2 Chronicles chapter .xxxiiij.
¶ Iosiah was made king when he was eight years old, and he reigned in Ierusalem thirty one years.
And he did that pleased the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father bowing neither to the right hand or to the left.
Insomuch that the eighth year of his reign, when he was yet a lad, he began to seek after the God of David his father. And in the twelfth year he began to purge Iuda and Ierusalem of hillaltars, groves, carved Images, and Images of metal:
so that they brake down the altars of Baals even in his presence, and the Idols that were upon them, he caused to be destroyed. And the groves, carved Images, and Images of metal he brake and made dust of them, and strawed it upon the graves of them that had offered to them.
And he burnt the bones of the priests upon the altars, and cleansed Iuda and Ierusalem.
And even so did he in the cities of Manasse, Ephraim, Simeon and of Nephthali thereto.
And in the wildernesses of them round about he plucked asunder the altars and the groves and did beat them and stamp them to powder, and beat down the idols thorowout all the land of Israel: and then returned to Ierusalem again.
¶ And in the eighteenth year of his reign when he had purged the land and the temple, he sent Saphan the son of Azaliah, and Maasiah the governor of the city and Ioah the son of Ioahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God.
And when they came to Helkiah the high priest, men delivered them the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites that kept the entries had gathered of the hands of Manasse and Ephraim and of all that yet remained in Israel and of all Iuda and Benjamin and of the inhabiters of Ierusalem.
And they put it in the hands of the workmen that had the oversight of the house of the LORD; which gave it to the labourers that wrought on the house of the LORD, to repair and mend it,
and to masons and carpenters to buy hewed stone and timber for to make couples and beams for the houses which the kings of Iuda had destroyed:
And the men wrought in the work of fidelity. And the overseers of them to courage them forward, were Iahath and Obadiah Levites of the children of Merari: and Sechariah and Mesulam of the children of the Cahathites, and as many other of the Levites as could skill of instruments of Music.
And over the bearers of burthens and over all that wrought, in whatsoever workmanship it were, wete there scribes, officers and porters of the Levites.
¶ And as they brought out the money that was brought into the house, Helkiah the priest found the book of the law of the LORD given by Moses.
And Helkiah answered and said to Saphan the scribe: I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD, and gave the book to Saphan.
And Saphan carried the book to the king, and brought the king word again, saying: all that was committed to thy servants, that do they.
And they have poured out the money that was found in the house of the LORD and have delivered into the hands of the overseers of the workmen.
And then Saphan the scribe shewed the king, saying: Helkiah the priest hath given me a book, and he read it before the king.
And when the king had heard the words of the law, he tare his clothes,
and commanded Helkiah and Ahikam the son of Saphan and Abadon the son of Micah and the said Saphan the scribe and Asaia a servant of the king's, saying:
go and enquire of the LORD for me and for them that are left in Israel and Iuda concerning the words of the book that is found. For great is the wrath of the LORD that is fallen upon us, because our fathers kept not the word of the LORD, to do after all that is written in this book.
And Helkiah with them that pertained to the king went to Holdah a prophetess wife of Selum the son of Thekohath the son of Masarah keeper of the wardrobe (which prophetess dwelt in Ierusalem in the second ward) and they communed so with her.
And she said unto them: thus sayeth the LORD God of Israel, tell ye the man that sent you to me.
Even thus sayeth the LORD: see, I will bring evil upon this place and upon the inhabiters thereof, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Iuda,
because they have forsaken me and have offered unto other gods to anger me with all manner works of their hands, therefore is my wrath set on fire against this place and shall not be quenched.
And as for the king of Iuda which sent you to enquire of the LORD, so shall ye say unto him: thus sayeth the LORD God of Israel concerning the words which thou hast heard.
Because thine heart did melt and thou didst meek thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place and against the inhabiters thereof: and humblest thyself before me, and tarest thy clothes and weepest before me, that have I heard also sayeth the LORD.
Behold I will take thee to thy fathers and thou shalt be put in thy grave in peace, and thine eyes shall not see all the mischief that I will bring upon this place and upon the inhabiters of the same; And they brought the king word again.
¶ Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Iuda and Ierusalem.
And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Iuda and the inhabiters of Ierusalem and the Priests and Levites and all the people great and small: and read all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the LORD.
And the king stood at his stonding and made a covenant before the LORD, to follow the LORD and to keep his commandments, his witnesses and his statutes with all his heart and with all his soul and to fulfil the words of the appointment written in the said book.
And he made to come forth all that were found in Ierusalem and Benjamin, and the inhabiters of Ierusalem promised to keep the covenant of the God which was the God of their fathers.
And Iosiah put away all manner of abominations out of all lands that pertained to the children of Israel, and brought all that were found in Israel, to serve the LORD their God. And they turned not aside from after the LORD God of their fathers as long as he lived.
Praise the Everlasting Lord for His Faithful Word.