II Kings 22

¹Josias was of eiyte yeer, whanne he bigan to regne, and he regnyde oon and thritti yeer in Jerusalem; the name of his modir was Ydida, the douytir of Phadaia of Besechath.

²And he dide that, that was plesaunt bifor the Lord, and he yede be alle the wayes of Dauid, his fadir; he bowide not, nethir to the riytside, nethir of the leftside.

³Forsothe in the eiytenthe yeer of kyng Josias, the kyng sente Saphan, sone of Asua, the sone of Mesulam, scryueyn, ethir doctour, of the temple of the Lord,

⁴and seide to him, Go thou to Elchie, the grete preest, that the money, which is borun in to the temple of the Lord, be spendid, which money the porteris of the temple han gaderid of the puple;

⁵and that it be youun to crafti men bi the souereyns of the hows of the Lord; which also departide that money to hem that worchen in the temple of the Lord, to reparele the rooues of the temple of the Lord,

⁶that is, to carpenteris, and to masouns, and to hem that maken brokun thingis, and that trees and stoonus of quarieris be bouyt, to reparele the temple of the Lord;

⁷netheles siluer, which thei taken, be not rekynyd to hem, but haue thei in power, and in feith.

⁸Forsothe Helchie, the bischop, seide to Saphan, the scryuen, Y haue founde the book of the lawe in the hows of the Lord. And Elchie yaf the book to Saphan, the scryuen, which also redde it.

⁹Also Saphan, the scryuen, cam to the kyng, and telde to hym tho thingis, whiche Elchie hadde comaundid, and he seide, Thi seruauntis han spendid the monei, which was foundun in the hows of the Lord, and yauen, that it schulde be departid to crafti men of the souereyns of werkis of the temple of the Lord.

¹⁰Also Saphan, the scriueyn, telde to the kyng, and seide, Helchie, the preest of God, yaf to me a book; and whanne Saphan hadde red that book bifor the kyng,

¹¹and the kyng hadde herd the wordis of the book of the lawe of the Lord, he to-rente hise clothis.

¹²And he comaundide to Elchie, the preest, and to Aicham, sone of Saphan, and to Achabor, sone of Mycha, and to Saphan, the scryuen, and to Achia, seruaunt of the kyng,

¹³and seide, Go ye, and `counsele ye the Lord on me, and on the puple, and on al Juda, of the wordis of this book, which is foundun; for greet ire of the Lord is kyndlid ayens vs, for oure fadris herden not the wordis of this book, to do al thing which is writun to vs.

¹⁴Therfor Helchie, the preest, and Aicham, and Achabor, and Saphan, and Asia, yeden to Olda, the prophetesse, the wijf of Sellum, sone of Thecue, sone of Aras, kepere of the clothis, which Olda dwellide in Jerusalem, in the secounde dwellyng; and thei spaken to hir.

¹⁵And sche answeride to hem, The Lord God of Israel seith these thingis, Seie ye to the man,

¹⁶that sente you to me, The Lord God of Israel seith these thingis, Lo! Y schal brynge yuelis on this place, and on the dwelleris therof, alle the wordis `of the lawe, whiche the kyng of Juda redde;

¹⁷for thei forsoken me, and maden sacrifice to alien goddis, and terriden me to ire in alle the werkis of her hondis; and myn indignacioun schal be kyndlid in this place, and schal not be quenchid.

¹⁸Sotheli to the kyng of Juda, that sente you, that ye schulen `counsele the Lord, ye schulen seie thus, The Lord God of Israel seith these thingis, For thou herdist the wordis of the book,

¹⁹and thin herte was aferd, and thou were maad meke bifor the Lord, whanne the wordis weren herd ayens this place and ayens the dwelleris therof, that is, that thei schulden be maad in to wondryng, and in to cursyng, and thou to-rentist thi clothis, and weptist bifor me, and Y herde, seith the Lord;

²⁰herfor Y schal gadere thee to thi fadris, and thou schalt be gaderid to thi sepulcre in pees; that thin iyen se not alle the yuelis, whiche Y schal brynge yn on this place.

II Kings 22

¹Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath.

²And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.

³And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of the Lord, saying,

⁴Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may sum the silver which is brought into the house of the Lord, which the keepers of the door have gathered of the people:

⁵And let them deliver it into the hand of the doers of the work, that have the oversight of the house of the Lord: and let them give it to the doers of the work which is in the house of the Lord, to repair the breaches of the house,

⁶Unto carpenters, and builders, and masons, and to buy timber and hewn stone to repair the house.

⁷Howbeit there was no reckoning made with them of the money that was delivered into their hand, because they dealt faithfully.

⁸And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.

⁹And Shaphan the scribe came to the king, and brought the king word again, and said, Thy servants have gathered the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of them that do the work, that have the oversight of the house of the Lord.

¹⁰And Shaphan the scribe shewed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.

¹¹And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.

¹²And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah a servant of the king’s, saying,

¹³Go ye, enquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us.

¹⁴So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college;) and they communed with her.

¹⁵And she said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me,

¹⁶Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read:

¹⁷Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched.

¹⁸But to the king of Judah which sent you to enquire of the Lord, thus shall ye say to him, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard;

¹⁹Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the Lord.

²⁰Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again.