Josiah was eightyears old when he began to reign, and he reignedthirty and one years in Jerusalem. And his mother’sname was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath.
And he did thatwhich was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the righthand or to the left.
And it came to pass in the eighteenthyear of kingJosiah, that the kingsentShaphan the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of the LORD, saying,
Go up to Hilkiah the highpriest, that he may sum the silverwhich is broughtinto the house of the LORD, which the keepers of the doorhavegathered of the people:
And let themdeliver it into the hand of the doers of the work, thathave the oversight of the house of the LORD: and let themgive it to the doers of the workwhich is in the house of the LORD, to repair the breaches of the house,
And Hilkiah the highpriestsaiduntoShaphan the scribe, I havefound the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiahgave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.
And Shaphan the scribecame to the king, and brought the kingwordagain, and said, Thy servantshavegathered the moneythat was found in the house, and havedelivered it into the hand of themthat do the work, thathave the oversight of the house of the LORD.
And the kingcommandedHilkiah 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,
Go ye, enquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of thisbookthat is found: for great is the wrath of the LORDthat is kindledagainst us, because our fathershave not hearkenedunto the words of thisbook, to do accordingunto all thatwhich is writtenconcerning us.
So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, wentuntoHuldah 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 theycommunedwith her.
Thussaith the LORD, Behold, I willbringeviluponthisplace, and upon the inhabitantsthereof, even all the words of the bookwhich the king of Judahhathread:
Becausetheyhaveforsaken me, and haveburnedincenseuntoothergods, thattheymightprovoke me to angerwith all the works of theirhands; therefore my wrathshall be kindledagainstthisplace, and shall not be quenched.
But to the king of Judahwhichsent you to enquire of the LORD, thusshall ye say to him, Thussaith the LORD God of Israel, As touching the wordswhichthouhastheard;
Becausethineheart was tender, and thouhasthumbledthyselfbefore the LORD, whenthouheardestwhat I spakeagainstthisplace, and against the inhabitantsthereof, thattheyshouldbecome a desolation and a curse, and hastrent thy clothes, and weptbefore me; I alsohaveheardthee, saith the LORD.
Beholdtherefore, I willgathertheeunto thy fathers, and thoushalt be gatheredinto thy grave in peace; and thineeyesshall not see all the evilwhich I willbringuponthisplace. And theybrought the kingwordagain.