2 Chronicles 34:8–21

Josiah Repairs the Temple

8 aNow in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah ban official of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the Lord his God.

9 They came to aHilkiah the high priest and delivered the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites, the 1doorkeepers, had collected 2from bManasseh and Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Israel, and from all Judah and Benjamin and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

10 Then they gave it into the hands of the workmen who had the oversight of the house of the Lord, and the workmen who were working in the house of the Lord 1used it to restore and repair the house.

11 They in turn gave it to the carpenters and to the builders to buy quarried stone and timber for couplings and to make beams for the houses awhich the kings of Judah had let go to ruin.

12 aThe men did the work faithfully with foremen over them to supervise: Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites of the sons of Merari, Zechariah and Meshullam of the sons of the Kohathites, and bthe Levites, all who were skillful with musical instruments.

13 They were also over athe burden bearers, and supervised all the workmen from job to job; and some of the Levites were scribes and officials and gatekeepers.

Hilkiah Discovers Lost Book of the Law

14 When they were bringing out the money which had been brought into the house of the Lord, aHilkiah the priest found the book of the law of the Lord given by Moses.

15 Hilkiah responded and said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan.

16 Then Shaphan brought the book to the king and 1reported further word to the king, saying, “Everything that was 2entrusted to your servants they are doing.

17 “They have also emptied out the money which was found in the house of the Lord, and have delivered it into the hands of the supervisors and the workmen.”

18 Moreover, Shaphan the scribe told the king saying, “Hilkiah the priest gave me a book.” And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.

19 When the king heard athe words of the law, bhe tore his clothes.

20 Then the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, 1Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying,

21 “Go, inquire of the Lord for me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book which has been found; for agreat is the wrath of the Lord which is poured out on us because our fathers have not observed the word of the Lord, to do according to all that is written in this book.”