2. Tarihler 34

¹Yoşiya sekiz yaşında kral oldu ve Yeruşalim'de otuz bir yıl krallık yaptı.

²Rab'bin önünde doğru olanı yaptı, babası Davut'un yollarında yürüdü; sağa ya da sola sapmadı.

³Krallığının sekizinci yılında, kendisi henüz çok gençken, babası Davut'un Tanrısı Rab'bi aramaya başladı. On ikinci yılında ise Yahuda'yı ve Yeruşalim'i yüksek yerlerden, kutsal koruluklardan, sunak çevrelerindeki putlardan ve dökme putlardan temizlemeye başladı.

⁴Onun huzurunda Baallerin sunaklarını yıktılar; onların üzerindeki yüksek sunakları parçaladı, kutsal korulukları kesti, oyma ve dökme putları kırıp ufalayarak toz haline getirdi ve bunları onlara kurban sunmuş olanların mezarlarının üzerine saçtı.

⁵Kahinlerin kemiklerini sunakların üzerinde yaktı; böylece Yahuda'yı ve Yeruşalim'i temizledi.

⁶Bunu Manaşşe, Efraim, Şimon ve Naftali kentlerinde ve onların çevresindeki bölgelerde de gerçekleştirdi.

⁷Sunakları ve kutsal korulukları yıktı, putları ince ince parçalayıp toz etti, bütün İsrail ülkesindeki tüm yüksek sunakları kesti ve ardından Yeruşalim'e döndü.

⁸Krallığının on sekizinci yılında, ülkeyi ve tapınağı temizlemek amacıyla, Tanrısı Rab'bin tapınağını güçlendirmek için Aselya oğlu Şafan'ı, kent yöneticisi Maaseya'yı ve kayıt tarihçisi Yoahaz oğlu Yoah'ı gönderdi.

⁹Bunlar Büyük Kahin Hilkiya'ya gelerek Tanrı'nın tapınağına getirilmiş olan parayı teslim ettiler. Bu parayı kapı nöbetçisi olan Levililer; Manaşşe, Efraim ve yöneticilerin elinden, İsrail'in geri kalan tüm halkından, Yahuda ve Benyamin oğullarından ve Yeruşalim'de oturanlardan toplamışlardı.

¹⁰Parayı Rab'bin tapınağındaki işleri yürütmekle görevlendirilmiş denetçilerin eline teslim ettiler; onlar da bunu Rab'bin tapınağında çalışan ve tapınağı onarıp güçlendiren işçilere verdiler.

¹¹Yahuda krallarının harap ettiği binaları kirişlemek ve tavanlarını kaplamak amacıyla yontulmuş dört köşe taşlar ve keresteler satın almaları için marangozlara ve yapı ustalarına verdiler.

¹²Adamlar işi sadakatle yapıyorlardı. Başlarında işi yönetmek üzere Merarioğulları'ndan Levililer Yehath ve Obadya, Kohatoğulları'ndan Zekeriya ve Meşullam vardı. Çalgı çalmakta usta olan bütün Levililer de oradaydı.

¹³Yük taşıyıcılarının başındaydılar ve her türlü işte çalışan tüm işçileri denetliyorlardı. Levililerden bazıları da yazıcı, yönetici ve kapı nöbetçisiydi.

¹⁴Rab'bin tapınağına getirilmiş olan parayı dışarı çıkarırlarken, Kahin Hilkiya, Musa aracılığıyla verilmiş olan Rab'bin Yasa Kitabı'nı buldu.

¹⁵Hilkiya, yazıcı Şafan'a, "Rab'bin tapınağında Yasa Kitabı'nı buldum" dedi ve kitabı Şafan'a verdi.

¹⁶Şafan kitabı krala götürdü ve ona şu raporu verdi: "Kullarının eline verilen her iş eksiksizce yürütülüyor.

¹⁷Rab'bin tapınağında bulunan parayı eritip denetçilerin ve işi yapanların eline teslim ettiler."

¹⁸Yazıcı Şafan krala şunu da ekledi: "Kahin Hilkiya bana bir kitap verdi." Ve Şafan onu kralın huzurunda okudu.

¹⁹Kral yasanın sözlerini işitince giysilerini yırttı.

²⁰Kral; Hilkiya'ya, Şafan oğlu Ahikam'a, Mikaya oğlu Abdon'a, yazıcı Şafan'a ve kralın hizmetkârı Asaya'ya şöyle buyurdu:

²¹"Gidin, bulunan bu kitabın sözleri hakkında benim için, İsrail ve Yahuda'da geri kalanlar için Rab'be danışın. Çünkü Rab'bin üzerimize alevlenen öfkesi büyüktür; zira babalarımız bu kitapta yazılı olan her şeye göre davranmak için Rab'bin sözlerine kulak asmadılar."

²²Böylece Hilkiya ve kralın görevlendirdiği kişiler, buyrukları koruyan Haras oğlu Tekve oğlu Şallem'in karısı Peygamber Kadın Hulda'ya gittiler. Hulda, Yeruşalim'in ikinci mahallesinde oturuyordu. Onunla bu konu hakkında konuştular.

²³Hulda onlara şöyle dedi: "İsrail'in Tanrısı Rab şöyle diyor: 'Sizi bana gönderen adama söyleyin:

²⁴Rab şöyle diyor: İşte, Yahuda kralının huzurunda okunan kitapta yazılı olan bütün sözleri yerine getirerek bu yerin ve burada oturanların üzerine felaketler getireceğim.

²⁵Çünkü beni bıraktılar ve ellerinin bütün işleriyle beni öfkelendirmek için başka ilahlara buhur yaktılar; bu yüzden öfkem bu yerde alevlendi ve sönmeyecektir.'

²⁶Ancak Rab'be danışmak için sizi gönderen Yahuda kralına şöyle diyeceksiniz: 'İşittiğin sözler hakkında İsrail'in Tanrısı Rab şöyle diyor:

²⁷Bu yer ve burada oturanlar hakkında söylediğim sözleri işitince yüreğin saygıyla ürperdiği, huzurumda alçakgönüllü olduğun, önümde eğilip giysilerini yırttığın ve huzurumda ağladığın için, ben de seni işittim, diyor Rab.

²⁸İşte, seni atalarına kavuşturacağım, mezarına barış içinde gideceksin; bu yerin ve burada oturanların üzerine getireceğim hiçbir felaketi gözlerin görmeyecek.'" Onlar da bu sözleri krala ilettiler.

²⁹Bunun üzerine kral haber gönderip Yahuda ve Yeruşalim'in bütün ihtiyarlarını topladı.

³⁰Kral; bütün Yahuda halkı, Yeruşalim'de oturanlar, kahinler, Levililer ve küçükten büyüğe bütün halkla birlikte Rab'bin tapınağına çıktı. Rab'bin tapınağında bulunmuş olan Antlaşma Kitabı'nın bütün sözlerini onların kulaklarına okudu.

³¹Kral sütunun yanında durdu; Rab'bin ardınca yürümek, O'nun buyruklarını, tanıklıklarını ve kurallarını bütün yüreğiyle ve bütün canıyla tutmak, bu kitapta yazılı olan antlaşmanın sözlerini yerine getirmek üzere Rab'bin huzurunda antlaşma yaptı.

³²Yeruşalim'de ve Benyamin'de bulunan herkesin bu antlaşmaya katılmasını sağladı. Yeruşalim'de oturanlar, atalarının Tanrısı olan Tanrı'nın antlaşmasına göre davrandılar.

³³Yoşiya, İsrailoğulları'na ait olan bütün topraklardan iğrenç putları kaldırıp attı; Yeruşalim'de ve İsrail'de bulunan herkesin Tanrıları Rab'be kulluk etmesini sağladı. Yoşiya'nın yaşadığı sürece, atalarının Tanrısı Rab'bin ardınca yürümekten sapmadılar.

¹ΩΝ ὀκτὼ ἐτῶν ᾿Ιωσίας ἐν τῷ βασιλεῦσαι αὐτὸν καὶ τριάκοντα καὶ ἓν ἔτος ἐβασίλευσεν ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλήμ.

²καὶ ἐποίησε τὸ εὐθὲς ἐναντίον Κυρίου καὶ ἐπορεύθη ἐν ὁδοῖς Δαυὶδ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἐξέκλινε δεξιὰ καὶ ἀριστερά.

³καὶ ἐν τῷ ὀγδόῳ ἔτει τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ -καὶ αὐτὸς ἔτι παιδάριον- ἤρξατο τοῦ ζητῆσαι Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν Δαυὶδ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ. καὶ ἐν τῷ δωδεκάτῳ ἔτει τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ ἤρξατο τοῦ καθαρίσαι τὸν ᾿Ιούδαν καὶ τὴν ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ ἀπὸ τῶν ὑψηλῶν καὶ τῶν ἄλσεων καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν περιβωμίων καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν χωνευτῶν.

⁴καὶ κατέσπασε τὰ κατὰ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ θυσιαστήρια τῶν Βααλὶμ καὶ τὰ ὑψηλὰ τὰ ἐπ’ αὐτῶν καὶ ἔκοψε τὰ ἄλση καὶ τὰ γλυπτὰ καὶ τὰ χωνευτὰ συνέτριψε καὶ ἐλέπτυνε καὶ ἔρριψεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον τῶν μνημάτων τῶν θυσιαζόντων αὐτοῖς

⁵καὶ ὀστᾶ ἱερέων κατέκαυσεν ἐπὶ τὰ θυσιαστήρια· καὶ ἐκαθάρισε τὸν ᾿Ιούδαν καὶ τὴν ῾Ιερουσαλήμ.

⁶καὶ ἐν πόλεσι Μανασσῆ καὶ ᾿Εφραὶμ καὶ Συμεὼν καὶ Νεφθαλὶ καὶ τοῖς τόποις αὐτῶν κύκλῳ

⁷καὶ κατέσπασε τὰ θυσιαστήρια καὶ τὰ ἄλση, καὶ εἴδωλα κατέκοψε λεπτὰ καὶ πάντα τὰ ὑψηλὰ ἔκοψεν ἀπὸ πάσης τῆς γῆς ᾿Ισραήλ, καὶ ἀπέστρεψεν εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλήμ.

⁸Καὶ ἐν τῷ ἔτει τῷ ὀκτωκαιδεκάτῳ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ τοῦ καθαρίσαι τὴν γῆν καὶ τὸν οἶκον ἀπέστειλε τὸν Σαφὰν υἱὸν ᾿Εσελία καὶ τὸν Μαασὰ ἄρχοντα τῆς πόλεως καὶ τὸν ᾿Ιουὰχ υἱὸν ᾿Ιωάχαζ τὸν ὑπομνηματογράφον αὐτοῦ κραταιῶσαι τὸν οἶκον Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ αὐτοῦ.

⁹καὶ ἦλθον πρὸς Χελκίαν τὸν ἱερέα τὸν μέγαν καὶ ἔδωκαν τὸ ἀργύριον τὸ εἰσενεχθὲν εἰς οἶκον Θεοῦ, ὃ συνήγαγον οἱ Λευῖται φυλάσσοντες τὴν πύλην ἐκ χειρὸς Μανασσῆ καὶ ᾿Εφραὶμ καὶ τῶν ἀρχόντων καὶ ἀπὸ παντὸς καταλοίπου ἐν ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ υἱῶν ᾿Ιούδα καὶ Βενιαμὶν καὶ οἰκούντων ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλήμ,

¹⁰καὶ ἔδωκαν αὐτὸ ἐπὶ χεῖρα ποιούντων τὰ ἔργα οἱ καθεσταμένοι ἐν οἴκῳ Κυρίου καὶ ἔδωκαν αὐτὸ ποιοῦσι τὰ ἔργα, οἳ ἐποίουν ἐν οἴκῳ Κυρίου, ἐπισκευάσαι καὶ κατισχῦσαι τὸν οἶκον.

¹¹καὶ ἔδωκαν τοῖς τέκτοσι καὶ τοῖς οἰκοδόμοις ἀγοράσαι λίθους τετραπέδους καὶ ξύλα εἰς δοκοὺς στεγάσαι τοὺς οἴκους, οὓς ἐξωλόθρευσαν βασιλεῖς ᾿Ιούδα·

¹²καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες ἐν πίστει ἐπὶ τῶν ἔργων, καὶ ἐπ’ αὐτῶν ἐπίσκοποι ᾿Ιὲθ καὶ ᾿Αβδίας οἱ Λευῖται ἐξ υἱῶν Μεραρὶ καὶ Ζαχαρίας καὶ Μοσολλὰμ ἐκ τῶν υἱῶν Καὰθ ἐπισκοπεῖν καὶ πᾶς Λευίτης καὶ πᾶς συνιὼν ἐν ὀργάνοις ᾠδῶν.

¹³καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν νωτοφόρων καὶ ἐπὶ πάντων τῶν ποιούντων τὰ ἔργα ἐργασία καὶ ἐργασία, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν Λευιτῶν γραμματεῖς καὶ κριταὶ καὶ πυλωροί.

¹⁴καὶ ἐν τῷ ἐκφέρειν αὐτοὺς τὸ ἀργύριον τὸ εἰσοδιασθὲν εἰς οἶκον Κυρίου εὗρε Χελκίας ὁ ἱερεὺς βιβλίον νόμου Κυρίου διὰ χειρὸς Μωυσῆ.

¹⁵καὶ ἀπεκρίθη Χελκίας καὶ εἶπε πρὸς Σαφὰν τὸν γραμματέα· βιβλίον νόμου εὗρον ἐν οἴκῳ Κυρίου· καὶ ἔδωκε Χελκίας τὸ βιβλίον τῷ Σαφάν.

¹⁶καὶ εἰσήνεγκε Σαφὰν τὸ βιβλίον πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ ἀπέδωκεν ἔτι τῷ βασιλεῖ λόγον· πᾶν τὸ δοθὲν ἀργύριον ἐν χειρὶ τῶν παίδων σου τῶν ποιούντων τὸ ἔργον,

¹⁷καὶ ἐχώνευσαν τὸ ἀργύριον τὸ εὑρεθὲν ἐν οἴκῳ Κυρίου καὶ ἔδωκαν ἐπὶ χεῖρα τῶν ἐπισκόπων καὶ ἐπὶ χεῖρα τῶν ποιούντων τὴν ἐργασίαν.

¹⁸καὶ ἀπήγγειλε Σαφὰν ὁ γραμματεὺς τῷ βασιλεῖ λόγον λέγων· βιβλίον δέδωκέ μοι Χελκίας ὁ ἱερεύς· καὶ ἀνέγνω αὐτὸ Σαφὰν ἐναντίον τοῦ βασιλέως.

¹⁹καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς ἤκουσεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τοὺς λόγους τοῦ νόμου, καὶ διέρρηξε τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ.

²⁰καὶ ἐνετείλατο βασιλεὺς τῷ Χελκίᾳ καὶ τῷ ᾿Αχικὰμ υἱῷ Σαφὰν καὶ τῷ ᾿Αβδὼν υἱῷ Μιχαία καὶ τῷ Σαφὰν τῷ γραμματεῖ καὶ τῷ ᾿Ασαΐᾳ παιδὶ τοῦ βασιλέως λέγων·

²¹πορεύθητε ζητήσατε τὸν Κύριον περὶ ἐμοῦ καὶ περὶ παντὸς τοῦ καταλειφθέντος ἐν ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ ᾿Ιούδᾳ περὶ τῶν λόγων τοῦ βιβλίου τοῦ εὑρεθέντος, ὅτι μέγας ὁ θυμὸς Κυρίου ἐκκέκαυται ἐν ἡμῖν, διότι οὐκ εἰσήκουσαν οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν τῶν λόγων Κυρίου τοῦ ποιῆσαι κατὰ πάντα τὰ γεγραμμένα ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τούτῳ.

²²καὶ ἐπορεύθη Χελκίας καὶ οἷς εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς ῎Ολδαν τὴν προφῆτιν γυναῖκα Σελλὴμ υἱοῦ Θεκωὲ υἱοῦ ᾿Αρὰς φυλάσσουσαν τὰς ἐντολάς -καὶ αὕτη κατῴκει ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ ἐν μασαναί- καὶ ἐλάλησαν αὐτῇ κατὰ ταῦτα.

²³καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· οὕτως εἶπε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ᾿Ισραήλ· εἴπατε τῷ ἀνδρὶ τῷ ἀποστείλαντι ὑμᾶς πρός με.

²⁴οὕτω λέγει Κύριος· ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐπάγω ἐπὶ τὸν τόπον τοῦτον κακά, τοὺς πάντας λόγους τοὺς γεγραμμένους ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τῷ ἀνεγνωσμένῳ ἐναντίον τοῦ βασιλέως ᾿Ιούδα,

²⁵ἀνθ’ ὧν ἐγκατέλιπόν με καὶ ἐθυμίασαν θεοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις, ἵνα παροργίσωσί με ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἔργοις τῶν χειρῶν αὐτῶν· καὶ ἐξεκαύθη ὁ θυμός μου ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τούτῳ καὶ οὐ σβεσθήσεται.

²⁶καὶ ἐπὶ βασιλέα ᾿Ιούδα τὸν ἀποστείλαντα ὑμᾶς τοῦ ζητῆσαι τὸν Κύριον οὕτως ἐρεῖτε αὐτῷ· οὕτω λέγει Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ᾿Ισραήλ· τοὺς λόγους, οὓς ἤκουσας,

²⁷καὶ ἐνετράπη ἡ καρδία σου καὶ ἐταπεινώθης ἀπὸ προσώπου μου ἐν τῷ ἀκοῦσαί σε τοὺς λόγους μου ἐπὶ τὸν τόπον τοῦτον καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς κατοικοῦντας αὐτὸν καὶ ἐταπεινώθης ἐναντίον μου καὶ διέρρηξας τὰ ἱμάτιά σου καὶ ἔκλαυσας κατεναντίον μου, καὶ ἐγὼ ἤκουσα, φησὶ Κύριος·

²⁸ἰδοὺ προστίθημί σε πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας σου, καὶ προστεθήσῃ πρὸς τὰ μνήματά σου ἐν εἰρήνῃ, καὶ οὐκ ὄψονται οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς κακοῖς, οἷς ἐγὼ ἐπάγω ἐπὶ τὸν τόπον τοῦτον καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς κατοικοῦντας αὐτόν. καὶ ἀπέδωκαν τῷ βασιλεῖ λόγον,

²⁹καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ συνήγαγε τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους ᾿Ιούδα καὶ ῾Ιερουσαλήμ.

³⁰καὶ ἀνέβη ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰς οἶκον Κυρίου καὶ πᾶς ᾿Ιούδα καὶ οἱ κατοικοῦντες ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ καὶ οἱ ἱερεῖς καὶ οἱ Λευῖται καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ἀπὸ μικροῦ ἕως μεγάλου· καὶ ἀνέγνω ἐν ὠσὶν αὐτῶν πάντας λόγους βιβλίου τῆς διαθήκης τοὺς εὑρεθέντας ἐν οἴκῳ Κυρίου.

³¹καὶ ἔστη ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ τὸν στῦλον καὶ διέθετο διαθήκην ἐναντίον Κυρίου τοῦ πορευθῆναι ἐνώπιον Κυρίου τοῦ φυλάσσειν τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ καὶ μαρτύρια καὶ προστάγματα αὐτοῦ ἐν ὅλῃ καρδίᾳ καὶ ἐν ὅλῃ ψυχῇ, ὥστε ποιεῖν τοὺς λόγους τῆς διαθήκης τοὺς γεγραμμένους ἐπὶ τῷ βιβλίῳ τούτῳ.

³²καὶ ἔστησε πάντας τοὺς εὑρεθέντας ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ καὶ Βενιαμίν, καὶ ἐποίησαν οἱ κατοικοῦντες ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ διαθήκην ἐν οἴκῳ Κυρίου Θεοῦ πατέρων αὐτῶν.

³³καὶ περιεῖλεν ᾿Ιωσίας τὰ πάντα βδελύγματα ἐκ πάσης τῆς γῆς, ἣ ἦν υἱῶν ᾿Ισραήλ, καὶ ἐποίησε πάντας τοὺς εὑρεθέντας ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ καὶ ἐν ᾿Ισραὴλ τοῦ δουλεύειν Κυρίῳ Θεῷ αὐτῶν πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας αὐτοῦ· οὐκ ἐξέκλινεν ἀπὸ ὄπισθεν Κυρίου Θεοῦ πατέρων αὐτοῦ.

¹Josias was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem.

²And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of his father David, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.

³And in the eighth year of his reign, and he [being] yet a youth, he began to seek the Lord God of his father David: and in the twelfth year of his reign he began to purge Juda and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the ornaments for the altars, and the molten images.

⁴And he pulled down the altars of Baalim that were before his face, and the high places that were above them; and he cut down the groves, and the graven images, and broke in pieces the molten images, and reduced them to powder, and cast [it] upon the surface of the tombs of those who [had] sacrificed to them.

⁵And he burnt the bones of the priests upon the altars, and purged Juda and Jerusalem.

⁶And [he did so] in the cities of Manasse, and Ephraim, and Symeon, and Nephthali, and the places round about them.

⁷And he pulled down the altars and the groves, and he cut the idols in small pieces, and cut off all the high places from all the land of Israel, and returned to Jerusalem.

⁸And in the eighteenth year of his reign, after having cleansed the land, and the house, he sent Saphan the son of Ezelias, and Maasa prefect of the city, and Juach son of Joachaz his recorder, to repair the house of the Lord his God.

⁹And they came to Chelcias the high priest, and gave he money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites who kept the gate collected of the hand of Manasse and Ephraim, and of the princes, and of every one that was left in Israel, and of the children of Juda and Benjamin, and of the dwellers in Jerusalem.

¹⁰And they gave it into the hand of the workmen, who were appointed in the house of the Lord, and they gave it to the workmen who wrought in the house of the Lord, to repair and strengthen the house.

¹¹They gave [it] also to the carpenters and builders, to buy squared stones, and timber for beams to cover the houses which the kings of Juda had destroyed.

¹²And the men [were] faithfully [engaged] in the works: and over them were superintendents, Jeth and Abdias, Levites of the sons of Merari, and Zacharias and Mosollam, of the sons of Caath, [appointed] to oversee; and every Levite, and every one that understood [how] to play on musical instruments.

¹³And [overseers were] over the burden-bearers, and over all the workmen in the respective works; and of the Levites [were appointed] scribes, and judges, and porters.

¹⁴And when they brought forth the money that had been brought into the house of the Lord, Chelcias the priest found a book of the law of the Lord [given] by the hand of Moses.

¹⁵And Chelcias answered and said to Saphan the scribe, I have found a book of the law in the house of the Lord. And Chelcias gave the book to Saphan.

¹⁶And Saphan brought in the book to the king, and moreover gave an account to the king, [saying, This is] all the money given into the hand of thy servants that work.

¹⁷And they have collected the money that was found in the house of the Lord, and given it into the hand of the overseers, and into the hand of them that do the work.

¹⁸And Saphan the scribe brought word to the king, saying, Chelcias the priest has given me a book. And Saphan read it before the king.

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

²⁰And the king commanded Chelcias, and Achicam the son of Saphan, and Abdom the son of Michaias, and Saphan the scribe, and Asia the servant of the king, saying,

²¹Go, enquire of the Lord for me, and for every one that is left in Israel and Juda, concerning the words of the book that is found: for great is the wrath of the Lord [which] has been kindled amongst us, because our fathers have not hearkened to the words of the Lord, to do according to all the things written in this book.

²²And Chelcias went, and [the others] whom the king told, to Olda the prophetess, the wife of Sellem son of Thecoe, son of Aras, who kept the commandments; and she dwelt in Jerusalem in the second [quarter]: and they spoke to her accordingly.

²³And she said to them, Thus has the Lord God of Israel said, Tell the man who sent you to me,

²⁴Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I bring evil upon this place, [even] all the words that are written in the book that was read before the king of Juda:

²⁵because they have forsaken me, and burnt incense to strange gods, that they might provoke me by all the works of their hands; and my wrath is kindled against this place, and it shall not be quenched.

²⁶And concerning the king of Juda, who sent you to seek the Lord,-- thus shall ye say to him, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, [As for] the words which thou has heard,

²⁷forasmuch as thy heart was ashamed, and thou was humbled before me when thou heardest my words against this place, and against the inhabitants of it, and thou wast humbled before me, and didst rend thy garments, and didst weep before me; I also have heard, saith the Lord.

²⁸Behold, I [will] gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, and thine eyes shall not look upon all the evils which I am bringing upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of it. And they brought back word to the king.

²⁹And the king sent and gathered the elders of Juda and Jerusalem.

³⁰And the king went up to the house of the Lord, [he] and all Juda, 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 were found in the house of the Lord.

³¹And the king stood at a pillar, and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk before the Lord, to keep his commandments and testimonies, and his ordinances, with all [his] heart and with all [his] soul, so as to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book.

³²And he caused all that were found in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand; and the inhabitants of Jerusalem made a covenant in the house of the Lord God of their fathers.

³³And Josias removed all the abominations out of the whole land which belonged to the children of Israel, and caused all that were found in Jerusalem and in Israel, to serve the Lord their God all his days: he departed not from following the Lord God of his fathers.