¹Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem; his mother's name was Jedidah, daughter of Adaiah from Bozkath.

²He did what was right in the eyes of Yahweh, and walked in all the way of David his father, and did not turn aside to the right or to the left.

³And it was in the eighteenth year of King Josiah that the king sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of Yahweh, saying,

⁴Go up to Hilkiah the great priest, and let him sum up the silver that has been brought into the house of Yahweh, which the keepers of the vestibule have gathered from the people,

⁵And let them put it into the hand of those who do the work, those appointed over the house of Yahweh, and let them give it to those who do the work that is in the house of Yahweh, to repair the breaches of the house,

⁶to the craftsmen and to the builders and to the wall-builders, and to buy wood and hewn stone, to repair the house.

⁷Only, the silver that is put into their hand will not be reckoned with them, for they are working with steadiness.

⁸And Hilkiah the great priest said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the record of the instruction in the house of Yahweh.” And Hilkiah gave the record to Shaphan, and he read it aloud.

⁹And Shaphan the scribe went to the king, and brought the king word back, and said, “Your slaves have poured out the silver that was found in the house, and have put it into the hand of those who do the work, those appointed over the house of Yahweh.”

¹⁰And Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a record.” And Shaphan read it aloud before the king.

¹¹When the king heard the word of the record of the instruction, he tore his garments.

¹²And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the slave of the king, saying,

¹³Go, inquire of Yahweh on my behalf, and on behalf of the people, and on behalf of all Judah, concerning the words of this record that has been found; for great is the anger of Yahweh that has been kindled against us, because our fathers did not listen to the words of this record, to do according to all that is written concerning us.

¹⁴And Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah the son of Harhas, the keeper of the garments. She dwelled in Jerusalem, in the second district; and they spoke to her.

¹⁵She said to them, “Like this says Yahweh, the God of Israel: Say to the man who sent you to me,

¹⁶Like this says Yahweh: Behold, I am about to bring disaster on this place and on its inhabitants, all the words of the record that the king of Judah has read.

¹⁷Because they have forsaken me and have made sacrifices smoke for other gods, so as to provoke me to anger with all the work of their hands, my anger will be kindled against this place, and it will not be quenched.

¹⁸And to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of Yahweh, like this you shall say to him: Like this says Yahweh, the God of Israel: The words that you heard,

¹⁹Because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before Yahweh when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they would become a desolation and a curse, and you tore your garments and wept before me, I also have heard, the utterance of Yahweh.

²⁰Therefore look, I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your graves in wholeness, and your eyes will not see all the evil that I am bringing on this place. And they brought back word to the king.