Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. Jer 1:2Zep 1:11Ch 3:14-151Ki 13:21Ki 3:7-91Sa 2:181Sa 2:262Ch 24:1 He did that which was right in the LORD’s eyes, and walked in the ways of David his father, and didn’t turn away to the right hand or to the left. 2Ch 29:2Jos 1:71Ki 14:81Ki 15:52Ch 14:22Ch 17:3Deu 28:14Deu 5:32 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, the Asherah poles, the engraved images, and the molten images. 2Ch 33:222Ch 15:22Ch 33:17Pro 8:171Ch 22:51Ch 28:91Ch 29:11Ki 13:2 They broke down the altars of the Baals in his presence; and he cut down the incense altars that were on high above them. He broke the Asherah poles, the engraved images, and the molten images in pieces, made dust of them, and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. Exo 32:202Ki 23:4-6Lev 26:302Ch 14:52Ch 33:32Ch 34:72Ki 10:26-272Ki 23:11-12 He burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and purged Judah and Jerusalem. 1Ki 13:22Ch 34:72Ki 23:162Ki 23:20Ezk 22:24Jer 3:10Jer 4:14Jer 8:1-2 He did this in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, even to Naphtali, around in their ruins. 1Sa 13:20-212Ch 30:12Ch 30:10-112Ch 31:12Ki 23:15-20Isa 7:25Pro 25:18 He broke down the altars, beat the Asherah poles and the engraved images into powder, and cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel, then returned to Jerusalem. 2Ch 31:1Deu 9:212Ch 34:1
Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder to repair the house of the LORD his God. 2Sa 8:161Ch 18:152Ch 18:252Ki 22:3-202Sa 20:24Ezk 8:11Jer 1:2-3Jer 21:1 They came to Hilkiah the high priest and delivered the money that was brought into God’s house, which the Levites, the keepers of the threshold, had gathered from the hands of Manasseh, Ephraim, of all the remnant of Israel, of all Judah and Benjamin, and of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 2Ch 30:102Ch 30:182Ch 35:82Ch 24:11-142Ch 31:12Ch 34:14-152Ch 34:182Ch 34:20 They delivered it into the hands of the workmen who had the oversight of the LORD’s house; and the workmen who labored in the LORD’s house gave it to mend and repair the house. 2Ki 12:11-122Ki 12:142Ki 22:5-6Ezr 3:7 They gave it to the carpenters and to the builders to buy cut stone and timber for couplings, and to make beams for the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed. 2Ch 33:4-72Ch 33:22 The men did the work faithfully. Their overseers were Jahath and Obadiah the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to give direction; and others of the Levites, who were all skillful with musical instruments. 2Ki 12:151Ch 23:51Ch 15:16-221Ch 16:4-51Ch 16:411Ch 25:1-311Ch 6:31-481Co 4:2 Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and directed all who did the work in every kind of service. Of the Levites, there were scribes, officials, and gatekeepers. Neh 4:102Ch 2:181Ch 15:181Ch 16:381Ch 16:421Ch 23:4-51Ch 26:1-191Ch 26:29-30
When they brought out the money that was brought into the LORD’s house, Hilkiah the priest found the book of the LORD’s law given by Moses. 2Ch 12:12Ch 31:42Ch 34:92Ch 35:262Ki 22:8-20Deu 17:18-19Deu 31:24-26Ezr 7:10 Hilkiah answered Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the book of the law in the LORD’s house.” So Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan.
Shaphan carried the book to the king, and moreover brought back word to the king, saying, “All that was committed to your servants, they are doing. 2Ki 22:9-10Jer 36:20-21 They have emptied out the money that was found in the LORD’s house, and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers and into the hand of the workmen.” Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, “Hilkiah the priest has delivered me a book.” Shaphan read from it to the king. Deu 17:19Jer 36:20-21Jos 1:8Psa 119:46Psa 119:97-99
When the king had heard the words of the law, he tore his clothes. Jos 7:62Ki 19:12Ki 22:112Ki 22:19Deu 28:3-68Gal 2:19Gal 3:10-13Jer 36:22-24 The king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying, 2Ki 22:122Ki 25:22Jer 26:22Jer 26:24Jer 40:6Jer 40:9Jer 40:14 “Go inquire of the LORD for me, and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found; for great is the LORD’s wrath that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the LORD’s word, to do according to all that is written in this book.” 2Ch 28:6Ezk 14:1-11Jer 21:21Ki 22:5-71Sa 9:92Ch 29:82Ch 33:112Ki 17:6-7
So Hilkiah and those whom the king had commanded went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the second quarter), and they spoke to her to that effect. Exo 15:20Luk 2:362Ki 22:14Act 21:9Jdg 4:4Luk 1:41-45
She said to them, “The LORD, the God of Israel says: ‘Tell the man who sent you to me, 2Ki 22:15-20Jer 21:3-7Jer 37:7-10 “The LORD says, ‘Behold, I will bring evil on this place and on its inhabitants, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah. 2Ch 36:14-20Deu 28:15-68Jos 23:162Ki 21:122Ki 23:26-27Isa 5:4-6Jer 19:15Jer 19:3 Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands, therefore my wrath is poured out on this place, and it will not be quenched.’”’ Jer 7:20Mrk 9:43-48Nam 1:62Ch 12:22Ch 15:22Ch 33:3-92Ki 22:172Ki 24:3-4 But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, you shall tell him this, ‘The LORD, the God of Israel says: “About the words which you have heard, 2Ch 34:212Ch 34:23 because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and against its inhabitants, and have humbled yourself before me, and have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you,” says the LORD. 2Ch 32:26Ezk 9:4Psa 34:182Ch 33:122Ch 34:19Isa 65:242Ch 12:72Ch 32:12-13 “Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace. Your eyes won’t see all the evil that I will bring on this place and on its inhabitants.”’” Isa 39:8Psa 37:371Ki 21:292Ch 35:24Isa 57:1-2Jer 15:12Ki 20:192Ki 22:20
They brought back this message to the king.
Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 2Ki 23:1-31Ch 29:2-91Sa 12:232Ch 30:2Mrk 14:8 The king went up to the LORD’s house with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem—the priests, the Levites, and all the people, both great and small—and he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the LORD’s house. 2Ki 23:2Exo 24:72Ch 15:12-132Ch 17:7-92Ch 18:302Ch 34:152Ch 34:18-192Ch 34:24 The king stood in his place and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments, his testimonies, and his statutes with all his heart and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book. 2Ch 23:162Ch 15:122Ch 29:102Ch 6:132Ki 11:142Ki 23:32Ch 15:152Ch 30:16 He caused all who were found in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand. The inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. 2Ch 14:42Ch 29:292Ch 30:122Ch 33:16Ecc 8:2Gen 18:19Jer 3:10 Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that belonged to the children of Israel, and made all who were found in Israel to serve, even to serve the LORD their God. All his days they didn’t depart from following the LORD, the God of their fathers. 2Ch 34:3-7Jos 24:311Ki 11:5-72Ki 23:4-20Hos 6:4Jer 3:10