2 Chronicles, Chapter 34:

Verses from 2 Chronicles, Chapter 34 of the book of 2 Chronicles of the Bible.

2 Chronicles - Old Testament — 2 Chronicles – Old Testament

Josiah's reforms

1. Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he ruled for thirty-one years in Jerusalem.
2. He did what was pleasing in the sight of the Lord and followed the ways of David his predecessor, turning neither to the right nor to the left.
3. In the eighth year of his reign, while still young, he began to seek the God of his predecessor David. In the twelfth year, he began the purification of Judah and Jerusalem, removing the idolatrous altars, the sacred poles, the carved images, and the metal idols.
4. Under his orders, the altars of the Baals were torn down, and the incense altars above them were also broken. He destroyed and reduced to dust the sacred poles, carved images, and metal idols, scattering the dust on the tombs of those who worshiped them.
5. He burned the bones of the priests on the altars, thus purifying Judah and Jerusalem.
6. In the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, and even in Naphtali, and in their surroundings,
7. He tore down the altars and sacred poles, crushed the idols to dust, and destroyed all the altars of incense throughout Israel. After that, he returned to Jerusalem.
8. In the eighteenth year of his reign, Josiah sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Jehoahaz, the royal archivist, to repair the temple of the Lord his God.
9. They handed over the silver that had been brought into the temple of the Lord to the overseers and workers assigned to the restoration.
10. They also gave this silver to the carpenters and builders to buy hewn stones and wood for the joints and beams of the buildings that the kings of Judah left in ruins.
11. The men did the work faithfully. They were supervised by Jahath and Obadiah, Levites descended from Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, descendants of Kohath. All the Levites skilled in musical instruments
12. were in charge of the workers and supervised everyone who performed different tasks. Other Levites served as scribes, officials, and gatekeepers.

The scroll of the law is found

14. While they were collecting the silver brought to the temple of the Lord, the priest Hilkiah found the Book of the Law of the Lord, which had been given by Moses.
15. Hilkiah said to Shaphan the secretary, “I found the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord.” And he delivered him to Shaphan.
16. Shaphan took the Book to the king and reported: “Your servants are fulfilling everything that was commanded of them.
17. They gathered the silver that was in the temple of the Lord and gave it to the overseers and workers.”
18. And Shaphan added: “Hilkiah the priest gave me a book.” And Shaphan read portions of the Book to the king.
19. When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his clothes
20. and gave the following orders to Hilkiah, to Ahikan the son of Shaphan, to Abdon the son of Micah, to the secretary Shaphan, and to the royal assistant Asaiah:
21. “Go and inquire of the Lord for me, for the remnant of Israel and Judah, about what is written in this book that was found. The anger of the Lord must be great, because our ancestors did not obey the word of the Lord and did not do everything written in this book.”
22. Hilkiah and the men sent by the king went to speak to the prophetess Huldah, wife of Shallum, son of Tokat, grandson of Harash, who was in charge of the priestly vestments. She lived in the new neighborhood of Jerusalem.
23. Huldah said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'Say to the man who sent you to me:
24. Thus says the Lord: I will bring disaster on this place and its inhabitants, according to everything that is written in the book that was read in the presence of the king of Judah.
25. Because they abandoned me and burned incense to other gods, provoking my anger with all the idols they made with their hands, my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.'
26. Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord: This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the words you heard:
27. Because your heart was softened and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its inhabitants, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your clothes and wept in my presence, I have heard him,” declares the Lord.
28″Therefore I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster that I will bring upon this place and its inhabitants' “. So they took the answer to King Josiah.
29. In response, the king summoned all the authorities of Judah and Jerusalem.
30. He went up to the temple of the Lord accompanied by all the men of Judah, inhabitants of Jerusalem, priests and Levites, and all the people, from the greatest to the humble. In the presence of everyone, the king read aloud all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the Lord.
31. He remained in his place and, before the Lord, made a covenant, committing himself to follow the Lord and obey with all his heart and with all his soul his commandments, testimonies and decrees, fulfilling the words of the covenant written in that book.
32. Then Josiah made everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin commit themselves to the covenant; The inhabitants of Jerusalem began to follow the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors.
33. Josiah removed all the abominable idols from throughout the Israelites' territory and forced everyone in Israel to serve the Lord their God. Throughout their lives, the people did not stop following the Lord, the God of their ancestors.