2 Kings 22:8–23:3

THE BOOK OF THE LAW FOUND

⁸The high priest Hilkiah told the court secretary Shaphan, “I have found the book of the law^f in the Lord’s temple,” and he gave the book to Shaphan, who read it.

⁹Then the court secretary Shaphan went to the king and reported,^B “Your servants have emptied out the silver that was found in the temple and have given it to those doing the work—those who oversee the Lord’s temple.” ¹⁰Then the court secretary Shaphan told the king, “The priest Hilkiah has given me a book,” and Shaphan read it in the presence of the king.^g

¹¹When the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes.^{h 12}Then he commanded the priest Hilkiah, Ahikamⁱ son of Shaphan, Achbor^j son of Micaiah, the court secretary Shaphan, and the king’s servant Asaiah, ¹³“Go and inquire of the Lord for me, for the people, and for all Judah about the words in this book that has been found. For great is the Lord’s wrath that is kindled against us because our ancestors have not obeyed the words of this book in order to do everything written about us.”^k

HULDAH’S PROPHECY OF JUDGMENT

¹⁴So^l the priest Hilkiah, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to the prophetess^m Huldah, wife of Shallum son of Tikvah,ⁿ son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem in the Second District.^o They spoke with her.

¹⁵She said to them, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: Say to the man who sent you to me, ¹⁶‘This is what the Lord says: I am about to bring disaster on this place and on its inhabitants, fulfilling^A all the words of the book that the king of Judah has read,^{p 17}because they have abandoned me and burned incense to other gods in order to anger me with all the work of their hands. My wrath will be kindled against this place, and it will not be quenched.’^{q 18}Say this to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the Lord: ‘This is what the Lord God of Israel says: As for the words that you heard,^{r 19}because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before the Lord^s when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they would become a desolation and a curse,^t and because you have torn your clothes and wept before me, I myself have heard’—this is the Lord’s declaration. ²⁰‘Therefore, I will indeed gather you to your ancestors, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace.^u Your eyes will not see all the disaster that I am bringing on this place.’ ”

Then they reported^B to the king.

COVENANT RENEWAL

23So the king sent messengers,^v and they gathered all the elders^w of Judah and Jerusalem to him. ²Then the king went to the Lord’s temple with all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, as well as the priests and the prophets—all the people from the youngest to the oldest. He read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant^x that had been found in the Lord’s temple.^{y 3}Next, the king stood by the pillar^z and made a covenant^aa in the Lord’s presence to follow the Lord and to keep his commands, his decrees, and his statutes with all his heart and with all his soul^ab in order to carry out the words of this covenant that were written in this book; all the people agreed to^D the covenant.^ac