Young King Josiah Removes the Idols & the Places They Were Worshiped |
2 Chronicles 34:1-33 2 Chronicles in [Smaller Chunks] |
Josiah was 8 years old when he began to [rule] & he [ruled] in Jerusalem 31 years. And [Josiah] did [what] was right in the sight of the Lord [God] & [followed] in the ways of David, his [forefather.] He [didn’t turn aside] to the right hand, nor to the left. |
While he was [still] young, in the 8th year he [ruled, Josaiah] began to seek the [Lord] God of David, his [forefather.] In the 12th year, [Josiah] began to [get rid of] the high places, groves, carved images & [molded] images from Judah & Jerusalem. |
[2 Kings 21:21-22 And [Manasseh] [Josiah's father] [followed] in all the [ways] that his father [followed] in & served the idols, that his father served & worshiped them: and he [abandoned] the Lord God of his [forefathers] & didn’t [follow] in the way of the the Lord.] |
And they [broke] down the altars of Baalim, the images that were high above them, & he cut down the groves & the carved images & [molded] images in [Josiah’s] presence & he [broke] them into pieces, [like] dust & [sprinkled] it upon the graves of [those who] sacrificed to them. |
[Josiah] burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars & cleansed Judah & Jerusalem. And [Josaiah] did [the same] in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon & even Naphtali, with their [tools with picks & blades, around them.] |
And when [Josiah] had broken down the altars & the groves & had beaten the [carved] images into powder & cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, [Josaiah] returned to Jerusalem. |
Now, in the 18th year [Josiah ruled,] when he had purged the land & the [Lord’s] house, [Josaiah] sent Shaphan, [Azaliah’s] son; Maaseiah, the governor, [a.k.a. the city’s ruler;] & Joah, [Joahaz’] son, the recorder, to repair the house of the Lord his God. |
And when they came to Hilkiah, the high priest & delivered the money that was brought into the house of God, [that] the Levites, [who] kept the doors had gathered [from] the [hands] of the [tribes of:] Manasseh, Ephraim & all the [rest] of Israel, all Judah & Benjamin. And they returned to Jerusalem. |
And they put [the money into] the [hands] of the workmen [who] had oversight of the house of the Lord [God.] And they gave [the money] to the workmen [who worked] in the [Lord’s] house, to repair & [restore] the house. |
[They also gave money to the carpenters] & builders to buy [cut] stone & [lumber] for [the beams] & to floor the [buildings that] the kings of Judah had destroyed. |
And the men [worked] faithfully [under the supervision] of Jahath & Obadiah, the Levites, of the [descendants] of: Merari, Zechariah & Meshullam, [from] the [descendants] of Kohathites, [to move the work] forward & other Levites, all [who were skillful with musical] instruments. |
They were also [in charge of those who carried] burdens & [supervised those who did] the work in any [type] of service & there were scribes, officers & [door keepers] of the Levites. |
And when they brought out the money that [had been] brought into the [Lord’s] house, Hilkiah, the priest, found [the] Book of the Law of the Lord, given by Moses. |
And Hilkiah said to Shaphan, the scribe, I have found the Book of the Law in the [Lord’s] house. And Hilkiah [gave] the book to Shaphan & Shaphan carried the book to king [Josaiah] & [brought] back word again, saying, All your servants [are doing what] was [appointed for them to do.] |
And they have gathered together the money that was found in the house of the Lord & delivered it into the [hands of those who have oversight & into the hands] of the workmen. |
Then, Shaphan, the scribe told king [Josiah,] saying, Hilkiah, the priest, has given me a book. Shaphan read it [in front of] king [Josaiah.] And it [happened,] when the king heard the words of the Law, he [tore] his clothes. |
And king [Josiah] commanded Hilkiah; Ahikam, [Shaphan's] son; Abdon, [Micah's] son; Shaphan, the scribe & Asaiah, the [king's] servant, saying, Go [inquire] of the Lord for me & for [those who] are left in Israel & Judah, [about] the words of the book that is found. |
For great is the [anger] of the Lord that is poured out upon us, because our [forefathers] haven't kept the Word of the Lord, to do all that is written in this book. |
And Hilkiah & [those] the king had appointed, went to Huldah, the prophetess, the wife of Shallum, [who was] the son of Tikvath. [Tikvath was the] son of Hasrah, [the] keeper of the wardrobe. (Now, [Huldah lived] in Jerusalem in the college:) & they [spoke] to her [about what Josiah wanted her to know.] |
And she answered them, The Lord God of Israel [says this,] Tell the man [who] sent you to me, The Lord [God said this, Watch,] I will bring [destruction] on this place & upon [its] inhabitants, even all the curses that are written in the book [that] they have read before the king of Judah: |
Because they have [abandoned] Me & have burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works [made] of their hands. Therefore, My [anger] shall be poured out upon this place & shall not be quenched. |
[Jeremiah 21:9 Then, they shall answer, Because they have [abandoned] the Covenant [contract] of the Lord, their God & worshiped other gods & served them.] |
As for [Judah’s] king, who sent you to [inquire] of the Lord, you shall say to him, the Lord God of Israel says [this about] the words you have heard; Because your heart was tender & you [humbled] yourself before God, when you heard His Words against this place & [its] inhabitants, |
and [humbled] yourself before Me & [tore] your clothes & [wept] before Me, I have even heard you also, [said] the Lord. [Look,] I will gather you to join your [forefathers] to the grave in peace. |
Neither shall your eyes see all the [destruction] that I will bring upon this place & [its] inhabitants. So, they brought [this] word to king [Josaiah.] Then, king [Josaiah,] sent [for] & gathered together all the elders of Judah & Jerusalem. |
And king [Josaiah] & all the men of Judah & the inhabitants of Jerusalem & the priests & Levites & all the people [powerful & powerless] went up into the [Lord's] house. |
And [king Josiah,] read in their ears all the Words of the Book of the Covenant [contract] that was found in the [Lord's] house. And the king stood in his place & made a covenant [contract] before the Lord, |
to [follow] after the Lord & to keep His commandments, His testimonies, & His [mandates,] with all his heart & with all his soul & to perform the Words of the covenant [that] are written in this book. |
And [king Josaiah] caused all [who] were present [from] Jerusalem & Benjamin to [stick] to it. And all [Jerusalem's] inhabitants did according to the Covenant of God, the God of their [forefathers.] |
And Josaiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children [people] of Israel & made all [who] were present in Israel to serve the Lord their God. And all [Josiah's] days, they [didn't] depart from following the Lord, the God of their [forefathers.] |