2 Chronicles 34:8–20

Josiah Repairs the House of Yahweh

^8aNow in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had cleansed 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 Yahweh his God.

⁹And they came to ^aHilkiah the high priest and gave him the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites, the ¹doorkeepers, had gathered from the hand of ^bManasseh and Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Israel, and from all Judah and Benjamin and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

¹⁰Then they gave it into the hand of ¹those who did the work, who had the oversight of the house of Yahweh; and those who did the work, who were doing this in the house of Yahweh, ²used it to restore and repair the house.

¹¹They in turn gave it to the craftsmen and to the builders to buy hewn stone and timber for clamps and to make beams for the houses ^awhich the kings of Judah had let go to ruin.

^12aAnd the men did the work faithfully with foremen over them to direct: 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.

¹³They were also over ^athose who carried loads, and directed all those who did the work from service to service; and some of the Levites were scribes and officials and gatekeepers.

Hilkiah Finds the Book of the Law

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

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

¹⁶Then Shaphan brought the book to the king and furthermore ¹responded to the king with a word, saying, “Everything that was given to the hand of your servants they are doing.

¹⁷“They have also poured out the money that was found in the house of Yahweh, and have given it into the hand of the supervisors and those who did the work.”

¹⁸Moreover, 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.

¹⁹Now it happened that when the king heard ^athe words of the law, ^bhe tore his clothes.

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