1. Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty one years.
2. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father, and turned aside neither to the right hand, nor to the left.
3. For 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 of the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images.
4. And they broke down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that were high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he broke in pieces, and made dust of them, and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
5. And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.
6. And so did he in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even to Naphtali, with their tools round about.
7. And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the sculptured images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.
8. Now 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.
9. And 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 from the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Israel, and from all Judah and Benjamin; and they returned to Jerusalem.
10. And 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 worked in the house of the LORD, to repair and improve the house:
11. Even to the craftsmen and builders they gave it, to buy cut stone, and timber for couplings, and to floor the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed.
12. And 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 carry it out; and other of the Levites, all that had skill for instruments of music.
13. Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and were overseers of all that did the work in any manner of service: and of the Levites there were scribes, and officers, and gatekeepers.
14. And 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.
15. And 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.
16. And Shaphan carried the book to the king, and brought the king word back again, saying, All that was committed to your servants, they do it.
17. And 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.
18. Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest has given me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.
19. And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he tore his clothes.
20. And 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,
21. Go, inquire of the LORD for me, and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found: for great is the anger of the LORD that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do according to all that is written in this book.
22. And Hilkiah, and those whom 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 place of instruction:) and they spoke to her to that effect.
23. And she answered them, Thus says the LORD God of Israel, You tell the man that sent you to me,
24. Thus says 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:
25. Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my anger shall be poured out upon this place, and shall not be quenched.
26. And as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, so shall you say to him, Thus says the LORD God of Israel concerning the words which you have heard;
27. Because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God, when you heard his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbled yourself before me, and tore your clothes, and wept before me; I have even heard you also, says the LORD.
28. Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, neither shall your 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.
29. Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.
30. And 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.
31. And 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.
32. And 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.
33. And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the lands that belonged 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 did not depart from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.