2 Kings 22

Josiah Reigns in Judah

1 a Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of b Bozkath. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the way of David his father, c and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.

Josiah Repairs the Temple

3 In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, the secretary, to the house of the Lord, saying, 4 "Go up to d Hilkiah the high priest, that he may count the money e that has been brought into the house of the Lord, which f the keepers of the threshold have collected from the people. 5 g And let it be given into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the Lord, and let them give it to the workmen who are at the house of the Lord, repairing the house 6 (that is, to the carpenters, and to the builders, and to the masons), and let them use it for buying timber and quarried stone to repair the house. 7 But h no accounting shall be asked from them for the money that is delivered into their hand, for they deal honestly."

Hilkiah Finds the Book of the Law

8 And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, "I have found i the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord." And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. 9 And Shaphan the secretary came to the king, and reported to the king, "Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the Lord." 10 Then Shaphan the secretary told the king, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." And Shaphan read it before the king.

11 When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, j he tore his clothes. 12 And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and k Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and l Achbor the son of l Micaiah, and Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying, 13 "Go, inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is m the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us."

14 So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of n Tikvah, son of n Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in o the Second Quarter), and they talked with her. 15 And she said to them, "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: 'Tell the man who sent you to me, 16 Thus says the Lord, Behold, I will bring disaster upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the words of the book that the king of Judah has read. 17 p Because they have forsaken me and have made offerings to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore m my wrath will be kindled against this place, and it will not be quenched. 18 But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, thus shall you say to him, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Regarding the words that you have heard, 19 q because your heart was penitent, and you r humbled yourself before the Lord, when you heard how I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they should become s a desolation and t a curse, and you u have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the Lord. 20 Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and v you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring upon this place.'" And they brought back word to the king.

  1. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 34:1 - 2
    Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem.
  2. Cross References
    Joshua 15:39
    Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon.
  3. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 5:32
    You shall be careful therefore to do as the Lord your God has commanded you. You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.
  4. Cross References
    2 Kings 12:10
    And whenever they saw that there was much money in the chest, the king's secretary and the high priest came up and they bagged and counted the money that was found in the house of the Lord.
  5. Cross References
    2 Kings 12:4
    Jehoash said to the priests, "All the money of the holy things that is brought into the house of the Lord, the money for which each man is assessed - the money from the assessment of persons - and the money that a man's heart prompts him to bring into the house of the Lord.
  6. Cross References
    2 Kings 12:9
    Then Jehoiada the priest took a chest and bored a hole in the lid of it and set it beside the altar on the right side as one entered the house of the Lord. And the priests who guarded the threshold put in it all the money that was brought into the house of the Lord.
  7. Cross References
    2 Kings 12:11 - 12
    Then they would give the money that was weighed out into the hands of the workmen who had the oversight of the house of the Lord. And they paid it out to the carpenters and the builders who worked on the house of the Lord.
    2 Kings 12:14
    For that was given to the workmen who were repairing the house of the Lord with it.
  8. Cross References
    2 Kings 12:15
    And they did not ask an accounting from the men into whose hand they delivered the money to pay out to the workmen, for they dealt honestly.
  9. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 31:24 - 26
    When Moses had finished writing the words of this law in a book to the very end.
    2 Chronicles 34:14
    While they were bringing out the money that had been brought into the house of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the Lord given through Moses.
  10. Cross References
    Joshua 7:6
    Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel. And they put dust on their heads.
  11. Cross References
    2 Kings 25:22
    And over the people who remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, he appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, governor.
    Jeremiah 26:24
    But the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah so that he was not given over to the people to be put to death.
    Jeremiah 39:14
    Sent and took Jeremiah from the court of the guard. They entrusted him to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, that he should take him home. So he lived among the people.
    Jeremiah 40:5
    If you remain, then return to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon appointed governor of the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people. Or go wherever you think it right to go." So the captain of the guard gave him an allowance of food and a present, and let him go.
  12. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 34:20
    And the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying.
  13. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 34:20
    And the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying.
  14. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 29:27
    Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against this land, bringing upon it all the curses written in this book.
  15. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 34:22
    So Hilkiah and those whom the king had sent went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter) and spoke to her to that effect.
  16. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 34:22
    So Hilkiah and those whom the king had sent went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter) and spoke to her to that effect.
  17. Cross References
    Zephaniah 1:10
    On that day," declares the Lord, "a cry will be heard from the Fish Gate, a wail from the Second Quarter, a loud crash from the hills.
  18. Cross References
    2 Kings 21:22
    He abandoned the Lord, the God of his fathers, and did not walk in the way of the Lord.
    Deuteronomy 29:25 - 26
    Then people will say, 'It is because they abandoned the covenant of the Lord, the God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.
  19. Cross References
    2 Kings 22:13
    "Go, inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us."
  20. Cross References
    Psalms 51:17
    The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
    Isaiah 57:15
    For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.
  21. Cross References
    1 Kings 21:29
    "Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son's days I will bring the disaster upon his house."
  22. Cross References
    Leviticus 26:31 - 32
    And I will lay your cities waste and will make your sanctuaries desolate, and I will not smell your pleasing aromas.
    2 Chronicles 30:7
    Do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who were faithless to the Lord God of their fathers, so that he made them a desolation, as you see.
    Jeremiah 25:18
    Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, its kings and officials, to make them a desolation and a waste, a hissing and a curse, as at this day.
    Jeremiah 44:22
    The Lord could no longer bear your evil deeds and the abominations that you committed. Therefore your land has become a desolation and a waste and a curse, without inhabitant, as it is this day.
    Micah 6:16
    For you have kept the statutes of Omri, and all the works of the house of Ahab; and you have walked in their counsels, that I may make you a desolation, and your inhabitants a hissing; so you shall bear the scorn of my people.
  23. Cross References
    Jeremiah 24:9
    I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a reproach, a byword, a taunt, and a curse in all the places where I shall drive them.
    Jeremiah 26:6
    Then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth.'
    Jeremiah 44:22
    The Lord could no longer bear your evil deeds and the abominations that you committed. Therefore your land has become a desolation and a waste and a curse, without inhabitant, as it is this day.
  24. Cross References
    2 Kings 22:11
    When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes.
  25. Cross References
    Psalms 37:37
    Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace.
    Isaiah 57:1 - 2
    The righteous man perishes, and no one lays it to heart; devout men are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from calamity.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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