2 Dabray HaYamiym 34

Yoshiyahu was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Yarushalayim one and thirty years.

And he did that which was right in the sight of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, and walked in the ways of Dawid his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left.

For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the Alahiym of Dawid his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Yahudah and Yarushalayim from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images.

And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the sun 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.

And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Yahudah and Yarushalayim.

And so did he in the cities of Manashah, and Ephrayim, and Sham'un, even unto Naphtaliy, with their mattocks round about.

And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the sun images throughout all the land of Yashar'al, he returned to Yarushalayim.

Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land, and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Atzalyahu, and Maaseyahu the governor of the city, and Yoah the son of Yoachaz the recorder, to repair the house of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 his Alahiym.

And when they came to Hilqiyahu the high priest, they delivered the money that was brought into the house of Alahiym, which the Lawiytes that kept the doors had gathered of the hand of Manashah and Ephrayim, and of all the remnant of Yashar'al, and of all Yahudah and Binyamiyn; and they returned to Yarushalayim.

And they put it in the hand of the workmen that had the oversight of the house of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, and they gave it to the workmen that wrought in the house of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, to repair and amend the house:

Chawahn 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 Yahudah had destroyed.

And the men did the work faithfully: and the overseers of them were Yahath and Obadyahu, the Lawiytes, of the sons of Merari; and Zekaryahu and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to set it forward; and other of the Lawiytes, all that could skill of instruments of music.

Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and were overseers of all that wrought the work in any manner of service: and of the Lawiytes there were scribes, and officers, and porters.

And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, Hilqiyahu the priest found a book of the Turah of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 given by Mushah.

And Hilqiyahu answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, "I have found the book of the Turah in the house of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄." And Hilqiyahu delivered the book to Shaphan.

And 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."

"And they have gathered together the money that was found in the house of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers, and to the hand of the workmen."

Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, "Hilqiyahu the priest hath given me a book." And Shaphan read it before the king.

And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the Turah, that he rent his clothes.

And the king commanded Hilqiyahu, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Abdon the son of Mikah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asayahu a servant of the king's, saying,

"Go, inquire of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 for me, and for them that are left in Yashar'al and in Yahudah, concerning the words of the book that is found: for great is the wrath of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, to do after all that is written in this book."

And Hilqiyahu, and they that the king had appointed, went to Chuldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Yarushalayim in the second college:) and they spake to her to that effect.

And she answered them, "Thus saith 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 Alahiym of Yashar'al, Tell ye the man that sent you to Me,"

"Thus saith 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, 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 Yahudah:"

"Because they have forsaken Me, and have burned incense unto other lo alahiym, 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."

"And as for the king of Yahudah, who sent you to inquire of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, so shall ye say unto him, Thus saith 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 Alahiym of Yashar'al concerning the words which thou hast heard;"

"Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before Alahiym, 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 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄."

"Behold, 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.

Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Yahudah and Yarushalayim.

And the king went up into the house of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, and all the men of Yahudah, and the inhabitants of Yarushalayim, and the priests, and the Lawiytes, 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 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.

And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, to walk after 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, 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.

And he caused all that were present in Yarushalayim and Binyamiyn to stand to it. And the inhabitants of Yarushalayim did according to the covenant of Alahiym, the Alahiym of their fathers.

And Yoshiyahu took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Yashar'al, and made all that were present in Yashar'al to serve, even to serve 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 their Alahiym. And all his days they departed not from following 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, the Alahiym of their fathers.