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¹ Eight years old, was Josiah when he began to reign, and, thirty-one years, reigned he in Jerusalem, - and, this mother's name, was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah, of Bozkath.² And he did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh, - and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside, to the right hand or to the left.³ And it came to pass, in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan son of Azaliah son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of Yahweh, saying - ⁴ Go up unto Hilkiah, the high priest, that he pour out the silver that hath been brought into the house of Yahweh, - which the keepers of the entrance-hall have gathered from the people,⁵ that they may give it into the hand of the doers of the work, who have oversight of the house of Yahweh, that they may give it to the doers of the work, who are in the house of Yahweh, to repair the breaches of the house;⁶ to the carpenters, and to the builders, and to the masons, - and to buy timber, and hewn stones, for repairing the house.⁷ Howbeit there used to be no reckoning made with them, as to the silver that was given into their hand, - because, with faithfulness, were they dealing.⁸ Then said Hilkiah the high priest, unto Shaphan the scribe - The book of the law, have I found, in the house of Yahweh. So Hilkiah delivered the book unto Shaphan, and he read it.⁹ Then came Shaphan the scribe unto the king, and brought the king word again, - and said - Thy servants have poured out the silver that was found in the house, and have delivered it unto the hand of the doers of the work, who have oversight of the house of Yahweh.¹⁰ Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying - A book, hath Hilkiah the priest delivered unto me. And Shaphan read it before the king.

¹¹ And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.¹² And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam son of Shaphan, and Achbor son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying:¹³ Go ye - enquire of Yahweh, for me and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book which hath been found, - for, great, is the wrath of Yahweh, in that it hath fired up against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according to all which is written concerning us.¹⁴ So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, son of Harhas keeper of the vestments, she having her dwelling in Jerusalem, in the new city, - and they spake unto her.¹⁵ And she said unto them, Thus, saith Yahweh, God of Israel, Say ye unto the man who hath sent you unto me:¹⁶ Thus, saith Yahweh, Behold me! about to bring calamity upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, - all the words of the book, which, the king of Judah, hath read:¹⁷ Because they have forsaken me, and burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger, with all the workmanship of their hands; and so my wrath shall fire up against this place, and shall not be quenched:¹⁸ But, unto the king of Judah, who hath sent you to enquire of Yahweh, thus, shall ye say unto him, - Thus, saith Yahweh, God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard:¹⁹ Because, tender, was thy heart, and thou didst humble thyself before Yahweh when thou heardest what I had spoken against this place and against the inhabitants thereof - that they should become a desolation and a curse, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me, therefore also, I, have hearkened - declareth Yahweh.²⁰ For this cause, behold me! about to gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered unto thy graves, in peace, and so thine eyes shall not look upon all the misfortune which I am about to bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again.