2 Kings 22
1599 Geneva Bible
22 4 Josiah repaireth the Temple. 8 Hilkiah findeth the book of the Law, and causeth it to be presented to Josiah. 12 Who sendeth to Huldah the Prophetess to inquire the Lord’s will.
1 Josiah was (A)eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one and thirty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath.
2 And he did uprightly in the sight of the Lord, and [a]walked in all the ways of David his father, and bowed neither to the right hand, nor to the left.
3 ¶ And in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah the son of Meshullam the chancellor, to the house of the Lord, saying,
4 Go up to Hilkiah the high Priest, that he may [b]sum the silver which is brought into the house of the Lord, which the keepers of the [c][d]door have gathered of the people.
5 And let [e]them deliver it into the hand of them that do the work, and have the oversight of the house of the Lord, let them give it to them that work in the house of the Lord, to repair the decayed places of the house:
6 To wit, unto the artificers and carpenters, and masons, and to buy timber, and hewed stone to repair the house.
7 Howbeit, let no reckoning be made with them of the money, that is delivered into their hand: for they deal [f]faithfully.
8 And Hilkiah the high Priest said unto Shaphan the chancellor, I have found the [g]book of the Law in the house of the Lord: and Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.
9 So Shaphan the chancellor came to the king, and brought him word again, and said, Thy servants have [h]gathered the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it unto the hands of them that do the work, and have the oversight of the house of the Lord.
10 Also Shaphan the chancellor showed the king, saying, Hilkiah the Priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the King.
11 And when the king had heard the words of the book of the Law, he rent his clothes.
12 Therefore the king commanded Hilkiah the Priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the chancellor, and Asahiah the king’s servant, saying,
13 Go ye and [i]inquire 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 obeyed the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written therein for us.
14 ¶ So 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: (and she dwelt in Jerusalem in the [j]college) and they communed with her.
15 And she answered them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me,
16 Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and on the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read,
17 Because they have forsaken me, and have burnt incense unto other gods, to anger me with all the [k]works of their hands: my wrath also shall be kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched:
18 But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, so shall ye say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The words that thou hast heard, shall come to pass.
19 But because thine heart did [l]melt, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants of the same, to wit, that it should be destroyed and accursed, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me, I have also heard it, saith the Lord.
20 Behold therefore, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be put in thy grave in [m]peace, and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. Thus they brought the king word again.
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 22:2 His zeal was prophesied of, and his name mentioned by Iddo the Prophet, more than three hundred years before, 1 Kings 13:2, and being but eight years old, he sought the God of his father David, 2 Chron. 34:3.
- 2 Kings 22:4 Or, coin, as verse 9.
- 2 Kings 22:4 Or, vessel.
- 2 Kings 22:4 Certain of the Priests were appointed to this office, as 2 Kings 12:9.
- 2 Kings 22:5 From the time of Joash for the space of 244 years, the Temple remained without reparation through the negligence of the priests, this declareth, that they that have a charge and execute it not, ought to have it taken from them.
- 2 Kings 22:7 So God provided him of faithful servants, seeing he went about so zealously to set forth the work of God.
- 2 Kings 22:8 This was the copy that Moses left them, as appeareth, 2 Chron. 34:14, which either by the negligence of the Priests had been lost, or else by the wickedness of idolatrous kings had been abolished.
- 2 Kings 22:9 Hebrew, melted.
- 2 Kings 22:13 Meaning, to some Prophet whom God revealeth the knowledge of things unto, as Jer. 21:8, though at other times they inquired the Lord by Urim and Thummim.
- 2 Kings 22:14 Or the house of doctrine, which was near to the Temple, and where the learned assembled to entreat the Scriptures, and the doctrine of the Prophets.
- 2 Kings 22:17 The [works] of man’s hand here signify all that man inventeth beside the word of God, which are abominable in God’s service.
- 2 Kings 22:19 Meaning, that he did repent, as they that do not repent, are said to harden their heart, Ps. 95:8.
- 2 Kings 22:20 Whereupon we may gather that the anger of God is ready against the wicked, when God taketh his servants out of this world.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
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