the Fourth Week of Advent
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Hebrew Names Version
2 Chronicles 34
1 Yoshiyahu was eight years old when he began to reign; and he reigned thirty-one years in Yerushalayim. 2 He did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father, and didn't turn aside to the right hand or 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 Yehudah and Yerushalayim from the high places, and the Asherim, and the engraved images, and the molten images. 4 They broke down the altars of the Ba`alim in his presence; and the sun-images that were on high above them he hewed down; and the Asherim, and the engraved images, and the molten images, he broke in pieces, and made dust of them, and strewed it on the graves [of those] who had sacrificed to them. 5 He burnt the bones of the Kohanim on their altars, and purged Yehudah and Yerushalayim. 6 [So did he] in the cities of Menashsheh and Efrayim and Shim`on, even to Naftali, in their ruins round about. 7 He broke down the altars, and beat the Asherim and the engraved images into powder, and hewed down all the sun-images throughout all Eretz-Yisra'el, and returned to Yerushalayim.
8 Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land and the house, he sent Shafan the son of Atzalyahu, and Ma`aseyah the governor of the city, and Yo'ach the son of Yo'achaz the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God. 9 They came to Hilkiyah the Kohen Gadol, and delivered the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites, the keepers of the threshold, had gathered of the hand of Menashsheh and Efrayim, and of all the remnant of Yisra'el, and of all Yehudah and Binyamin, and of the inhabitants of Yerushalayim. 10 They delivered it into the hand of the workmen who had the oversight of the house of the LORD; and the workmen who labored in the house of the LORD gave it to mend and repair the house; 11 even to the carpenters and to the builders gave they it, to buy hewn stone, and timber for couplings, and to make beams for the houses which the kings of Yehudah had destroyed. 12 The men did the work faithfully: and the overseers of them were Yachat and `Ovadyah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zekharyah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kehati, to set it forward; and [others of] the Levites, all who were skillful with instruments of music. 13 Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and set forward all who did the work in every manner of service: and of the Levites there were Sofrim, and officers, and porters.
14 When they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiyah the Kohen found the book of the law of the LORD [given] by Moshe. 15 Hilkiyah answered Shafan the Sofer, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. Hilkiyah delivered the book to Shafan. 16 Shafan carried the book to the king, and moreover brought back word to the king, saying, All that was committed to your servants, they are doing. 17 They have emptied out the money that was found in the house of the LORD, and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers, and into the hand of the workmen. 18 Shafan the Sofer told the king, saying, Hilkiyah the Kohen has delivered me a book. Shafan read therein before the king. 19 It happened, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he tore his clothes. 20 The king commanded Hilkiyah, and Achikam the son of Shafan, and `Avdon the son of Mikhah, and Shafan the Sofer, and `Asayah the king's servant, saying, 21 Go you, inquire of the LORD for me, and for those who are left in Yisra'el and in Yehudah, concerning the words of the book that is found; for great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do according to all that is written in this book. 22 So Hilkiyah, and they whom the king [had commanded], went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhat, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she lived in Yerushalayim in the second quarter;) and they spoke to her to that effect. 23 She said to them, Thus says the LORD, the God of Yisra'el: Tell you the man who sent you to me, 24 Thus says the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil on this place, and on the inhabitants of it, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Yehudah. 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 is my wrath poured out on this place, and it shall not be quenched. 26 But to the king of Yehudah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, thus shall you tell him, Thus says the LORD, the God of Yisra'el: As touching the words which you have heard, 27 because your heart was tender, and you did humble yourself before God, when you heard his words against this place, and against the inhabitants of it, and have humbled yourself before me, and have torn your clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard you, says the LORD. 28 Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in shalom, neither shall your eyes see all the evil that I will bring on this place, and on the inhabitants of it. They brought back word to the king.
29 Then the king sent and gathered together all the Zakenim of Yehudah and Yerushalayim. 30 The king went up to the house of the LORD, and all the men of Yehudah and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, and the Kohanim, and the Levites, and all the people, both 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 The king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his mitzvot, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book. 32 He caused all who were found in Yerushalayim and Binyamin to stand [to it]. The inhabitants of Yerushalayim did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. 33 Yoshiyahu took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Yisra'el, and made all who were found in Yisra'el to serve, even to serve the LORD their God. All his days they didn't depart from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.
