2He did what was right in the sight of the LORD. He walked in the ways of David his father, and turned aside neither to the right hand nor to the left.
3In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of David his father. In the twelfth year he began to clear Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the groves, the carved images and the metal images.
4They broke down the altars of the Baals while he watched. He cut down the sun images that stood high above them. He broke the groves, the carved images and the metal images in pieces, ground them to dust, and scattered the dust on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
6He did the same in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim and Simeon, and as far as Naphtali, with their tools, all around.
7When he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the carved images into powder, and had cut down all the idols throughout the whole land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.
8In the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had cleansed the land and the house, he sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God.
9They came to Hilkiah the high priest and handed over the money that had been brought into the house of God. The Levites who kept the doors had collected it from Manasseh and Ephraim, and from all who were left of Israel, and from all Judah and Benjamin; and they returned to Jerusalem.
10They gave it to the workmen who had charge of the house of the LORD, and these gave it to the workmen who worked in the house of the LORD, to repair and mend the house.
11They gave it to the craftsmen and builders, to buy cut stone, and timber for beams, and to put floors in the buildings which the kings of Judah had let fall into ruin.
12The men did the work faithfully. Their overseers were Jahath and Obadiah, Levites of the sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to keep the work moving; and others of the Levites, all who were skilled with musical instruments.
13They were also over those who carried loads, and they oversaw everyone who did any kind of work. Some of the Levites were scribes, some officers, and some gatekeepers.
14When they brought out the money that had been brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the LORD given by Moses.
15Hilkiah said to Shaphan the scribe, "I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD." And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan.
16Shaphan carried the book to the king, and brought word back to him, saying, "Your servants are doing everything that was given them to do."
17"They have gathered up the money that was found in the house of the LORD, and have handed it over to the overseers and to the workmen."
18Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." And Shaphan read it in front of the king.
19When the king heard the words of the law, he tore his clothes.
20The king gave a command to Hilkiah, and Ahikam son of Shaphan, and Abdon son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king. He said,
21"Go and ask the LORD for me, and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, about the words of the book that has been found. For great is the anger of the LORD that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do everything that is written in this book."
22So Hilkiah and those the king had appointed went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum son of Tikvath, son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe. (She lived in Jerusalem, in the college.) And they spoke to her about this.
23She answered them, "This is what the LORD God of Israel says: Tell the man who sent you to me,"
24this is what the LORD says: Look, I will bring disaster on this place and on those who live here, all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah.
25They have left me, and have burned incense to other gods, and so have stirred me to anger with everything their hands have made. Therefore my anger will be poured out on this place, and it will not be put out.
26But to the king of Judah, who sent you to ask the LORD, you are to say this: This is what the LORD God of Israel says about the words which you have heard:
27your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and against those who live here. You humbled yourself before me, and tore your clothes, and wept before me. So I also have heard you, says the LORD.
28"Look, I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster that I will bring on this place and on those who live here." So they brought word back to the king.
30The king went up to the house of the LORD, with all the men of Judah, and the people who lived in Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, great and small. He read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant that had been found in the house of the LORD.
31The king stood in his place and made a covenant before the LORD, to follow the LORD and to keep his commandments, his testimonies and his statutes with all his heart and with all his soul, and to carry out the words of the covenant that are written in this book.
32He made everyone who was present in Jerusalem and Benjamin stand by it. And the people of Jerusalem did as the covenant of God, the God of their fathers, required.
33Josiah took away all the detestable things out of all the lands that belonged to the children of Israel, and made all who were present in Israel serve the LORD their God. All his days they did not turn away from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.