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Josiah’s Reforms

¹Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. ²He 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.
³In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David. In his twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles and idols. ⁴Under his direction the altars of the Baals were torn down; he cut to pieces the incense altars that were above them, and smashed the Asherah poles and the idols. These he broke to pieces and scattered over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. ⁵He burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and so he purged Judah and Jerusalem. ⁶In the towns of Manasseh, Ephraim and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, and in the ruins around them, ⁷he tore down the altars and the Asherah poles and crushed the idols to powder and cut to pieces all the incense altars throughout Israel. Then he went back to Jerusalem.
⁸In the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign, to purify the land and the temple, he sent Shaphan son of Azaliah and Maaseiah the ruler of the city, with Joah son of Joahaz, the recorder, to repair the temple of the Lord his God.
⁹They went to Hilkiah the high priest and gave him the money that had been brought into the temple of God, which the Levites who were the gatekeepers had collected from the people of Manasseh, Ephraim and the entire remnant of Israel and from all the people of Judah and Benjamin and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. ¹⁰Then they entrusted it to the men appointed to supervise the work on the Lord’s temple. These men paid the workers who repaired and restored the temple. ¹¹They also gave money to the carpenters and builders to purchase dressed stone, and timber for joists and beams for the buildings that the kings of Judah had allowed to fall into ruin.
¹²The workers labored faithfully. Over them to direct them were Jahath and Obadiah, Levites descended from Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, descended from Kohath. The Levites—all who were skilled in playing musical instruments— ¹³had charge of the laborers and supervised all the workers from job to job. Some of the Levites were secretaries, scribes and gatekeepers.

The Book of the Law Found

¹⁴While they were bringing out the money that had been taken into the temple of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the Lord that had been given through Moses. ¹⁵Hilkiah said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord.” He gave it to Shaphan.
¹⁶Then Shaphan took the book to the king and reported to him: “Your officials are doing everything that has been committed to them. ¹⁷They have paid out the money that was in the temple of the Lord and have entrusted it to the supervisors and workers.” ¹⁸Then Shaphan the secretary informed 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 robes. ²⁰He gave these orders to Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah,⚓ Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant: ²¹“Go and inquire of the Lord for me and for the remnant in Israel and Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord’s anger that is poured out on us because those who have gone before us have not kept the word of the Lord; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written in this book.”
²²Hilkiah and those the king had sent with him⚓ went to speak to the prophet Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tokhath,⚓ the son of Hasrah,⚓ keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the New Quarter.
²³She said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me, ²⁴‘This is what the Lord says: I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people—all the curses written in the book that has been read in the presence of the king of Judah. ²⁵Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and aroused my anger by all that their hands have made,⚓ my anger will be poured out on this place and will not be quenched.’ ²⁶Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: ²⁷Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the Lord. ²⁸Now I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place and on those who live here.’ ”
So they took her answer back to the king.
²⁹Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. ³⁰He went up to the temple of the Lord with the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the Levites—all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the Lord. ³¹The king stood by his pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord—to follow the Lord and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, and to obey the words of the covenant written in this book.
³²Then he had everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin pledge themselves to it; the people of Jerusalem did this in accordance with the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors.
³³Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the territory belonging to the Israelites, and he had all who were present in Israel serve the Lord their God. As long as he lived, they did not fail to follow the Lord, the God of their ancestors.

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Cov Yudas Tus Vajntxwv Yauxiyas

(2 Vajntxwv 22.1-2)

¹Thaum Yauxiyas ua vajntxwv kav cov Yudas nws hnubnyoog muaj yim xyoo thiab nws nyob hauv lub nroog Yeluxalees kav tau peb caug ib xyoos. ²Nws ua lub neej raws li tus TSWV lub siab nyiam thiab raws li Vajtswv txoj kevcai ib yam li nws yawgkoob uas yog Vajntxwv Daviv ua.

Yauxiyas Rhuav Tej Chaw Teev Dab

³Thaum Yauxiyas ua vajntxwv tau yim xyoo, nws tseem hluas heev, nws pib pehawm nws yawgkoob uas yog Vajntxwv Daviv tus Vajtswv. Tau plaub xyoos tom qab no, nws txawm muab tej chaw teev dab, tej mlom pojniam Aselas thiab lwm yam rhuav povtseg huv tibsi. ⁴Nws hais kom nws cov neeg muab tej thaj uas teev Npa-as thiab tej thaj uas hlawv hmoov tshuaj tsw qab uas nyob ze lawv tsoo povtseg. Lawv muab tej mlom pojniam Aselas thiab lwm yam zom ua hmoov coj mus nphoo rau cov neeg uas pe tej mlom ntawd tej ntxa. ⁵Nws muab cov povthawj uas teev dab tej pobtxha coj mus hlawv rau saum tej thaj uas lawv teev dab. Nws ua li ntawd, kom cov Yudas thiab cov neeg uas nyob hauv lub nroog Yeluxalees rov ua tau neeg huv. ⁶Nws ua li ntawd rau xeem Manaxes, xeem Efalayees thiab xeem Xime-oos txhua lub nroog mus txog ntua pem xeem Nathalis. ⁷Nws mus thoob plaws lub tebchaws Yixalayees sab qaumteb thiab tsoo tej thaj, tej mlom pojniam Aselas, muab tej mlom ntawd zom ua hmoov thiab tsoo tej thaj uas hlawv hmoov tshuaj tsw qab tawg tas. Ces nws mam rov los rau hauv lub nroog Yeluxalees.

Nrhiav Tau Phau Ntawv Kevcai

(2 Vajntxwv 22.3-20)

⁸Thaum Yauxiyas ua vajntxwv tau kaum yim xyoo, tom qab uas nws ua kevcai ntxuav lub tebchaws thiab lub Tuamtsev kom huv thiab tsis muaj kev pe dab lawm, Vajntxwv Yauxiyas tso Axaliyas tus tub Safas, Ma-axeyas uas yog tus tswv nroog Yeluxalees, thiab Yau-ahas tus tub Yau-as uas yog ib tug nomtswv mus kho tus TSWV uas yog Vajtswv lub Tuamtsev. ⁹Cov Levis uas zov qhovrooj sau tej nyiaj uas luag coj tuaj tso rau hauv lub Tuamtsev coj mus rau Hilekiyas uas yog tus Povthawj Hlob. (Cov nyiaj ntawd yog lawv sau ntawm cov Efalayees, cov Manaxes thiab cov Yixalayees uas nyob sab qaumteb, cov Yudas, cov Npeenyamees thiab cov neeg uas nyob hauv lub nroog Yeluxalees.) ¹⁰Luag muab cov nyiaj ntawd rau peb tug uas saib cov kho lub Tuamtsev, thiab lawv muab rau ¹¹cov uas txua ntoo thiab cov ua tsev coj mus yuav pobzeb thiab ntoo los kho tej tsev uas cov Yudas tej vajntxwv muab tso tseg puastsuaj tas lawm. ¹²Cov neeg uas kho lub Tuamtsev ncaj ncees heev. Plaub tug Levis uas saib cov neeg ua haujlwm ntawd yog Yahaj thiab Aunpadiyas uas yog cuab Melalis, Xakhaliyas thiab Mesulas uas yog cuab Kauhas. (Cov Levis no, lawv puavleej txawj ntaus suab nkauj.) ¹³Muaj dua ib pab Levis ua cov saib tej khoom uas luag coj tuaj thiab saib tej pab neeg uas ua haujlwm, thiab ibtxhia ua cov ceev tej ntaub ntawv lossis ua cov zov roojvag.
¹⁴Thaum luag muab cov nyiaj nqa tawm hauv chav uas rau nyiaj los tas lawm, Hilekiyas pom tus TSWV Phau Ntawv Kevcai, yog Phau Kevcai uas Vajtswv muab cob rau Mauxes. ¹⁵Nws hais rau Safas hais tias, “Kuv pom Phau Ntawv Kevcai no nyob hauv lub Tuamtsev.” Nws txawm muab phau ntawv rau Safas, ¹⁶thiab Safas coj mus rau vajntxwv. Nws hais rau vajntxwv hais tias, “Peb twb mus ua txhua yam uas koj hais rau peb ntawd tiav tas lawm. ¹⁷Peb muab cov nyiaj hauv lub Tuamtsev coj mus rau cov neeg uas kho lub Tuamtsev thiab cov thawj uas saib lawv lawm.” ¹⁸Safas hais ntxiv hais tias, “Phau ntawv no Hilekiyas muab rau kuv.” Ces Safas txawm muab nyeem rau vajntxwv mloog.
¹⁹Thaum vajntxwv hnov tej lus hauv Phau Ntawv Kevcai ntawd nws thiaj dua rhe nws lub tsho thiab nyuaj siab heev ²⁰thiab hais rau Hilekiyas, Ahikas uas yog Safas tus tub, Anpedoos uas yog Mikhas tus tub, Safas uas yog tus teev ntawv thiab Axayas uas yog tus uas nrog nraim vajntxwv hais tias, ²¹“Nej cia li pab kuv thiab cov neeg uas tseem nyob hauv tebchaws Yixalayees thiab tebchaws Yudas nug tus TSWV txog tej lus hauv phau ntawv saib qhia li cas? Tos tus TSWV chim heev rau peb los twb yog peb cov yawgkoob tsis mloog tus TSWV tej lus thiab tsis ua raws li tej lus uas sau rau hauv phau ntawv no kom yuav tsum tau ua.”
²²Ces Hilekiyas lawv txawm mus cuag ib tug cev Vajtswv lus uas yog pojniam hu ua Hulidas uas nyob hauv lub nroog Yeluxalees, ntawm ces kaum uas luag ua tshiab raws li vajntxwv hais. (Hulidas tus txiv hu ua Salumes uas yog Tivas tus tub thiab yog Hahas tus xeebntxwv, nws yog tus saib cov tsho ntev hauv lub Tuamtsev.) Lawv piav tej lus ntawd rau Hulidas mloog, ²³nws kom lawv rov mus cuag vajntxwv ²⁴thiab hais rau vajntxwv hais tias tus TSWV hais li no: “Kuv yuav rau txim rau lub nroog Yeluxalees thiab cov neeg uas nyob rau hauv lub nroog raws li tej lus uas sau tseg rau hauv phau ntawv uas vajntxwv nyeem ntawd. ²⁵Lawv tau tso kuv tseg thiab mus tua tsiaj fij rau lwm haivneeg tej vajtswv, kuv thiaj chim rau tej uas lawv ua, thiab kuv chim rau lub nroog Yeluxalees, kuv tej kev chim yuav tsis xam mus sai. ²⁶Kuv yog tus TSWV uas yog cov Yixalayees tus Vajtswv, kuv hais li no rau vajntxwv: Thaum koj hnov tej lus hauv phau ntawv no tas lawm, ²⁷koj lees koj tej kev txhaum thiab txo hwjchim tabmeeg kuv, koj quaj tu siab nrho thiab dua rhe koj lub tsho, thaum koj paub hais tias kuv yuav rau txim rau lub nroog Yeluxalees thiab cov neeg huv tibsi. Kuv twb hnov koj tej lus thov lawm, ²⁸kuv yuav tos koj tuag tso, kuv mam rau txim rau lub nroog Yeluxalees. Kuv yuav cia koj tuag kaj sab lug.”
Lawv coj tej lus ntawd mus piav rau Vajntxwv Yauxiyas mloog.

Yauxiyas Coglus Yuav Mloog Tus TSWV Lus

(2 Vajntxwv 23.1-20)

²⁹Vajntxwv Yauxiyas kom tej thawjcoj thiab cov uas nyob hauv lub nroog Yeluxalees tuaj cuag nws, ³⁰thiab lawv ua ke mus rau hauv lub Tuamtsev, tsis hais cov povthawj, cov Levis thiab tagnrho cov pejxeem tus muaj tus pluag los mus huv tibsi; vajntxwv nyeem tagnrho phau ntawv coglus uas nrhiav tau hauv lub Tuamtsev rau sawvdaws mloog. ³¹Vajntxwv sawv ib sab ntawm tus ncej uas cov vajntxwv ibtxwm sawv, coglus rua tus TSWV hais tias yuav hwm nws, ua raws li nws tej kevcai thiab tej lus samhwm kom kawg siab kawg ntsws, thiab ua kom tau raws li tej lus cog tseg uas sau rau hauv phau ntawv no. ³²Vajntxwv kom cov Npeenyamees thiab txhua tus uas tuaj rau hauv lub nroog Yeluxalees coglus hais tias yuav ua raws li tej lus cog tseg ntawd. Yog li ntawd, cov neeg uas nyob hauv lub nroog Yeluxalees thiaj ua raws li tej lus uas lawv tau cog tseg rau lawv cov yawgkoob tus Vajtswv. ³³Vajntxwv Yauxiyas muab tej mlom phem qias uas nyob hauv cov Yixalayees lub tebchaws tsoo povtseg tas, thiab nws kom sawvdaws yuav tsum pehawm tus TSWV uas yog lawv cov yawgkoob tus Vajtswv mus tas nws simneej.