⁹ Then Shaphan the secretary went to the king and reported to him: “Your officials have paid out the money that was in the temple of the Lord and have entrusted it to the workers and supervisors at the temple.” ¹⁰ Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.^(A)

¹¹ When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law,^(B) he tore his robes. ¹² He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam^(C) son of Shaphan, Akbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant:^{(D) 13} “Go and inquire^(E) of the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord’s anger^(F) that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.”

⁷ In the third year of his reign he sent his officials Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah to teach^(A) in the towns of Judah. ⁸ With them were certain Levites^(B)—Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah and Tob-Adonijah—and the priests Elishama and Jehoram. ⁹ They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law^(C) of the Lord; they went around to all the towns of Judah and taught the people.

¹⁰ The fear^(D) of the Lord fell on all the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah, so that they did not go to war against Jehoshaphat.