1 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath.
2 And he did that seemed right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in all the ways of David his father, and bowed neither to the righthand nor to the left.
3 And the eighteenth year of his reign king Josiah sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah the son of Meshullam the scribe to the house of the LORD, saying,
4 "Go to Hilkiah the high priest, and let him sum the silver that is brought into the house of the LORD, which the keepers of the doors have gathered of the people;
5 and let them deliver it into the hands of the workmen that have the oversight of the house of the LORD, which shall give it to them that work upon the house of the LORD, to repair the decayed places thereof -
6 even unto carpenters and masons, and for to buy timber and free stone to repair the house.
7 Howbeit, let no reckoning be made with them of the money that is delivered into their hands, but let them do it of their conscience."
8 And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, "I have found the book of the law in the temple of the LORD." And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.
9 And then Shaphan the scribe went to the king and brought him word again, and said, "Thy servants poured out the silver that was found in the temple, and have delivered it unto the workmen that have the oversight of the house of the LORD."
10 Furthermore Shaphan the scribe showed the king saying, "Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me here a book." And Shaphan read it before the king.
11 And the king, as soon as he had heard the words of the book of the law, he rent his clothes
12 and commanded Hilkiah the priest and Ahikam the son of Shaphan and Achbor the son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king's, saying,
13 "Go ye and seek of the LORD for me, and the people, and for all Judah; concerning the words of this book that is found. For it is a great wrath of the LORD that is kindled upon us, that our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do in all points as it is written therein."
14 And Hilkiah the high priest and Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went unto Huldah the Prophetess, wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah the son of Harahas keeper of the robes - which Prophetess dwelt in Jerusalem in the second ward - and communed with her.
15 And she said to them, "Thus sayeth the LORD God of Israel: 'Tell the man that sent you to me,
16 thus sayeth the LORD: behold I will bring evil upon this place and on the dwellers therein - even all the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read -
17 because they have forsaken me and have burnt offerings unto other gods, to anger me with all the works of their hands. Therefore is my wrath kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched.
18 But to the king of Judah which sent you to enquire of the LORD, so shall ye say: thus sayeth the LORD God of Israel, as touching the words which thou heardest.
19 Because thine heart did melt and thou meekedest thyself before me, the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place and the inhabiters of the same, how that it should be destroyed and made accursed: and tearest thy clothes and weepest before me: of that also I have heard sayeth the LORD.
20 And therefore, see, I will receive ye unto thy fathers and will fetch thee unto thy grave in peace, thine eyes shall see none of the evil which I will bring upon this place." And they brought the king word again.