1Josias was eight years old when he began to ²⁶⁴reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Jedia, daughter of Edeia of Basuroth.

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

3And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of king Josias, in the eighth month, the king sent Sapphan the son of Ezelias the son of Mesollam, the scribe of the house of the Lord, saying,

4Go up to Chelcias the high priest, and ²⁶⁵take account of the money that is brought into the house of the Lord, which they that keep the door have collected of the people.

5And let them give it into the hand of the workmen that are appointed in the house of the Lord. And he gave it to the workmen in the house of the Lord, to ²⁶⁶repair the ²⁶⁷breaches of the house,

6even to the carpenters, and builders, and masons, and also to purchase timber and hewn stones, to repair the breaches of the house.

7Only they did not call them to account for the money that was given to them, because they dealt faithfully.

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

9And he went into the house of the Lord to the king, and reported the matter to the king, and said, Thy servants have ²⁶⁸collected the money that was found in the house of the Lord, and have given it into the hand of the workmen that are appointed in the house of the Lord.

10And Sapphan the scribe spoke to the king, saying, Chelcias the priest has given me a book. And Sapphan read it before the king.

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

12And the king commanded Chelcias the priest, and Achikam the son of Sapphan, and Achobor the son of Michaias, and Sapphan the scribe, and Asaias the king's servant, saying,

13Go, enquire of the Lord for me, and for all the people, and for all Juda, and concerning the words of this book that has been found: for the wrath of the Lord that has been kindled against us is great, because our fathers hearkened not to the words of this book, to do according to all the things written concerning us.

14So Chelcias the priest went, and Achicam, and Achobor, and Sapphan, and Asaias, to Olda the prophetess, the mother of Sellem the son of Thecuan son of Aras, keeper of the robes; and she dwelt in Jerusalem in ²⁶⁹Masena; and they spoke to her.

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

16Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I bring evil upon this place, and upon them that dwell in it, even all the words of the book which the king of Juda has read:

17because they have forsaken me, and burnt incense to other gods, that they might provoke me with the works of their hands: therefore my wrath shall burn forth against this place, and shall not be quenched.

18And to the king of Juda that sent you to enquire of the Lord,—thus shall ye say to him, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, As for the words which thou hast heard;

19because thy heart was softened, and thou wast humbled before me, when thou heardest all that I spoke against this place, and against the inhabitants of it, that it should be ²⁷⁰utterly destroyed and accursed, and thou didst rend thy garments, and weep before me; I also have heard, saith the Lord.

20It shall not be so therefore: behold, I will add thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy tomb in peace, and thine ²⁷¹eyes shall not see any among all the evils which I bring upon this place.