2 Chronicles 34 - Amplified Bible (AMP)

Josiah Succeeds Amon in Judah

34 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned for thirty-one years in Jerusalem. ²He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father (forefather) and did not turn aside either to the right or to the left. ³For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young (sixteen), he began to seek after and inquire of the God of his father David; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim, and the carved and cast images. ⁴They tore down the altars of the Baals in his presence; he cut to pieces the incense altars that were high above them; he also smashed the Asherim and the carved images and the cast images to pieces, and ground them to dust and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. ⁵Then Josiah burned the bones of the [pagan] priests on their altars and purged and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. ⁶In the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, and as far as Naphtali, in their surrounding ruins, ⁷he tore down the altars and beat and crushed the Asherim and the carved images into powder, and cut to pieces all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

Josiah Repairs the Temple

⁸In the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign, when he had purged the land and the [Lord’s] house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder (secretary), to repair the house of the Lord his God. ⁹When they came to Hilkiah the high priest, they delivered the money that had been brought into the house of God, which the Levites, who guarded the doors, had collected from Manasseh and Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Israel, and from all Judah and Benjamin, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. ¹⁰Then they gave it to the workmen who were appointed over the house of the Lord, and the workmen who were working in the house of the Lord gave it [to others] to repair and restore the house (temple). ¹¹They in turn gave it to the carpenters and builders to buy quarried stone and timber for couplings (trusses, braces) and to make beams for the houses which the kings of Judah had let go to ruin. ¹²The men did the work faithfully with foremen over them to supervise and inspect [their work]: Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites of the sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam of the sons of the Kohathites, and the Levites, all who were skillful with musical instruments. ¹³They were also in charge of the burden bearers [who carried heavy loads], and supervised all the workmen in any kind of service; and some of the Levites were scribes and officials and gatekeepers.

Hilkiah Discovers Lost Book of the Law

¹⁴When they were bringing out the money which had been brought into the house of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the Lord given by Moses. ¹⁵Hilkiah told Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.” And he gave the book to Shaphan. ¹⁶Shaphan brought the book to the king, but [first] reported further to him, “Your servants are doing everything that was entrusted to them. ¹⁷They have emptied out the money that was found in the house of the Lord, and have delivered it into the hands of the overseers and the workmen.” ¹⁸Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.

¹⁹When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his clothes. ²⁰Then the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king, saying, ²¹“Go, inquire of the Lord for me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah in regard to the words of the book which has been found; for great is the wrath of the Lord which has been poured out on us because our fathers have not kept and obeyed the word of the Lord, to act in accordance with everything that is written in this book.”

Huldah, the Prophetess, Speaks

²²So Hilkiah and those whom the king had told 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 about this. ²³And she answered them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘Tell the man who sent you to me, ²⁴thus says the Lord: “Behold, I am bringing evil on this place and on its inhabitants, all the curses that are written in the book which they have read in the presence of the king of Judah. ²⁵Because they have abandoned (rejected) Me and have burned incense to other gods, in order to provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands, ^[a]My wrath will be poured out on this place and it will not be extinguished.”’ ²⁶But you shall say the following to King Josiah of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord: ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel, concerning the words which you have heard, ²⁷“Because your heart was gentle and penitent and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and its inhabitants, and humbled yourself before Me, and tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you,” declares the Lord. ²⁸“Behold, I will gather you to your fathers [in death], and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the evil which I am going to bring on this place and on its inhabitants.”’” So they brought back word to the king.

²⁹Then the king sent word and gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. ³⁰And the king went up to the house of the Lord with all the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, the Levites, and all the people, from the greatest to the least; and he read aloud so they could hear all the words of the Book of the Covenant which was found in the house of the Lord.

Josiah’s Good Reign

³¹Then the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord—to walk after (obey) 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 written in this book. ³²Further, he made all who were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin stand [with him, in confirmation of it]. So the inhabitants of Jerusalem acted in accordance with the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. ³³Josiah removed all the [pagan] repulsive things from all the lands belonging to the sons (descendants) of Israel, and made all who were present in Israel serve the Lord their God. Throughout his lifetime they did not turn from following the Lord God of their fathers.

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 34:25 God’s wrath would “not be extinguished,” but that does not mean it would go on forever. It means it will consume all of what it was meant to consume.

2 Chronicles 34 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

34 A son of eight years [is] Josiah in his reigning, and thirty and one years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, 2 and he doth that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah, and walketh in the ways of David his father, and hath not turned aside -- right or left. 3 And in the eighth year of his reign (and he...
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2 Chronicles 34 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

34 Josiah was of eight years, when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years. 2 And he did that, that was rightful in the sight of the Lord; and went in the ways of David, his father, and bowed not to the right side, neither to the left side. 3 And in the eighth year of the...
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2 Chronicles 34 - World English Bible (WEB)

34 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. 2 He did that which was right in Yahweh’s eyes, and walked in the ways of David his father, and didn’t turn away to the right hand or to the left. 3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was...
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2 Chronicles 34 - The Voice (VOICE)

Amon’s horrible reign makes his burial unimportant. No one knows if his bones are with his ancestors in the kings’ tomb or outside the city walls with his father’s discarded altars and icons. With a reign as destructive as his, it is appropriate that, like his bones, Amon is forgotten.34 Josiah was ...
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2 Chronicles 34 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Josiah Restores the Temple34 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned 31 years in Jerusalem. 2 He did right in the eyes of Adonai, and walked in the ways of his father David. He did not turn aside to the right or to the left. 3 In the eighth year of his reign, while he was st...
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2 Chronicles 34 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Reign of Josiah34 Josi′ah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. 2 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father; and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left. 3 For in the eighth year of his re...
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2 Chronicles 34 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

2 Chronicles 34 - New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

Reign of Josiah34 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign; he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. 2 He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of his ancestor David; he did not turn aside to the right or to the left. 3 For in the eighth year of his reign, w...
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2 Chronicles 34 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition (NRSVACE)

Reign of Josiah34 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign; he reigned for thirty-one years in Jerusalem. 2 He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of his ancestor David; he did not turn aside to the right or to the left. 3 For in the eighth year of his reig...
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2 Chronicles 34 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

2 Chronicles 34 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Reign of Josiah34 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign; he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem.(A)2 He did what was right in the sight of the Lord and walked in the ways of his ancestor David; he did not turn aside to the right or to the left. 3 For in the eighth year of his reign, wh...
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2 Chronicles 34 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Josiah Rules in Judah34 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. 2 He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight and followed the example of his ancestor David. He did not turn away from doing what was right. 3 During the eighth year of his reign, ...
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2 Chronicles 34 - New Life Version (NLV)

Josiah Rules Judah34 Josiah was eight years old when he became king. And he ruled thirty-one years in Jerusalem. 2 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and walked in the ways of his father David. He did not turn aside to the right or to the left. 3 For in the eighth year of his rule whil...
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2 Chronicles 34 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Josiah Reigns in Judah(A)34 Josiah (B)was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. 2 And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. 3 For in the eighth ...
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2 Chronicles 34 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Josiah’s reforms34 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for thirty-one years. 2 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left. 3 In the eighth year of his reign, while he ...
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2 Chronicles 34 - New International Version (NIV)

Josiah’s Reforms(A)(B)(C)34 Josiah(D) was eight years old when he became king,(E) and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. 2 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed the ways of his father David,(F) not turning aside to the right or to the left. 3 In the eighth year of his rei...
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2 Chronicles 34 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Josiah Makes Judah a Better Nation34 Josiah was eight years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 31 years. 2 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He lived the way King David had lived. He didn’t turn away from it to the right or the left. 3 While he was still young, he began...
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2 Chronicles 34 - New English Translation (NET)

Josiah Institutes Religious Reforms34 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned for thirty-one years in Jerusalem. 2 He did what the Lord approved[a] and followed in his ancestor David’s footsteps;[b] he did not deviate to the right or the left. 3 In the eighth year of his reig...
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