¹⁷ Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted^(A) themselves to other gods^(B) and worshiped them.^(C) They quickly turned^(D) from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the Lord’s commands.^{(E) 18} Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved^(F) them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord relented^(G) because of their groaning^(H) under those who oppressed and afflicted^(I) them. ¹⁹ But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt^(J) than those of their ancestors,^(K) following other gods and serving and worshiping them.^(L) They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn^(M) ways.

²⁰ Therefore the Lord was very angry^(N) with Israel and said, “Because this nation has violated the covenant^(O) I ordained for their ancestors and has not listened to me,

¹¹ When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law,^(A) he tore his robes. ¹² He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam^(B) son of Shaphan, Akbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant:^{(C) 13} “Go and inquire^(D) of the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord’s anger^(E) that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.”

¹⁴ Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Akbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to speak to the prophet^(F) Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the New Quarter.

¹⁵ She said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me, ¹⁶ ‘This is what the Lord says: I am going to bring disaster^(G) on this place and its people, according to everything written in the book^(H) the king of Judah has read. ¹⁷ Because they have forsaken^(I) me and burned incense to other gods and aroused my anger by all the idols their hands have made,^[a] my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.’