¶ Josiah¹ was eight years old³ 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 Boscath⁴.

And he did that which was right⁶ in the sight of the LORD, and walked⁷ in all the way of David his father, and turned⁸ not aside to the right hand or to the left.

And it came to pass in the⁹ 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,

Go up to Hilkiah¹⁰ the high priest, that he may¹¹ sum the silver¹² which is brought into the house of the LORD, which the keepers¹³ of the door¹⁴ have gathered of the people:

And let them deliver¹⁵ 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 repair¹⁶ the breaches of the house,

Unto carpenters¹⁷, and builders¹⁸, and masons¹⁹, and to buy timber and hewn stone to repair the house.

Howbeit²⁰ there was no reckoning made with them of the money that was delivered into their hand, because they dealt faithfully²¹.

And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found²² the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.

And Shaphan²³ the scribe²⁴ came to the king, and brought the king word again, and said, Thy servants have gathered²⁵ 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.

¶ And Shaphan²⁶ the scribe shewed the king²⁷, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.

¶ And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent²⁸ his clothes.

And the king²⁹ commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam³⁰ the son of Shaphan, and Achbor³¹ the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah a servant of the king's, saying,

Go ye, enquire³³ of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great³⁴ is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers³⁵ have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us.

So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess³⁶, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah³⁷, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college³⁹;) and they communed with her.

⁴⁰And she said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me,

Thus saith the LORD, Behold,⁴¹ I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words⁴² of the book which the king of Judah hath read:

Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works⁴⁴ of their hands; therefore⁴⁵ my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and shall not be⁴⁶ quenched.

But to the king⁴⁷ of Judah which sent you to enquire of the LORD, thus shall ye⁴⁸ say to him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard;

Because thine heart⁴⁹ was tender, and thou hast humbled⁵⁰ thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation⁵¹ and a curse, and hast rent⁵² thy clothes, and wept⁵³ before me; I also have⁵⁴ heard thee, saith the LORD.

¶ Behold therefore, I will gather⁵⁵ thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt⁵⁶ be gathered⁵⁷ 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.