1Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign; and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. 2He did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father, and did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. 3For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the Asherim, and the engraved images, and the molten images. 4They broke down the altars of the Baals in his presence; and the incense altars that were on high above them he cut down; and the Asherim, and the engraved images, and the molten images, he broke in pieces, and made dust of them, and strewed it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 5He burnt the bones of the priests on their altars, and purged Judah and Jerusalem. 6He did this in the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon, even to Naphtali, around in their ruins. 7He broke down the altars, and beat the Asherim and the engraved images into powder, and cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel, and returned to Jerusalem.

8Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God. 9They came to Hilkiah the high priest, and delivered the money that was brought into God's house, which the Levites, the keepers of the threshold, had gathered of the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and of all the remnant of Israel, and of all Judah and Benjamin, and of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10They delivered it into the hand of the workers who had the oversight of the house of the LORD; and the workmen who labored in the house of the LORD gave it to mend and repair the house; 11even to the carpenters and to the builders gave they it, to buy cut stone, and timber for couplings, and to make beams for the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed. 12The men did the work faithfully: and their overseers were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to set it forward; and others of the Levites, all who were skillful with instruments of music. 13Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and set forward all who did the work in every kind of service: and of the Levites there were scribes, and officers, and gatekeepers.

14When they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found the scroll of the law of the LORD given by Moses. 15Hilkiah answered Shaphan the scribe, "I have found the scroll of the law in the house of the LORD." Hilkiah delivered the scroll to Shaphan. 16Shaphan carried the scroll to the king, and moreover brought back word to the king, saying, "All that was committed to your servants, they are doing. 17They have emptied out the money that was found in the house of the LORD, and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers, and into the hand of the workmen." 18Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a scroll." Shaphan read it before the king.

19It happened, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he tore his clothes. 20The king commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Acbor the son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying, 21"Go inquire of the LORD for me, and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found; for great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do according to all that is written in this scroll."

22So Hilkiah and those whom the king had sent went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she lived in Jerusalem in the second quarter;) and they spoke to her to that effect. 23She said to them, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: 'Tell the man who sent you to me, 24"Thus says the LORD, 'Look, I will bring disaster on this place, and on its inhabitants, even all the curses that are written in the scroll which they have read before the king of Judah. 25Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore is my wrath poured out on this place, and it shall not be quenched.'"' 26But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, thus you shall tell him, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: "As touching the words which you have heard, 27because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God, when you heard his words against this place, and against its inhabitants, and have humbled yourself before me, and have torn your clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard you," says the LORD. 28"Look, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, neither shall your eyes see all the disaster that I will bring on this place, and on its inhabitants."'" They brought back word to the king.

29Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 30The king went up to the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, both great and small: and he read in their ears all the words of the scroll of the covenant that was found in the house of the LORD.

31The king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this scroll. 32He caused all who were found in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand. The inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. 33Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all who were found in Israel to serve, even to serve the LORD their God. All his days they did not depart from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.