| Chapter
22 |
| 1 | Josiah
was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years
in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of
Boscath. |
| 2 | And he did
that which was right in the sight of the LORD, 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 the son of Azaliah,
the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of the LORD, saying, |
| 4 | Go up to Hilkiah the high
priest, that he may sum the silver which is brought into the house of the LORD,
which the keepers of the door have gathered of the people: |
| 5 | And let them deliver it into the hand of
the doers of the work, that have the oversight of the house of the LORD: and
let them give it to the doers of the work which is in the house of the LORD, to
repair the breaches of the house, |
|
6 | Unto carpenters, and builders, and masons, and to buy timber and
hewn stone to repair the house. |
| 7
| Howbeit there was no reckoning made with them of the money that was
delivered into their hand, because they dealt faithfully. |
| 8 | And Hilkiah the high priest said unto
Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD.
And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. |
| 9 | And Shaphan the scribe came to the king,
and brought the king word again, and said, Thy servants have gathered the money
that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of them that
do the work, that have the oversight of the house of the LORD. |
| 10 | And Shaphan the scribe showed the
king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it
before the king. |
| 11 | And
it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that
he rent his clothes. |
| 12 |
And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and
Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah a servant of
the king's, saying, |
| 13 |
Go ye, enquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah,
concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the
LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto
the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written
concerning us. |
| 14 | So
Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went unto
Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of
Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college;)
and they communed with her. |
| 15
| And she said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Tell the
man that sent you to me, |
| 16 |
Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon
the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah
hath read: |
| 17 | Because
they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might
provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall
be kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched. |
| 18 | But to the king of Judah which sent
you to enquire of the LORD, thus shall ye say to him, Thus saith the LORD God
of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard; |
| 19 | Because thine heart was tender, and
thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake
against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should
become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me;
I also have heard thee, saith the LORD. |
| 20 | Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers,
and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not
see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king
word again. |
