2 Kings 22:3–14

JOSIAH REPAIRS THE TEMPLE

³In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent the court secretary Shaphan son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, to the Lord’s temple,^a saying, ⁴“Go up to the high priest Hilkiah so that he may total up the silver brought into the Lord’s temple—the silver the doorkeepers have collected from the people.^{b 5}It is to be given to those doing the work—those who oversee the Lord’s temple. They in turn are to give it to the workmen in the Lord’s temple to repair the damage.^{c 6}They are to give it to the carpenters, builders, and masons to buy timber and quarried stone to repair the temple.^{d 7}But no accounting is to be required from them for the silver given to them since they work with integrity.”^e

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.