2 Chronicles 34:17-33

34:17 They melted down the silver in the Lord’s temple ¹  and handed it over to the supervisors of the construction foremen.” 34:18 Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a scroll.” Shaphan read it out loud before the king. 34:19 When the king heard the words of the law scroll, he tore his clothes. 34:20 The king ordered Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, ²  Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, 34:21 “Go, seek an oracle from ³  the Lord for me and those who remain in Israel and Judah. Find out about ⁴  the words of this scroll that has been discovered. For the Lord’s fury has been ignited against us, ⁵  because our ancestors ⁶  have not obeyed the word of the Lord by doing all that this scroll instructs!” ⁷ 

34:22 So Hilkiah and the others sent by the king ⁸  went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, ⁹  the supervisor of the wardrobe. ¹⁰  (She lived in Jerusalem in the Mishneh ¹¹  district.) They stated their business, ¹²  34:23 and she said to them: “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘Say this to the man who sent you to me: 34:24 “This is what the Lord says: ‘I am about to bring disaster on this place and its residents, the details of which are recorded in the scroll which they read before the king of Judah. 34:25 This will happen because they have abandoned me and offered sacrifices ¹³  to other gods, angering me with all the idols they have made. ¹⁴  My anger will ignite against this place and will not be extinguished!’” 34:26 Say this to the king of Judah, who sent you to seek an oracle from the Lord: “This is what the Lord God of Israel says concerning the words you have heard: 34:27 ‘You displayed a sensitive spirit ¹⁵  and humbled yourself before God when you heard his words concerning this place and its residents. You humbled yourself before me, tore your clothes and wept before me, and I have heard you,’ says the Lord. 34:28 ‘Therefore I will allow you to die and be buried in peace. ¹⁶  You will not have to witness all the disaster I will bring on this place and its residents.’”’” Then they reported back to the king.

34:29 The king summoned all the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem. ¹⁷  34:30 The king went up to the Lord’s temple, accompanied by all the people of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem, the priests, and the Levites. All the people were there, from the oldest to the youngest. He read aloud all the words of the scroll of the covenant that had been discovered in the Lord’s temple. 34:31 The king stood by his pillar ¹⁸  and renewed ¹⁹  the covenant before the Lord, agreeing to follow ²⁰  the Lord and to obey his commandments, laws, and rules with all his heart and being, ²¹  by carrying out the terms ²²  of this covenant recorded on this scroll. 34:32 He made all who were in Jerusalem and Benjamin agree to it. ²³  The residents of Jerusalem acted in accordance with the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors. 34:33 Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the areas belonging to the Israelites and encouraged ²⁴  all who were in Israel to worship the Lord their God. Throughout the rest of his reign ²⁵  they did not turn aside from following the Lord God of their ancestors.

[34:17]  ¹ tn Heb “that was found in the house of the Lord.”

[34:20]  ² tn The parallel account in 2 Kgs 22:12 has the variant spelling “Acbor son of Micaiah.”

[34:21]  ³ tn Or “inquire of.”

[34:21]  ⁴ tn Heb “concerning.”

[34:21]  ⁵ tn Heb “for great is the anger of the Lord which has been ignited against us.”

[34:21]  ⁶ tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 32, 33).

[34:21]  ⁷ tn Heb “by doing according to all that is written on this scroll.”

[34:22]  ⁸ tn Heb “and those who [were sent by] the king.”

[34:22]  ⁹ tn The parallel account in 2 Kgs 22:14 has the variant spelling “son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas.”

[34:22]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “the keeper of the clothes.”

[34:22]  ¹¹ tn Or “second.” For a discussion of the possible location of this district, see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 283.

[34:22]  ¹² tn Heb “and they spoke to her like this.”

[34:25]  ¹³ tn Or “burned incense.”

[34:25]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “angering me with all the work of their hands.” The present translation assumes this refers to idols they have manufactured (note the preceding reference to “other gods”). However, it is possible that this is a general reference to their sinful practices, in which case one might translate, “angering me by all the things they do.”

[34:27]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “Because your heart was tender.”

[34:28]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “Therefore, behold, I am gathering you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your tomb in peace.”

[34:29]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “and the king sent and gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.”

[34:31]  ¹⁸ tc This assumes an emendation to עַמּוּדוֹ (’ammudo), see 23:13. The MT reads “at his place.”

[34:31]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “cut,” that is, “made” or “agreed to.”

[34:31]  ²⁰ tn Heb “walk after.”

[34:31]  ²¹ tn Or “soul.”

[34:31]  ²² tn Heb “words.”

[34:32]  ²³ tn Heb “and he caused to stand everyone who was found in Jerusalem and Benjamin.”

[34:33]  ²⁴ tn Or “caused, forced.”

[34:33]  ²⁵ tn Heb “all his days.”