2 Kings 22:8-23:3

Holman Christian Standard Bible

The Book of the Law Found

⁸Hilkiah the high priest told Shaphan the court secretary, “I have found the book of the law^(A) in the Lord’s temple,” and he gave the book to Shaphan, who read it.

⁹Then Shaphan the court secretary went to the king and reported,^[a] “Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the temple and have put it into the hand of those doing the work—those who oversee the Lord’s temple.” ¹⁰Then Shaphan the court secretary told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book,” and Shaphan read it in the presence of the king.^(B)

¹¹When the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes.^(C) ¹²Then he commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam^(D) son of Shaphan, Achbor^(E) son of Micaiah, Shaphan the court secretary, and the king’s servant Asaiah: ¹³“Go and inquire of the Lord for me, the people, and all Judah about the instruction in this book that has been found. For great is the Lord’s wrath that is kindled against us because our ancestors have not obeyed the words of this book in order to do everything written about us.”^(F)

Huldah’s Prophecy of Judgment

¹⁴So^(G) Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to the prophetess^(H) Huldah, wife of Shallum son of Tikvah,^(I) son of Harhas,^[b] keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem in the Second District.^(J) They spoke with her.

¹⁵She said to them, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says, ‘Say to the man who sent you to Me: ¹⁶This is what the Lord says: I am about to bring disaster on this place and on its inhabitants, fulfilling all the words of the book that the king of Judah has read,^(K) ¹⁷because they have abandoned Me and burned incense to other gods in order to provoke Me with all the work of their hands. My wrath will be kindled against this place, and it will not be quenched.^(L) ¹⁸Say this to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the Lord: This is what the Lord God of Israel says: As for the words that you heard,^(M) ¹⁹because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before the Lord^(N) when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they would become a desolation and a curse,^(O) and because you have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I Myself have heard you—this is the Lord’s declaration— ²⁰therefore, I will indeed gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace.^(P) Your eyes will not see all the disaster that I am bringing on this place.’”

Then they reported^[c] to the king.

Covenant Renewal

23 So the king sent messengers,^(Q) and they gathered all the elders^(R) of Jerusalem and Judah to him. ²Then the king went to the Lord’s temple with all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, as well as the priests and the prophets—all the people from the youngest to the oldest. As they listened, he read all the words of the book of the covenant^(S) that had been found in the Lord’s temple.^(T) ³Next, the king stood by the pillar^[d]^(U) and made a covenant^(V) in the presence of the Lord to follow the Lord and to keep His commands, His decrees, and His statutes with all his mind and with all his heart,^(W) and to carry out the words of this covenant that were written in this book; all the people agreed to^[e] the covenant.^(X)