2 Chronicles 34

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Josiah was eight years old when he came to the throne, and he reigned for thirty-one years inJerusalem.	1 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem.
2 He did what is pleasing to Yahweh, and fol owed the example of his ancestor David, not deviatingfrom it to right or to left.	2 He pleased the LORD, following the path of his ancestor David.
3 In the eighth year of his reign, when he was still a youth, he began to seek the God of his ancestorDavid. In the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the sacred poles and thesculpted and cast images.	3 In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still a youth, he began to seek after the God of his forefather David, and in his twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the sacred poles and the carved and molten images.
4 He superintended the smashing of the altars of Baal, he broke up the incense altars standing abovethem, he shattered the sacred poles and the sculpted and cast images and reduced them to powder, scatteringthe powder on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.	4 In his presence, the altars of the Baals were destroyed; the incense stands erected above them were torn down; the sacred poles and the carved and molten images were shattered and beaten into dust, which was strewn over the tombs of those who had sacrificed to them;
5 He burned the bones of their priests on their altars and so purified Judah and Jerusalem.	5 and the bones of the priests he burned upon their altars. Thus he purged Judah and Jerusalem.
6 In the towns of Manasseh, Ephraim and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, and round their open spaces,	6 He did likewise in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, and in the ruined villages of the surrounding country as far as Naphtali;
7 he smashed the altars and sacred poles, reduced the sculpted images to powder and broke up al theincense altars throughout the territory of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.	7 he destroyed the altars, broke up the sacred poles and carved images and beat them into dust, and tore down the incense stands throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.
8 In the eighteenth year of his reign, after purging the country and the Temple, he commissionedShaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah governor of the city and the herald Joah son of Joahaz, to repair the Templeof Yahweh his God.	8 In the eighteenth year of his reign, in order to cleanse the temple as well as the land, he sent Shaphan, son of Azaliah, Maaseiah, the ruler of the city, and Joah, son of Joahaz, the chamberlain, to restore the house of the LORD, his God.
9 When they came to the high priest Hilkiah, they handed over the money contributed to the Temple ofGod and col ected by the levitical guardians of the threshold from Manasseh and Ephraim, from all the rest of Israel, from al Judah and Benjamin, and from the inhabitants of Jerusalem.	9 They came to Hilkiah the high priest and turned over the money brought to the house of God which the Levites, the guardians of the threshold, had collected from Manasseh, Ephraim, and all the remnant of Israel, as well as from all of Judah, Benjamin, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
10 They handed it over to the masters of works attached to the Temple of Yahweh, and these gave it tothe men working on the Temple of Yahweh to repair and restore the Temple;	10 They turned it over to the master workmen in the house of the LORD, and these in turn used it to pay the workmen in the LORD'S house who were restoring and repairing the temple.
11 they gave it to the craftsmen and builders for buying dressed stone and timber for beams, tounderpin the buildings which the kings of Judah had al owed to fall into decay.	11 They also gave it to the carpenters and the masons to buy hewn stone and timber for the tie beams and rafters of the buildings which the kings of Judah had allowed to fall into ruin.
12 The men were conscientious in doing their work; their foremen were Jahath and Obadiah, Levitesdescended from Merari, and Zechariah and Meshul am, descended from Kohath, who supervised. The Levites --al of whom were skilled instrumentalists-	12 The men worked faithfully at their task; their overseers were Jahath and Obadiah, Levites of the line of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the Kohathites, who directed them. All those Levites who were skillful with musical instruments
13 were in charge of the carriers and supervised al the workmen at their various jobs, while some of theLevites acted as secretaries, book-keepers and gatekeepers.	13 were in charge of the men who carried the burdens, and they directed all the workers in every kind of labor. Some of the other Levites were scribes, officials and gatekeepers.
14 While bringing out the money contributed to the Temple of Yahweh, the priest Hilkiah found the bookof the Law of Yahweh given through Moses.	14 When they brought out the money that had been deposited in the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found the book of the law of the LORD given through Moses.
15 Hilkiah then said to Shaphan the secretary, 'I have found the Book of the Law in the Temple ofYahweh.' And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan.	15 He reported this to Shaphan the scribe, saying, "I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD." Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan,
16 Shaphan took the book to the king, reporting furthermore to him as fol ows, 'Your servants have doneeverything entrusted to them.	16 who brought it to the king at the same time that he was making his report to him. He said, "Your servants are doing everything that has been entrusted to them;
17 They have melted down the silver which was in the Temple of Yahweh and have handed it over tothe supervisors and the masters of works.'	17 they have turned into bullion the metals deposited in the LORD'S house and have handed it over to the overseers and the workmen."
18 Shaphan the secretary also informed the king, 'The priest Hilkiah has given me a book'; andShaphan read extracts from it in the king's presence.	18 Then Shaphan the scribe announced to the king, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." And Shaphan read from it before the king.
19 On hearing the words of the Law, the king tore his clothes.	19 When the king heard the words of the law, he tore his garments
20 Then the king gave the fol owing order to Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah,Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king's minister,	20 and issued this command to Hilkiah, to Ahikam, son of Shaphan, to Abdon, son of Michah, to Shaphan the scribe, and to Asaiah, the king's servant:
21 'Go and consult Yahweh on behalf of me and of those left in Israel and Judah about the words of thebook that has been discovered: for Yahweh's furious wrath has been pouring down on us because our ancestorsdid not obey the word of Yahweh by doing what this book says they ought to have done.'	21 "On behalf of myself and those who are left in Israel and Judah, go, consult the LORD concerning the words of the book that has been found. For the anger of the LORD has been set furiously ablaze against us, since our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD and have not done all that is written in this book."
22 Hilkiah and those whom the king had designated went to the prophetess Huldah wife of Shallum, sonof Tokhath, son of Hasrah, the keeper of the wardrobe; she lived in Jerusalem in the new town. They spoke toher about this,	22 Then Hilkiah and the other men from the king went to the prophetess Huldah, the wife of Shallum, son of Tokhath, son of Hasrah, the guardian of the wardrobe; she dwelt in Jerusalem, in the new quarter. They spoke to her as they had been instructed,
23 and she replied, 'Yahweh, God of Israel, says this, "To the man who sent you to me reply:	23 and she said to them: "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: 'Tell the one who sent you to me,
24 Yahweh says this: I am going to bring disaster on this place and the people who live in it -- all thecurses set down in the book read in the king of Judah's presence.	24 The LORD says: I am prepared to bring evil upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the curses written in the book that has been read before the king of Judah.
25 Because they have abandoned me and burnt incense to other gods, so as to provoke my anger bytheir every action, my wrath is about to be poured down on this place, and nothing can stop it.	25 Because they have abandoned me and have offered incense to other gods, provoking me by every deed that they have performed, my anger is ablaze against this place and cannot be extinguished.'
26 As for the king of Judah who sent you to consult Yahweh, say this to him: Yahweh, God of Israel,says this: The words you have heard . . .	26 "But to the king of Judah who sent you to consult the LORD, give this response: 'Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the threats you have heard:
27 But since your heart has been touched and you have humbled yourself before God on hearing whathe has decreed against this place and the people who live in it, have torn your clothes and wept before me, I toohave heard"-Yahweh says this.	27 Because you were heartsick and have humbled yourself before God on hearing his words spoken against this place and its inhabitants; because you have humbled yourself before me, have torn your garments, and have wept before me, I in turn have listened--so declares the LORD.
28 "Look, when I gather you to your ancestors, you wil be gathered into your grave in peace; you wilnot live to see the great disaster that I am going to bring on this place and on the people who live in it." ' Theytook this answer to the king.	28 I will gather you to your ancestors and you shall be taken to your grave in peace. Your eyes shall not see all the evil I will bring upon this place and upon its inhabitants.'" They brought back this message to the king.
29 The king then had al the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem summoned,	29 The king now convened all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.
30 and the king went up to the temple of Yahweh, with al the men of Judah and al the inhabitants ofJerusalem, priests, Levites and al the people, high and low. In their hearing he read out the entire contents ofthe Book of the Covenant discovered in the Temple of Yahweh.	30 He went up to the house of the LORD with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, the Levites, and all the people, great and small; and he had read aloud to them the entire text of the book of the covenant that had been found in the house of the LORD.
31 The king then, standing on the dais, bound himself by the covenant before Yahweh, to followYahweh, to keep his commandments, decrees and laws with al his heart and soul and to carry out the terms ofthe covenant as written in this book.	31 Standing at his post, the king made a covenant before the LORD to follow the LORD and to keep his commandments, decrees, and statutes with his whole heart and soul, thus observing the terms of the covenant written in this book.
32 He made al those present in Jerusalem and Benjamin pledge their al egiance to it. The citizens ofJerusalem took action in keeping with the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors,	32 He thereby committed all who were of Jerusalem and Benjamin, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem conformed themselves to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.
33 while Josiah removed al the abominations throughout the territories belonging to the Israelites andrequired all inhabitants of Israel to serve Yahweh their God; throughout his lifetime they did not deviate fromfol owing Yahweh, God of their ancestors.	33 Josiah removed every abominable thing from all the territory belonging to the Israelites, and he obliged all who were in Israel to serve the LORD, their God. During his lifetime they did not desert the LORD, the God of their fathers.