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2 Kings 22
New English Translation

Josiah Repents

22 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned for thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother[a] was Jedidah, daughter of Adaiah, from Bozkath. 2 He did what the Lord approved[b] and followed in his ancestor David’s footsteps;[c] he did not deviate to the right or the left.

3 In the eighteenth year of King Josiah’s reign, the king sent the scribe Shaphan son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, to the Lord’s temple with these orders:[d] 4 “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest and have him melt down[e] the silver that has been brought by the people to the Lord’s temple and has been collected by the guards at the door. 5 Have them hand it over to the construction foremen[f] assigned to the Lord’s temple. They in turn should pay the temple workers to repair it,[g] 6 including craftsmen, builders, and masons, and should buy wood and chiseled stone for the repair work.[h] 7 Do not audit the foremen who disburse the silver, for they are honest.”[i]

8 Hilkiah the high priest informed Shaphan the scribe, “I found the scroll of the law in the Lord’s temple.” Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan and he read it. 9 Shaphan the scribe went to the king and reported,[j] “Your servants melted down the silver in the temple[k] and handed it over to the construction foremen assigned to the Lord’s temple.” 10 Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a scroll.” Shaphan read it out loud before the king. 11 When the king heard the words of the law scroll, he tore his clothes. 12 The king ordered Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Achbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, 13 “Go, seek an oracle from[l] the Lord for me and the people—for all Judah. Find out about the words of this scroll that has been discovered. For the Lord’s great fury has been ignited against us, because our ancestors have not obeyed the words of this scroll by doing all that it instructs us to do.”[m]

14 So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shullam son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, the supervisor of the wardrobe.[n] (She lived in Jerusalem in the Mishneh[o] district.) They stated their business,[p] 15 and she said to them: “This is what the Lord God of Israel has said: ‘Say this to the man who sent you to me: 16 “This is what the Lord has said: ‘I am about to bring disaster on this place and its residents, all the things in the scroll that the king of Judah has read. 17 This will happen because they have abandoned me and offered sacrifices[q] to other gods, angering me with all the idols they have made.[r] My anger will ignite against this place and will not be extinguished!’” 18 Say this to the king of Judah, who sent you to seek an oracle from the Lord: “This is what the Lord God of Israel has said concerning the words you have heard: 19 ‘You displayed a sensitive spirit[s] and humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard how I intended to make this place and its residents into an appalling example of an accursed people.[t] You tore your clothes and wept before me, and I have heard you,’ says the Lord. 20 ‘Therefore I will allow you to die and be buried in peace.[u] You will not have to witness[v] all the disaster I will bring on this place.’”’” Then they reported back to the king.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 22:1 tn Heb “the name of his mother.”
  2. 2 Kings 22:2 tn Heb “he did what was proper in the eyes of the Lord.”
  3. 2 Kings 22:2 tn Heb “and walked in all the way of David his father.”
  4. 2 Kings 22:3 tn Heb “temple, saying.”
  5. 2 Kings 22:4 tc The MT has וְיַתֵּם (veyattem), “and let them add up” (Hiphil of תָּמָם [tammam], “be complete”), but the appearance of הִתִּיכוּ (hittikhu), “they melted down” (Hiphil of נָתַךְ [natakh], “pour out”) in v. 9 suggests that the verb form should be emended to וְיַתֵּךְ (veyattekh), “and let him melt down” (a Hiphil of נָתַךְ [natakh]). For a discussion of this and other options see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 281.
  6. 2 Kings 22:5 tn Heb “doers of the work.”
  7. 2 Kings 22:5 tn Heb “and let them give it to the doers of the work who are in the house of the Lord to repair the damages to the house.”
  8. 2 Kings 22:6 tn Heb “and to buy wood and chiseled stone to repair the house.”
  9. 2 Kings 22:7 tn Heb “only the silver that is given into their hand should not be reckoned with them, for in faithfulness they are acting.”
  10. 2 Kings 22:9 tn Heb “returned the king a word and said.”
  11. 2 Kings 22:9 tn Heb “that was found in the house.”
  12. 2 Kings 22:13 tn Or “inquire of.”
  13. 2 Kings 22:13 tn Heb “by doing all that is written concerning us.” Perhaps עָלֵינוּ (ʿalenu), “concerning us,” should be altered to עָלָיו (ʿalayv), “upon it,” in which case one could translate, “by doing all that is written in it.”
  14. 2 Kings 22:14 tn Heb “the keeper of the clothes.”
  15. 2 Kings 22:14 tn Or “second.” For a discussion of the possible location of this district, see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 283.
  16. 2 Kings 22:14 tn Heb “and they spoke to her.”
  17. 2 Kings 22:17 tn Or “burned incense.”
  18. 2 Kings 22:17 tn Heb “so as to anger me with all the work of their hands.” The translation assumes that this refers to idols they have manufactured (note the preceding reference to “other gods,” as well as 19:18). However, it is possible that this is a general reference to their sinful practices, in which case one might translate, “angering me by all the things they do.”
  19. 2 Kings 22:19 tn Heb “Because your heart was tender.”
  20. 2 Kings 22:19 tn Heb “how I said concerning this place and its residents to become [an object of] horror and [an example of] a curse.” The final phrase (“horror and a curse”) refers to Judah becoming a prime example of an accursed people. In curse formulations they would be held up as a prime example of divine judgment. For an example of such a curse, see Jer 29:22.
  21. 2 Kings 22:20 tn Heb “Therefore, look, I am gathering you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your tomb in peace.”
  22. 2 Kings 22:20 tn Heb “your eyes will not see.”
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2 Kings 22
New International Version

The Book of the Law Found(A)

22 Josiah(B) was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. His mother’s name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath.(C) 2 He did what was right(D) in the eyes of the Lord and followed completely the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right(E) or to the left.

3 In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent the secretary, Shaphan(F) son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to the temple of the Lord. He said: 4 “Go up to Hilkiah(G) the high priest and have him get ready the money that has been brought into the temple of the Lord, which the doorkeepers have collected(H) from the people. 5 Have them entrust it to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple. And have these men pay the workers who repair(I) the temple of the Lord— 6 the carpenters, the builders and the masons. Also have them purchase timber and dressed stone to repair the temple.(J) 7 But they need not account for the money entrusted to them, because they are honest in their dealings.”(K)

8 Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law(L) in the temple of the Lord.” He gave it to Shaphan, who read it. 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.(M)

11 When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law,(N) he tore his robes. 12 He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam(O) son of Shaphan, Akbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant:(P) 13 “Go and inquire(Q) 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(R) 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.”

14 Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Akbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to speak to the prophet(S) Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the New Quarter.

15 She said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me, 16 ‘This is what the Lord says: I am going to bring disaster(T) on this place and its people, according to everything written in the book(U) the king of Judah has read. 17 Because they have forsaken(V) me and burned incense to other gods and aroused my anger by all the idols their hands have made,[a] my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.’ 18 Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire(W) of the Lord, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: 19 Because your heart was responsive and you humbled(X) yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people—that they would become a curse[b](Y) and be laid waste(Z)—and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I also have heard you, declares the Lord. 20 Therefore I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace.(AA) Your eyes(AB) will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.’”

So they took her answer back to the king.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 22:17 Or by everything they have done
  2. 2 Kings 22:19 That is, their names would be used in cursing (see Jer. 29:22); or, others would see that they are cursed.
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2 Kings 23
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