Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign; and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. 2He did that which was right in the eyes of YAHWEH1, and walked in all the way of Dawud2 his father, and did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.
3It happened in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the House of YAHWEH, saying, 4“Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may count the money which has been brought into the House of YAHWEH, which the keepers of the threshold have gathered from the people: 5and let them deliver it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the House of YAHWEH; and let them give it to the workmen who are in the House of YAHWEH, to repair the breaches of the house, 6to the carpenters, and to the builders, and to the masons, and for buying timber and hewn stone to repair the House.” 7However there was no accounting made of the money that was delivered into their hand; for they dealt faithfully.
8Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the Book of the Taurat3 in the House of YAHWEH!” Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan, and he read it. 9Shaphan the scribe came to the king, and brought the king word again, and said, “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 YAHWEH.” 10Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” Shaphan read it before the king.
11It happened, when the king had heard the words of the Book of the Taurat, that he tore his clothes. 12The king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam son of Shaphan, and Achbor son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying, 13“Go, inquire of YAHWEH 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 YAHWEH that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not listened to the words of this book, to do according to all that which is written concerning us.”
14So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the second quarter); and they talked with her. 15She said to them, “Thus says YAHWEH, the God of Israel: Tell the man who sent you to me, 16Thus says YAHWEH, ‘Behold, I will bring evil on this place, and on its inhabitants, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read. 17Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and it shall not be quenched.’ 18But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of YAHWEH, thus shall you tell him, ‘Thus says YAHWEH, the God of Israel: Concerning the words which you have heard, 19because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before YAHWEH, when you heard what I spoke against this place, and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and have torn your clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard you,’ says YAHWEH. 20‘Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, neither shall your eyes see all the evil which I will bring on this place.'” They brought back word to the king.
- 22:2 YAHWEH, God’s personal Name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15: ‘God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”’ ↩︎
- 22:2 Dawud, this Arabic name is derived from David (Hebrew) and means “Beloved.” ↩︎
- 22:8 Taurat, this Arabic term is derived from the Hebrew word Torah, which means “instruction” or “teaching.” Depending on context, Taurat can refer to,
1. The whole Hebrew Bible contained here under the title Taurat, equivalent to what Jews today call Tanakh, and what Christians call the Old Testament.
2. The revelation given to Prophet Musa, that is, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, sometimes called the Pentateuch. Pentateuch is a Greek word meaning “five books” and includes Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. These five books are attributed to Prophet Musa himself. This is the traditional and most common meaning given to Taurat or Torah.
3. The Law of Musa found within the Pentateuch, with its hundreds of rules and regulations covering many aspects of daily life for the people of Israel. The most famous of these laws are the Ten Commandments, found in Exodus 20. ↩︎