2Chronicles:34

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* Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign ; and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem . * And he did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD , and walked in the ways of David his father , and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left . * 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 Judah and Jerusalem from the high places , and the Asherim , and the graven images , and the molten images . * And they broke down the altars of the Baalim in his presence ; and the sun-images , that were on high above them , he hewed down ; and the Asherim , and the graven images , and the molten images , he broke in pieces , and made dust of them , and strewed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them . * And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars , and purged Judah and Jerusalem . * And so did he in the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon , even unto Naphtali , with their axes round about . * And he broke down the altars , and beat the Asherim and the graven images into powder , and hewed down all the sun-images throughout all the land of Israel , and returned to Jerusalem . * Now in the eighteenth year of his reign , when he had purged the land , and the house , he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah , and Maaseiah the governor of the city , and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder , to repair the house of the LORD his God . * And they came to Hilkiah the high priest , and delivered the money that was brought into the house of God , which the Levites , the keepers of the door , had gathered of the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim , and of all the remnant of Israel , and of all Judah and Benjamin , and they returned to Jerusalem . * And they delivered it into the hand of the workmen that had the oversight of the house of the LORD ; and the workmen that wrought in the house of the LORD gave it to mend and repair the house ; * 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 Judah had destroyed . * And the men did the work faithfully ; and the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah , the Levites , of the sons of Merari ; and Zechariah and Meshullam , of the sons of the Kohathites , to preside over it ; and other of the Levites , all that had skill with instruments of music . * Also they were over the bearers of burdens , and presided over all that did the work in every manner of service ; and of the Levites there were scribes , and officers , and porters . * And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the LORD , Hilkiah the priest found the book of the Law of the LORD given by Moses . * and Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe : 'I have found the book of the Law in the house of the LORD .' And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan . * And Shaphan carried the book to the king , and moreover brought back word unto the king , saying : 'All that was committed to thy servants , they do it . * And they have poured 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 .' * And Shaphan the scribe told the king , saying : 'Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book .' And Shaphan read therein before the king . * And it came to pass , when the king had heard the words of the Law , that he rent his clothes . * And the king commanded Hilkiah , and Ahikam the son of Shaphan , and Abdon the son of Micah , and Shaphan the scribe , and Asaiah the king 's servant , saying : * 'Go ye , inquire of the LORD for me , and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah , concerning the words of the book that is found ; for great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out upon us , because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD , to do according unto all that is written in this book .' * So Hilkiah , and they whom the king had commanded , went to Huldah the prophetess , the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath , the son of Hasrah , keeper of the wardrobe--now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the second quarter--and they spoke to her to that effect . * And she said unto them : 'Thus saith the LORD , the God of Israel : Tell ye the man that sent you unto me : * Thus saith the LORD : 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 Judah ; * because they have forsaken Me , and have offered unto other gods , that they might provoke Me with all the works of their hands ; therefore is My wrath poured out upon this place , and it shall not be quenched . * But unto the king of Judah , who sent you to inquire of the LORD , thus shall ye say to him : Thus saith the LORD , the God of Israel : As touching the words which thou hast heard , * because thy heart was tender , and thou didst humble thyself before God , when thou heardest His words against this place , and against the inhabitants thereof , and hast humbled thyself before Me , and hast rent thy clothes , and wept before Me ; I also have heard thee , saith the LORD . * 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 thereof .' And they brought back word unto the king . * Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem . * And the king went up to the house of the LORD , and all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem , and the priests , 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 . * And the king stood in his place , and made a covenant before the LORD , to walk after the LORD , 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 that were written in this book . * And he caused all that were found in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it . And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God , the God of their fathers . * And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel , and made all that were found in Israel to serve , even to serve the LORD their God . All his days they departed not from following the LORD , the God of their fathers .

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