2 Chronicles 34

Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years.

1Josiah was only eight years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for thirty-one years.

2And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left.

2He did what was right to the LORD. He lived the way his ancestor David had lived. He did not turn away from God's path to either side.

3For 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, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images.

3In his eighth year as king, Josiah was still young. He began to look for the God his ancestor David served. In his twelfth year he started cleaning up Judah and Jerusalem. He got rid of the hilltop worship spots and the Asherah poles. He also got rid of idols carved from wood and idols poured from metal.

4And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that were on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strowed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them.

4His men tore down the altars used for the Baals while he watched. The Baals were false gods. He cut down the incense altars set above them. He smashed the Asherah poles and all the idols to bits. He ground them into dust. Then he threw the dust on the graves of the people who had brought them gifts.

5And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.

5He burned the bones of the idol priests on their own altars. In this way he made Judah and Jerusalem clean again.

6And so did he in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their mattocks round about.

6Josiah did the same thing in the towns of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon. He went as far north as Naphtali. He worked through the broken-down places all around them.

7And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.

7He tore down the altars and the Asherah poles. He crushed the idols into powder. He cut down every incense altar in the whole land of Israel. Then he went back to Jerusalem.

8Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land, and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God.

8It was now his eighteenth year as king. The land and the temple were clean. Josiah sent three men to fix up the house of the LORD his God. They were Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the leader of the city, and Joah son of Joahaz, who kept the records.

9And when they came to Hilkiah the high priest, they delivered the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites that kept the doors had gathered of the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and of all the remnant of Israel, and of all Judah and Benjamin; and they returned to Jerusalem.

9They went to Hilkiah the high priest, the chief priest at the temple. They gave him the money people had brought into God's house. The Levites, the men who worked at the temple, had collected it at the doors. It came from the people of Manasseh and Ephraim and everyone left in Israel. It also came from Judah, Benjamin, and Jerusalem.

10And they put it in the hand of the workmen that had the oversight of the house of the LORD, and they gave it to the workmen that wrought in the house of the LORD, to repair and amend the house:

10They handed the money to the men in charge of the temple work. Those men paid the workers who were fixing the house of the LORD.

11Even to the artificers and builders gave they it, to buy hewn stone, and timber for couplings, and to floor the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed.

11They gave money to the carpenters and builders. It paid for cut stone and for wooden beams. Earlier kings of Judah had let those buildings fall apart.

12And the men did the work faithfully: and the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to set it forward; and other of the Levites, all that could skill of instruments of musick.

12The men did the work honestly. Two Levites named Jahath and Obadiah watched over them. They came from the family of Merari. Zechariah and Meshullam from the family of Kohath watched over them too. Other Levites who were skilled at playing music helped as well.

13Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and were overseers of all that wrought the work in any manner of service: and of the Levites there were scribes, and officers, and porters.

13They were in charge of the men who carried heavy loads. They watched over every job that was being done. Some of the Levites were writers, some were officers, and some guarded the gates.

14And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the LORD given by Moses.

14The workers were carrying out the money kept in the LORD's house. While they did, Hilkiah the priest found a book. It was the Book of the Law of the LORD, written down by Moses.

15And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan.

15Hilkiah said to Shaphan the scribe, the man who read and wrote for the king, "I have found the Book of the Law in the LORD's house!" Then he handed the book to Shaphan.

16And Shaphan carried the book to the king, and brought the king word back again, saying, All that was committed to thy servants, they do it.

16Shaphan carried the book to the king. He also told him, "Your servants are doing everything you gave them to do."

17And they have gathered together the money that was found in the house of the LORD, and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers, and to the hand of the workmen.

17"They have paid out the money that was found in the LORD's house. They gave it to the men in charge and to the workers."

18Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath given me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.

18Then Shaphan told the king, "Hilkiah the priest gave me a book." And Shaphan read it out loud to the king.

19And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes.

19When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his clothes.

NoteTearing your clothes was how people back then showed deep sadness or shock.

20And the king commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Abdon the son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king’s, saying,

20Then the king gave an order to Hilkiah and to Ahikam son of Shaphan. He also spoke to Abdon son of Micah, to Shaphan the scribe, and to his servant Asaiah.

21Go, enquire of the LORD for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do after all that is written in this book.

21He said, "Go and ask the LORD about the words in this book that was found. Ask for me and for everyone still left in Israel and Judah. The LORD is very angry with us. Our fathers did not keep his word or do what this book says."

22And Hilkiah, and they that the king had appointed, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college:) and they spake to her to that effect.

22So Hilkiah and the men the king chose went to see Huldah. She was a prophetess, a woman who told people what God said. Her husband was Shallum son of Tokhath, son of Hasrah, who took care of the robes. Huldah lived in Jerusalem, in the newer part of the city. They told her what the king had said.

NoteThe KJV says Huldah lived "in the college." That was not a school. It means a part of Jerusalem, sometimes called the Second District.

23And she answered them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Tell ye the man that sent you to me,

23She answered them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says. Go and tell the man who sent you:"

24Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah:

24"This is what the LORD says. I am going to bring trouble on this place and on the people here. Everything bad written in that book will happen. The king of Judah heard those words read out loud."

NoteThe KJV word "evil" here means disaster or trouble that is coming, not wickedness.

25Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be poured out upon this place, and shall not be quenched.

25"They have left me. They have burned incense to other gods. Everything they made with their hands has made me angry. So my anger will pour out on this place, and no one will stop it."

26And as for the king of Judah, who sent you to enquire of the LORD, so shall ye say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel concerning the words which thou hast heard;

26"But the king of Judah sent you to ask the LORD. Tell him this from the LORD, the God of Israel, about the words he heard:"

27Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the LORD.

27"Your heart was soft, and you were sorry in front of God. You heard what I said against this place and its people. You bowed low before me, tore your clothes, and cried. So I have heard you, says the LORD."

28Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of the same. So they brought the king word again.

28"I will let you die and join your family in peace. You will be buried before the trouble comes. Your eyes will not see the hard things I will bring on this place and its people." So the men took her answer back to the king.

Note"Gathered to your fathers" is an old way of saying that a person will die and be buried with his family.

29Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.

29Then the king sent word and called together all the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem.

30And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, great and small: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the LORD.

30The king went up to the house of the LORD. All the people of Judah and Jerusalem came with him. The priests, the Levites, and all the people came, big and small. He read to them every word of the Book of the Covenant. That book held God's agreement with his people, and it had been found in the LORD's house.

31And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book.

31The king stood in his place. He made a promise to the LORD in front of everyone. He would follow the LORD and keep his commands and his rules. He would do it with his whole heart and his whole life. He would do everything the agreement in the book said.

32And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.

32Then he had everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin agree to the promise too. And the people of Jerusalem did what God's agreement said. He was the God their fathers had served.

33And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the LORD their God. And all his days they departed not from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.

33Josiah took away every hateful idol from all the lands that belonged to Israel. He had everyone in Israel serve the LORD their God. As long as Josiah lived, the people kept following the LORD, the God of their fathers.