hewn stone and timber for clamps and to make beams for the houses which the kings of Judah had let go to ruin.

2Ch 34:12

2Ch 34:12And the men did the work faithfully with foremen over them to direct: Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites of the sons of Merari, Zechariah and Meshullam of the sons of the Kohathites, and the Levites, all who were skillful with musical instruments.

2Ch 34:13

2Ch 34:13They were also over those who carried loads, and directed all those who did the work from service to service; and some of the Levites were scribes and officials and gatekeepers.

Hilkiah Finds the Book of the Law

2Ch 34:14

When they were taking^H3318 out^H3318 the money^H3701 which had been brought^H935 into the house^H1004 of Yahweh^H3068, Hilkiah^H2518 the priest^H3548 found^H4672 the book^H5612 of the law^H8451 of Yahweh^H3068 given by the hand^H3027 of Moses^H4872.

2Ch 34:15

2Ch 34:15So Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the book of the law in the house of Yahweh.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan.

2Ch 34:16

2Ch 34:16Then Shaphan brought the book to the king and furthermore [fn]responded to the king with a word, saying, “Everything that was given to the hand of your servants they are doing.

2Ch 34:17

2Ch 34:17“They have also poured out the money that was found in the house of Yahweh, and have given it into the hand of the supervisors and those who did the work.”

2Ch 34:18

2Ch 34:18Moreover, Shaphan the scribe told the king saying, “Hilkiah the priest gave me a book.” And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.

2Ch 34:19

Now it happened that when the king^H4428 heard^H8085 the words^H1697 of the law^H8451, he tore^H7167 his clothes^H899.

2Ch 34:20

2Ch 34:20Then the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, [fn]Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying,

2Ch 34:21

2Ch 34:21“Go, inquire of Yahweh for me and those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book which has been found, for great is the wrath of Yahweh which is poured out against us, because our fathers have not kept the word of Yahweh, to do according to all that is written in this book.”

Josiah Will Not See Yahweh’s Wrath

2Ch 34:22

So Hilkiah^H2518 and those whom^H834 the king^H4428 [fn]had told went^H1980 to Huldah^H2468 the prophetess^H5031, the wife^H802 of Shallum^H7967 the son^H1121 of [fn]Tokhath^H8445, the son^H1121 of Hasrah^H2641, keeper^H8104 of the wardrobe^H899 (now she lived^H3427 in Jerusalem^H3389 in the Second^H4932 Quarter); and they spoke^H1696 to her regarding this^H2088.

2Ch 34:23

2Ch 34:23And she said to them, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘Say to the man who sent you to Me,

2Ch 34:24

2Ch 34:24thus says Yahweh, “Behold, I am bringing evil on this place and on its inhabitants, even all the curses written in the book which they have read in the presence of the king of Judah.

2Ch 34:25

2Ch 34:25“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 will be poured out against this place, and it shall not be quenched.”’

2Ch 34:26

2Ch 34:26“But to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of Yahweh, thus you shall say to him, ‘Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, “Regarding the words which you have heard,

2Ch 34:27

2Ch 34:27because your heart was soft and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and because you humbled yourself before Me, tore your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you,” declares Yahweh.

2Ch 34:28

2Ch 34:28“Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace, so your eyes will not see all the evil which I will bring on this place and on its inhabitants.”’” So they brought back word to the king.

(2Ki 23:1–20 )

2Ch 34:29

Then the king^H4428 sent^H7971 and gathered^H622 all^H3605 the elders^H2205 of Judah^H3063 and Jerusalem^H3389.

2Ch 34:30

2Ch 34:30And the king went up to the house of Yahweh and all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests and the Levites and all the people, from the greatest to the least; and he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of Yahweh.

Josiah Cuts a Covenant with Yahweh

2Ch 34:31

2Ch 34:31Then the king stood in his place and cut a covenant before Yahweh, to walk after Yahweh, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and with all his soul, to do the words of the covenant that were written in this book.

2Ch 34:32

2Ch 34:32Moreover, he made all who were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand with him. So the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.

2Ch 34:33

2Ch 34:33And Josiah took away all the abominations from all the lands belonging to the sons of Israel, and made all who were present in Israel to serve Yahweh their God. Throughout his [fn]lifetime they did not turn away from following Yahweh, the God of their fathers.