Huldah

8Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, "I have found the Book of the Law in the temple!" He gave the book to Shaphan, and Shaphan read it.

And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.

NoteThe Book of the Law held God's rules for his people. God had given them long ago, through a leader named Moses. It was not a book like yours. It was a scroll, a long rolled-up sheet you unroll to read. It had been put away and forgotten for years.

9Shaphan the scribe went back to the king with a report. He said, "Your servants have taken the money that was in the temple. We gave it to the men in charge of the work."

And Shaphan the scribe came to the king, and brought the king word again, and said, Thy servants have gathered the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of them that do the work, that have the oversight of the house of the LORD.

10Then Shaphan told the king something else. He said, "Hilkiah the priest gave me a book." And Shaphan read the book out loud to the king.

And Shaphan the scribe shewed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.

NoteShaphan read the book out loud because the king was listening. Almost nobody read quietly to themselves back then. Reading was usually done out loud, for other people to hear.

11The king listened to the words of the Book of the Law. When he heard them, he tore his clothes to show how upset he was.

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

NoteTearing your own clothes was something people did when they were very sad or very sorry. Everyone who saw the ripped clothes knew right away how you felt.

12Then the king gave an order to five men. They were Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Achbor son of Michaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah, one of the king's servants. He said:

And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah a servant of the king’s, saying,

13"Go and ask the LORD what this book means for me, for the people, and for all Judah. The LORD is very angry with us. Our fathers did not obey the words of this book. They did not do what it says we should do."

Go ye, enquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us.

Note"Ask the LORD" meant going to a prophet. A prophet was a person who told others what God said. Judah was the name of Josiah's country. "Our fathers" means the people who lived before them, like grandparents and great-grandparents.

14So Hilkiah, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asahiah went to see Huldah. She was married to Shallum, who was the keeper of the clothes. Shallum was the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas. Huldah lived in Jerusalem, in the second part of the city. The men talked with her.

So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college;) and they communed with her.

NoteHuldah was a prophetess, a woman who told people what God said. Her husband Shallum had an important job. He looked after the king's robes and special clothes. The King James Bible says Huldah lived "in the college." That is an old word for a part of Jerusalem, the newer second part of the city. Keeper of the wardrobe means the man whose job was to look after the clothes.

15Huldah said to them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says. Tell the man who sent you to me:"

And she said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me,

16"This is what the LORD says. I am going to bring trouble on this place and on the people here. It will happen just as the book says, the book the king of Judah read."

Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read:

NoteThe King James Bible says God will bring "evil" on this place. Here "evil" means trouble and hard times, not naughtiness. Enemies would come and the city would be broken.

17"They have left me. They have burned incense to other gods. All the idols they made with their hands have made me angry. So my anger will burn against this place, and no one will put it out."

Because 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 kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched.

NoteIncense is a sweet-smelling stuff that people burn, a bit like a scented candle. Burning it was a way of giving a gift to a god. Idols were statues that people made and then prayed to.

18"But the king of Judah sent you to ask the LORD a question. Tell him this. The LORD, the God of Israel, says about the words you heard:"

But to the king of Judah which sent you to enquire of the LORD, thus shall ye say to him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard;

19Your heart was soft, and you bowed low before the LORD. You heard what I said against this place and the people in it. I said they would become a ruin and a curse. You tore your clothes and cried in front of me. So I have heard you, says the LORD.

Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the LORD.

NoteA "tender heart" means a soft heart. It means Josiah listened and was truly sorry. "Desolation and a curse" means empty and ruined. People would say the name of the city when they talked about sad things. To become a curse means people would say your name when they spoke of bad things.

20"I will let you die and join your family who died before you. You will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the trouble I will bring on this place." The men took her answer back to the king.

Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again.

Note"Gathered to your fathers" is a gentle old way of saying someone dies. Families were often buried together in the same cave or tomb. So a person who died went to rest beside his family.

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.

And 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.

NoteThe Book of the Law held God's rules for his people. Moses was their leader long, long before Josiah was born. The book had been lost for many years.

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.

And 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.

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

And 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.

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."

And 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.

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

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

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

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

NoteTearing your clothes showed everyone that you were very sad. People did this when something terrible happened.

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.

And 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,

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."

Go, 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.

NoteTo ask the LORD, you went to a prophet. A prophet was a person who told others what God said. "Our fathers" means the people who lived before them.

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.

And 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.

NoteTaking care of the robes was a real job. He looked after special clothes for the king or the temple. The newer part was one section of the city.

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

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

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."

Thus 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:

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."

Because 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.

NoteIncense is sweet-smelling smoke. Burning it was a way of giving a gift to a god.

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:"

And 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;

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."

Because 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.

NoteA soft heart means he was ready to listen. He was truly sorry about what was wrong.

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.

Behold, 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.

NoteJoining your family meant being buried where they were buried. It was a gentle way of saying he would die first.