1Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign , and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years . 2And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD , and walked in the ways of David his father , and declined neither to the right hand , nor to the left . 3For in the eighth year of his reign , while he was yet young , he began to seek after the God of David his father : and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places , and the groves , and the carved images , and the molten images . 4And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence ; and the images , that were on high above them , he cut down ; and the groves , and the carved images , and the molten images , he brake in pieces , and made dust of them , and strowed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them. 5And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars , and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem . 6And so did he in the cities of Manasseh , and Ephraim , and Simeon , even unto Naphtali , with their mattocks round about . 7And when he had broken down the altars and the groves , and had beaten the graven images into powder , and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel , he returned to Jerusalem .
The Discovery of the Book of the Law
8Now in the eighteenth year of his reign , when he had purged the land , and the house , he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah , and Maaseiah the governor of the city , and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder , to repair the house of the LORD his God . 9And when they came to Hilkiah the high priest , they delivered the money that was brought into the house of God , which the Levites that kept the doors had gathered of the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim , and of all the remnant of Israel , and of all Judah and Benjamin ; and they returned to Jerusalem . 10And they put it in the hand of the workmen that had the oversight of the house of the LORD , and they gave it to the workmen that wrought in the house of the LORD , to repair and amend the house : 11Even to the artificers and builders gave they it , to buy hewn stone , and timber for couplings , and to floor the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed . 12And the men did the work faithfully : and the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah , the Levites , of the sons of Merari ; and Zechariah and Meshullam , of the sons of the Kohathites , to set it forward ; and other of the Levites , all that could skill of instruments of musick . 13Also they were over the bearers of burdens , and were overseers of all that wrought the work in any manner of service : and of the Levites there were scribes , and officers , and porters . 14And 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 . 15And 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 . 16And 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 . 17And 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 the scribe told the king , saying , Hilkiah the priest hath given me a book . And Shaphan read it before the king .
Josiah's Response to the Law
19And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law , that he rent his clothes . 20And 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 , 21Go , 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 . 22And 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 . 23And she answered them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel , Tell ye the man that sent you to me, 24Thus 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 : 25Because 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 . 26And 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 ; 27Because 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 . 28Behold, 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 .
The Prophecy of Judgment and Hope
29Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem . 30And the king went up into the house of the LORD , and all the men of Judah , 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 was found in the house of the LORD . 31And the king stood in his place , and made a covenant before the LORD , to walk after the LORD , and to keep his commandments , and his testimonies , and his statutes , with all his heart , and with all his soul , to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book . 32And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it . And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God , the God of their fathers . 33And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel , and made all that were present in Israel to serve , even to serve the LORD their God . And all his days they departed not from following the LORD , the God of their fathers .