2nd Dabar-Hayamym (2 Chronicles) — 34

Yusyahu Reigns in Yahudah

1 Yusyahu was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Yahushalam. 

2 And he did what was right in the sight of  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, and walked in the ways of his father Daud; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH of his father Daud; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Yahudah and Yahushalam of the high places, the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images. 

4 They broke down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and the incense altars which were above them he cut down; and the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images he broke in pieces, and made dust of them and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 

5 He also burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and cleansed Yahudah and Yahushalam. 

6 And so he did in the cities of Manassah, Aphraim, and Simaun, as far as Naphtali and all around, with axes. 

7 When he had broken down the altars and the wooden images, had beaten the carved images into powder, and cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Yashar'AL, he returned to Yahushalam.

Hilkyahu Finds the Book of the Law

8 In the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land and the temple, he sent Shaphan the son of Azalyahu, Maasayahu the governor of the city, and Yuah the son of Yuahaz the recorder, to repair the house of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH his 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH. 

9 When they came to Hilkyahu the high Kuhan, they delivered the money that was brought into the house of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, which the Lauym who kept the doors had gathered from the hand of Manassah and Aphraim, from all the remnant of Yashar'AL, from all Yahudah and Banyamin, and which they had brought back to Yahushalam. 

10 Then they put it in the hand of the foremen who had the oversight of the house of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH; and they gave it to the workmen who worked in the house of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, to repair and restore the house. 

11 They gave it to the craftsmen and builders to buy hewn stone and timber for beams, and to floor the houses which the kings of Yahudah had destroyed. 

12 And the men did the work faithfully. Their overseers were Yahath and Ubadyahu the Lauym, of the sons of Marari, and Zacharyahu and Mashullam, of the sons of the Kuhathites, to supervise. Others of the Lauy, all of whom were skillful with instruments of music, 

13 were over the burden bearers and were overseers of all who did work in any kind of service. And some of the Lauym were scribes, officers, and gatekeepers.

14 Now when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, Hilkyahu the Kuhan found the Book of the Law of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH given by Musha. 

15 Then Hilkyahu answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH.” And Hilkyahu gave the book to Shaphan. 

16 So Shaphan carried the book to the king, bringing the king word, saying, “All that was committed to your servants they are doing. 

17 And they have gathered the money that was found in the house of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers and the workmen.” 

18 Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, “Hilkyahu the Kuhan has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it before the king.

19 Thus it happened, when the king heard the words of the Law, that he tore his clothes. 

20 Then the king commanded Hilkyahu, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdun the son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asayahu a servant of the king, saying, 

21 “Go, inquire of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH for me, and for those who are left in Yashar'AL and Yahudah, concerning the words of the book that is found; for great is the wrath of  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, to do according to all that is written in this book.”

22 So Hilkyahu and those the king had appointed went to Huldah the woman Nabym, the wife of Shallum the son of Tukhath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe. (She dwelt in Yahushalam in the Second Quarter.) And they spoke to her to that effect.

23 Then she answered them, “Thus says 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH the 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH of Yashar'AL, ‘Tell the man who sent you to Me, 

24 “Thus says 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH: ‘Behold, I will bring calamity on this place and on its inhabitants, all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Yahudah, 

25 because they have forsaken Me and burned incense to other nations idols, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands. Therefore My wrath will be poured out on this place, and not be quenched.’ ” ’ 

26 But as for the king of Yahudah, who sent you to inquire of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, in this manner you shall speak to him, ‘Thus says 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH the 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH of Yashar'AL: “Concerning the words which you have heard

27 because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH  when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before Me, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you,” says 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH. 

28 “Surely I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in Shalum; and your eyes shall not see all the calamity which I will bring on this place and its inhabitants.” So they brought back word to the king.

Yusyahu Restores True Worship

29 Then the king sent and gathered all the elders of Yahudah and Yahushalam. 

30 The king went up to the house of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, with all the men of Yahudah and the inhabitants of Yahushalam, the Kuhanym and the Lauym, and all the people, great and small. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant which had been found in the house of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH. 

31 Then the king stood in his place and made a covenant before 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, to follow 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book. 

32 And he made all who were present in Yahushalam and Banyamin take a stand. So the inhabitants of Yahushalam did according to the covenant of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH the  𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH of their fathers. 

33 Thus King Yusyahu removed all the abominations from all the country that belonged to the children of Yashar'AL, and made all who were present in Yashar'AL diligently serve 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH their  𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH. All his days they did not depart from following 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH the 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH of their fathers.