King Josiah of Judah
(2 Kings 22.12 2)1 Josiah was eight years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled in Jerusalem for thirty-one years. 2 He did what was pleasing to the Lord; he followed the example of his ancestor King David, strictly obeying all the laws of God.
Josiah Attacks Pagan Worship
3 In the eighth year that Josiah was king, while he was still very young, he began to worship the God of his ancestor King David. Four years later he began to destroy the pagan places of worship, the symbols of the goddess Asherah, and all the other idols. 4 Under his direction the altars where Baal was worshiped were smashed, and the incense altars near them were torn down. They ground to dust the images of Asherah and all the other idols and then scattered the dust on the graves of the people who had sacrificed to them. 5 He burned the bones of the pagan priests on the altars where they had worshiped. By doing all this, he made Judah and Jerusalem ritually clean again. 6 He did the same thing in the cities and the devastated areas of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, and as far north as Naphtali. 7 Throughout the territory of the Northern Kingdom he smashed the altars and the symbols of Asherah, ground the idols to dust, and broke into bits all the incense altars. Then he returned to Jerusalem.
The Book of the Law Is Discovered
(2 Kings 22.3-20)8 In the eighteenth year of his reign, after he had purified the land and the Temple by ending pagan worship, King Josiah sent three men to repair the Temple of the Lord God: Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah, the governor of Jerusalem, and Joah son of Joahaz, a high official. 9 The money that the Levite guards had collected in the Temple was turned over to Hilkiah the High Priest. (It had been collected from the people of Ephraim and Manasseh and the rest of the Northern Kingdom, and from the people of Judah, Benjamin, and Jerusalem.) 10 This money was then handed over to the three men in charge of the Temple repairs, and they gave it to 11 the carpenters and the builders to buy the stones and the timber used to repair the buildings that the kings of Judah had allowed to decay. 12 The men who did the work were thoroughly honest. They were supervised by four Levites: Jahath and Obadiah of the clan of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam of the clan of Kohath. (The Levites were all skillful musicians.) 13 Other Levites were in charge of transporting materials and supervising the workers on various jobs, and others kept records or served as guards.
14 While the money was being taken out of the storeroom, Hilkiah found the book of the Law of the Lord, the Law that God had given to Moses. 15 He said to Shaphan, “I have found the book of the Law here in the Temple.” He gave Shaphan the book, 16 and Shaphan took it to the king. He reported, “We have done everything that you commanded. 17 We have taken the money that was kept in the Temple and handed it over to the workers and their supervisors.” 18 Then he added, “I have here a book that Hilkiah gave me.” And he read it aloud to the king.
19 When the king heard the book being read, he tore his clothes in dismay 20 and gave the following order to Hilkiah, to Ahikam son of Shaphan, to Abdon son of Micaiah, to Shaphan, the court secretary, and to Asaiah, the king's attendant: 21 “Go and consult the Lord for me and for the people who still remain in Israel and Judah. Find out about the teachings of this book. The Lord is angry with us because our ancestors have not obeyed the word of the Lord and have not done what this book says must be done.”
22 At the king's command, Hilkiah and the others went to consult a woman named Huldah, a prophet who lived in the newer part of Jerusalem. (Her husband Shallum, the son of Tikvah and grandson of Harhas, was in charge of the Temple robes.) They described to her what had happened, 23 and she told them to go back to the king and give him 24 the following message from the Lord: “I am going to punish Jerusalem and all its people with the curses written in the book that was read to the king. 25 They have rejected me and have offered sacrifices to other gods, and so have stirred up my anger by all they have done. My anger is aroused against Jerusalem, and it will not die down. 26 As for the king himself, this is what I, the Lord God of Israel, say: You listened to what is written in the book, 27 and you repented and humbled yourself before me, tearing your clothes and weeping, when you heard how I threatened to punish Jerusalem and its people. I have heard your prayer, 28 and the punishment which I am going to bring on Jerusalem will not come until after your death. I will let you die in peace.”
The men returned to King Josiah with this message.
Josiah Makes a Covenant to Obey the Lord
(2 Kings 23.1-20)29 King Josiah summoned all the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, 30 and together they went to the Temple, accompanied by the priests and the Levites and all the rest of the people, rich and poor alike. Before them all the king read aloud the whole book of the covenant, which had been found in the Temple. 31 He stood by the royal column and made a covenant with the Lord to obey him, to keep his laws and commands with all his heart and soul, and to put into practice the demands attached to the covenant, as written in the book. 32 He made the people of Benjamin and everyone else present in Jerusalem promise to keep the covenant. And so the people of Jerusalem obeyed the requirements of the covenant they had made with the God of their ancestors. 33 King Josiah destroyed all the disgusting idols that were in the territory belonging to the people of Israel, and as long as he lived, he required the people to serve the Lord, the God of their ancestors.
Jošijāhu valdīšana
(2Ķēn 22:1–2)1 Jošijāhu sāka valdīt astoņu gadu vecumā, viņš valdīja Jeruzālemē trīsdesmit vienu gadu. 2 Viņš darīja to, kas tīkams Kungam, un staigāja sava tēva Dāvida ceļus – nenovērsās ne pa labi, ne pa kreisi.
3 Savas valdīšanas astotajā gadā, būdams vēl zēns, viņš sāka pievērsties sava tēva Dāvida Dievam, un divpadsmitajā gadā viņš sāka attīrīt Jūdu un Jeruzālemi no augstieņu altāriem, ašērām, elku stabiem un lietiem tēliem. 4 Viņa vadībā tie nojauca baālu altārus un nocirta saules stabus, kas tur bija uzslieti. Ašēras, elku stabus un lietos tēlus viņš sadauzīja, saberza putekļos un izkaisīja uz to kapenēm, kuri tiem bija upurējuši. 5 Viņš arī dedzināja elku priesteru kaulus viņu altāros, šķīstīdams Jūdu un Jeruzālemi. 6 No Manases, Efraima un Šimona pilsētām līdz pat Naftālī un visapkārt to drupām 7 viņš nojauca altārus, ašēras, elku stabus un satrieca tos pīšļos, kā arī nocirta visus saules stabus, tāpat viņš darīja visā Israēla zemē – pēc tam viņš atgriezās Jeruzālemē.
Priesteris Hilkija atrod bauslības grāmatu
(2Ķēn 22:3–20)8 Astoņpadsmitajā valdīšanas gadā, kad viņš bija šķīstījis zemi un templi, viņš sūtīja Šāfānu, Acaljāhu dēlu, un pilsētas augstmani Maasejāhu un lietvedi Joāhu, Jehoāhāza dēlu, lai atjauno Kunga, viņa Dieva, namu. 9 Viņi atnāca pie augstā priestera Hilkijas un atdeva Dieva namam ziedoto naudu, ko levīti durvju sargi bija savākuši no Manases, Efraima un visiem Israēla atlikušajiem, kā arī no Jūdas, Benjāmina un Jeruzālemē mītošajiem. 10 Naudu tie nodeva Kunga nama darbu pārraugiem, bet tie to deva Kunga nama strādniekiem, lai atjauno un salabo namu. 11 Naudu deva amatniekiem un mūrniekiem, lai tie pērk tēstus akmeņus, kokus sijām un baļķus celtnēm, kuras bija sapostījuši Jūdas ķēniņi. 12 Vīri visus darbus veica uzticīgi, tos pārraudzīja un vadīja levīti Jahats un Obadjāhu no Merārī dēliem, Zeharja un Mešullāms no Kehāta dēliem. Visi levīti, kas prata muzicēt, 13 vadīja nastu nesējus un strādniekus no darba pie darba, bet daži levīti bija rakstveži, ierēdņi un vārtu sargi.
14 Laikā, kad tika izmaksāta Kunga namā ienākusī nauda, priesteris Hilkija atrada Mozus doto Kunga bauslības grāmatu. 15 Hilkija uzrunāja rakstvedi Šāfānu, sacīdams: “Es atradu Kunga namā bauslības grāmatu!” Hilkija grāmatu iedeva Šāfānam. 16 Šāfāns aiznesa grāmatu ķēniņam un paziņoja: “Visu, ko tu pavēlēji savam kalpam, viņi ir paveikuši – 17 ņēmuši naudu, kas bija Kunga namā un devuši to pārraugiem un strādniekiem.” 18 Tālab rakstvedis Šāfāns sacījis ķēniņam: “Priesteris Hilkija iedeva man grāmatu!” Un Šāfāns lasīja to ķēniņam priekšā.
19 Kad ķēniņš dzirdēja bauslības grāmatas vārdus, viņš saplēsa savas drānas. 20 Ķēniņš pavēlēja Hilkijam un Ahīkāmam, Šāfāna dēlam, Abdonam, Mihas dēlam, un rakstvedim Šāfānam, un ķēniņa kalpam Asājam: 21 “Ejiet iztaujāt Kungu par mani, atlikušo Israēlu un Jūdu! Atrastās grāmatas vārdos ir jo lielas Kunga dusmas – tās izlīs pār mums, jo mūsu tēvi nav ievērojuši Kunga vārdus un nav darījuši visu, kas rakstīts šajā grāmatā!”
Ķēniņa sūtņi vēršas pie pravietes Huldas
22 Hilkija un ķēniņa sūtītie devās pie pravietes Huldas, tērpu pārziņa Šallūma, Tokhata dēla, Hasras dēla, sievas, kas dzīvoja Jeruzālemes nomalē, un runāja ar viņu. 23 Viņa tiem teica: “Tā saka Kungs, Israēla Dievs: sakiet vīram, kurš jūs sūtīja pie manis: 24 tā saka Kungs: redzi, pār šo vietu un tās iemītniekiem nāks ļaunums – visi lāsti, kas grāmatā, ko lasīja priekšā Jūdas ķēniņam. 25 Tāpēc ka viņi mani pameta un kvēpināja citiem dieviem, sadusmodami mani ar saviem roku darinājumiem, es izliešu savu dusmu versmi pār šo vietu, un tā nedzisīs! 26 Sakiet Jūdas ķēniņam, kurš jūs sūtīja iztaujāt Kungu, tā sakiet viņam: tā saka Kungs, Israēla Dievs, par vārdiem, kurus tu dzirdēji: 27 tāpēc ka tava sirds ir jūtīga un tu zemojies Dievam, izdzirdējis viņa vārdus par šo vietu un tās iemītniekiem, – zemojies man, saplēsi savas drānas un raudāji, tāpēc es tevi uzklausīšu! – saka Kungs. 28 Es tevi piepulcināšu taviem tēviem, un tevi mierā guldīs kapenēs, tavas acis neskatīs visu šo ļaunumu, ko es uzsūtīšu šai vietai un tās iemītniekiem!” Šos vārdus viņi atstāstīja ķēniņam.
Derības atjaunošana
(2Ķēn 23:1–20)29 Ķēniņš lika sapulcināt visus Jūdas un Jeruzālemes vecajos. 30 Ķēniņš devās uz Kunga namu un kopā ar viņu visi Jūdas vīri, Jeruzālemes iemītnieki, priesteri, levīti un visa tauta no liela līdz mazam. Viņš lasīja tiem priekšā visus Kunga namā atrastās derības grāmatas vārdus. 31 Ķēniņš stāvēja uz paaugstinājuma un Kunga priekšā noslēdza derību – ka no visas sirds un dvēseles sekos Kungam, turēs viņa baušļus, liecības un likumus, lai tiktu pildīti šajā grāmatā rakstītie derības vārdi. 32 Tā viņš iekļāva derībā visus, kas bija Jeruzālemē un Benjāminā. Jeruzālemes iemītnieki darīja, kā noteikts derībā ar Dievu, viņu tēvu Dievu! 33 Jošijāhu aizvāca visas preteklības no Israēla dēlu robežām, un visam Israēlam viņš lika kalpot Kungam, viņu Dievam. Visu mūžu viņš nenovērsās no Kunga, savu tēvu Dieva.
