2Chr 34
1
Josias was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years
in Jerusalem.
2
And 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 Gr. and or to the left.
3
And 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.
4
And 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.
5
And he burnt the bones of the priests upon the altars, and purged Juda and Jerusalem.
6
And he did so in the cities of Manasse, and Ephraim, and Symeon, and Nephthali, and
the places round about them.
7
And 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.
8
And in the eighteenth year of his reign, Alex. inserts ote sunetelese «when he had finished’ 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.
9
And they came to Chelcias the high priest, and gave the 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.
10
And 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
Gr. prepare repair and strengthen the house.
11
They gave it also to the carpenters and builders, to buy Or, hewn squared stones, and timber for beams to cover the houses
which the kings of Juda
had destroyed.
12
And 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.
13
And 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.
14
And 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.
15
And 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.
16
And 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 your servants that work.
17
And they have Gr. melted 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.
18
And Saphan the scribe brought word to the king, saying, Chelcias the priest has given
me a book. And Saphan read it before the king.
19
And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the law, that he rent his garments.
20
And 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,
21
Go, 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 anger of the Lord
which has Gr. flamed forth 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.
22
And 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.
23
And she said to them, Thus has the Lord God of Israel said, Tell the man who sent
you to me,
24
Thus says the Lord, Behold, I bring Gr. evils evil upon this place, even all the words that are written in the book that was
read
before the king of Juda:
25
because they have forsaken me, and burnt incense to strange gods, that they might
provoke me by all the works of their hands; and my anger Gr. has flamed forth is kindled against this place, and it shall
not be quenched.
26
And concerning the king of Juda, who sent you to seek the Lord, —thus shall you say
to him, Thus says the Lord God of Israel, As for the words which you has heard,
27
seeing that as your heart was ashamed, and you was humbled before me when you heard
my words against this place, and against the inhabitants of it, and you were humbled
before me, and did rend your garments, and did weep before me; I also have heard,
says the Lord.
28
Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave
in peace, and your 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.
29
And the king sent and gathered the elders of Juda and Jerusalem.
30
And 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.
31
And 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.
32
And 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.
33
And 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 Gr. from behind from following the Lord God of his fathers.