Divrey Hayamim Bais 34

1. Yoshiyahu was 8 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Yerushalayim 31 shanah.

2. And he did that which was yashar in the eyes of Hashem, and walked in the ways of Dovid Aviv, and veered off neither right nor left.

3. For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet na’ar (young), he began to seek after Elohei Dovid Aviv; and in the twelfth year he began to make tahor Yehudah and Yerushalayim from the high places, and the Asherim, and the pesilim, and the massekhot (molten images).

4. And they demolished the mizbechot of Ba’alim in his presence; and the incense stands erected above them he smashed; and the Asherim, and the pesilim, and the massekhot he demolished and made dust of them, and scattered upon the keverim (graves) of them that had sacrificed unto them.

5. And he burned the atzmot of the Kohanim upon their mizbechot, and made tahor Yehudah and Yerushalayim.

6. And so did he in the towns of Menasheh, and Ephrayim, and Shim’on, even as far as Naphtali, and in their ruins all around.

7. And when he had broken down the mizbechot and the Asherim, and had beaten the pesilim into powder, and cut down all the incense stands throughout all Eretz Yisroel, he returned to Yerushalayim.

8. Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had made tahor HaAretz, and HaBeis, he sent Shaphan ben Atzalyahu, and Ma’aseiyahu the Sar HaIr, and Yoach ben Yo’achaz the recorder, to repair the Beis Hashem Elohav.

9. And when they came to Chilkiyahu the Kohen HaGadol, they delivered the kesef that was brought into the Beis Elohim, which the Levi’im, the Shomrei HaSaf (the Doorkeepers), had collected from the people of Menasheh and Ephrayim, and from kol She’erit Yisroel, and kol Yehudah and Binyamin, and they returned to Yerushalayim.

10. And they entrusted it into the yad oseh hamelachah (hand of the master workmen) that had hamufkadim (oversight) of the Beis Hashem, and they paid it to the workmen that wrought in the Beis Hashem, to repair and restore HaBeis [HaMikdash];

11. Even to the charashim (craftsmen, artisans) and builders gave they it, to buy quarried stones, and timber for rafters and beams, for the buildings which the Melachim of Yehudah had destroyed.

12. And the men did the melachah (work) be’emunah (faithfully, with integrity); and the mufkadim (overseers) of them were Yachat and Ovadyahu, the Levi’im, of the Bnei Merari; and Zecharyah and Meshullam, of the Bnei Kehati, to give oversight; and other of the Levi’im, all that were meiven (expert) in musical instruments.

13. Also they were over the sabalim (bearers of burdens) and the overseers of all that wrought the work in every kind of avodah; and of the Levi’im there were soferim (scribes), shoterim (officers) and sho’arim (doorkeepers).

14. And when they brought out the kesef that was brought into the Beis Hashem, Chilkiyahu HaKohen found a Sefer Torat Hashem given through Moshe.

15. And Chilkiyahu answered and said to Shaphan the Sofer, I have found the Sefer HaTorah in the Beis Hashem. And Chilkiyahu delivered the Sefer to Shaphan.

16. And Shaphan carried the Sefer to HaMelech, and brought HaMelech word back again, saying, All that was committed into the yad of avadim, they are doing.

17. And they have emptied out the kesef that was found in the Beis Hashem, and have entrusted it into the yad hamufkadim and to the yad osei hamelachah.

18. Then Shaphan the Sofer told HaMelech, saying, Chilkiyahu HaKohen hath given me a Sefer. And Shaphan read it in the presence of HaMelech.

19. And it came to pass, when HaMelech had heard the divrei HaTorah, that he tore his garments.

20. And HaMelech commanded Chilkiyahu, and Achikam ben Shaphan, and Avdon ben Michah, and Shaphan HaSofer, and Asayah eved HaMelech, saying,

21. Go, inquire of Hashem for me, and for them that are nishar (left, remaining, the remnant) in Yisroel and in Yehudah, concerning the divrei hasefer that is found; for gadolah chamat Hashem is poured out upon us, because Avoteinu have not been shomer over the Devar Hashem, to do after all that is written in HaSefer Hazeh.

22. And Chilkiyahu, and they that HaMelech had sent, went to Chuldah the neviah, the wife of Shallum ben Tokehat ben Chasrah, Shomer HaBegadim (Keeper of the Wardrobe) (now she dwelt in Yerushalayim in the Mishneh), and they spoke to her to this effect.

23. And she answered them, Thus saith Hashem Elohei Yisroel, Tell ye the ish that sent you to me,

24. Thus saith Hashem, Hinei, I will bring ra’ah upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the alot (curses) that are written in the Sefer which they have read in the presence of Melech Yehudah,

25. Because they have forsaken Me, and have burned ketoret unto elohim acherim, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore My wrath shall be poured out upon this place, and shall not be quenched.

26. And as for Melech Yehudah, who sent you to inquire of Hashem, so shall ye say unto him, Thus saith Hashem Elohei Yisroel concerning the words which thou hast heard;

27. Because thine lev was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before Elohim, when thou heardest His words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before Me, and didst tear thy garments, and weep in My Presence, I have even heard thee also, saith Hashem.

28. Hinei, I will gather thee to Avoteicha, thou shalt be gathered to thy kever in shalom, neither shall thine eyes see all ra’ah I will bring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of it. So they brought back HaMelech word.

29. Then HaMelech sent and gathered together all the Ziknei Yehudah and Yerushalayim.

30. And HaMelech went up to the Beis Hashem, and kol Ish Yehudah, and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, and the Kohanim, and the Levi’im, and kol haAm, gadol and katan; and he read in their ears kol divrei Sefer HaBrit that was found in the Beis Hashem.

31. And HaMelech stood at his place, and cut HaBrit in the presence of Hashem, to walk after Hashem, and to be shomer over His mitzvot, and His testimonies, and His chukkot, with all his lev, and with all his nefesh, to perform the divrei HaBrit which are written in Sefer HaZeh.

32. And he caused all that being found in Yerushalayim and Binyamin to make a pledge to it. And the inhabitants of Yerushalayim did according to the Brit Elohim, Elohei Avoteihem.

33. And Yoshiyah removed kol hato’evot out of all the territories that pertained to the Bnei Yisroel, and made all that were present in Yisroel to do avodas [kodesh] service to Hashem Eloheihem. And all his days they veered not from following Hashem, Elohei Avoteihem.