2 Kings - Chapter 22
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 money 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 workmen
that have the oversight of the house of the LORD; and let them give it
to the workmen that are in the house of the LORD, to repair the breaches
of the house; 6 unto the carpenters, and to the builders, and to the masons;
and for buying 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; for 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 delivered the book to Shaphan, and he
read it. 9 And Shaphan the scribe came to the king, and brought back word
unto the king, and said: 'Thy servants have poured out the money that
was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen
that have the oversight of the house of the LORD.' 10 And Shaphan the
scribe told 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 Micaiah, and Shaphan the scribe,
and Asaiah the king's servant, saying: 13 'Go ye, inquire 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 Asaiah,
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 second quarter--and they spoke with her. 15 And she said unto them:
'Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel: Tell ye the man that sent you
unto 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
offered unto other gods, that they might provoke Me with all the work
of their hands; therefore My wrath shall be kindled against this place,
and it shall not be quenched. 18 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, 19 because
thy heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before the LORD, when
thou heardest what I spoke against this place, and against the inhabitants
thereof, that they should become an astonishment and a curse, and hast
rent thy clothes, and wept before Me, I also have heard thee, saith the
LORD. 20 Therefore, 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 which I will bring upon this place.' And they brought back
word unto the king.
2 Kings - Chapter 23
1 And the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the
elders of Judah and of Jerusalem. 2 And the king went up to the house
of the LORD, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem
with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both
small and great; and he read in their ears all the words of the book of
the covenant which was found in the house of the LORD. 3 And the king
stood on the platform, 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 all his soul, to confirm the words of this covenant
that were written in this book; and all the people stood to the covenant.
Reprinted from Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures, ©
1985, The Jewish Publication Society with the permission of the publisher,
The Jewish Publication Society