2 Kings 22:3–9

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, ^lsaying, ⁴“Go up to Hilkiah the high priest so that he may total up the money brought into the Lord’s temple—the money the doorkeepers have collected from the people. ^m5It is to be put into the hands of 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. ⁿ⁶They are to give it to the carpenters, builders, and masons to buy timber and quarried stone to repair the temple. ^o7But no accounting is to be required from them for the money put into their hands since they work with integrity.” ^p

The Book of the Law Found

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

⁹Then Shaphan the court secretary went to the king and reported, ^r“Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the temple and have put it into the hand of those doing the work—those who oversee the Lord’s temple.”