歷代志下 第 34 章

Iosias was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Ierousalem.

And he did what was right before the Lord and walked in the ways of Dauid his father, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.

And in the eighth year of his reign, while he was still a boy, he began to seek the Lord, the God of Dauid his father; and in the twelfth year of his reign he began to cleanse Ioudas and Ierousalem of the high places and the sacred groves and the cast images.

And he pulled down before his face the altars of the Baalim and the high places that were upon them; and he cut down the sacred groves, and he broke in pieces the carved images and the cast images and ground them fine and scattered them on the face of the tombs of those who sacrificed to them.

And he burned the bones of priests upon the altars, and he cleansed Ioudas and Ierousalem;

and in the cities of Ephraim and Manasse and Symeon and Nephthali and in their places round about;

And he pulled down the sacred groves and the altars, and he cut the idols into fine pieces, and he cut down all the high places from all the land of Israel; and he returned to Ierousalem.

And in the eighteenth year of his reign, to cleanse the land and the house, he sent Saphan son of Eselias and Maasias the ruler of the city and Iouach son of Ioachaz his recorder, to strengthen the house of the Lord his God.

And they came to Chelkias the high priest and gave him the silver that had been brought into the house of God, which the Levites who kept the gate had gathered from the hand of Manasse and Ephraim and the rulers, and from all the remnant in Israel and the sons of Ioudas and Beniamin and those dwelling in Ierousalem.

And they gave it into the hand of those doing the work, those appointed in the house of the Lord; and they gave it to those doing the work, who were working in the house of the Lord, to repair and to strengthen the house.

And they gave it to the carpenters and to the builders to buy squared stones and timber for beams, to roof the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed.

And the men did the works in faithfulness; and over them were overseers, Jeth and Abdias the Levites of the sons of Merari, and Zacharias and Mosollam of the sons of Kaath, to oversee; and every Levite, everyone skilled with instruments of song.

And they were over the burden-bearers, and over all that did the works, labour by labour; and of the Levites there were scribes and judges and gatekeepers.

And when they brought out the silver that had been brought into the house of the Lord, Chelkias the priest found the book of the law of the Lord given by the hand of Moses.

And Chelkias answered and said to Saphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord. And Chelkias gave the book to Saphan.

And Saphan brought the book to the king, and moreover rendered an account to the king: All the silver that was given is in the hand of your servants who do the work.

And they melted down the silver that was found in the house of the Lord, and gave it into the hand of the overseers and into the hand of those who did the work.

And Saphan the scribe reported to the king, saying, Chelkias the priest gave me a book. And Saphan read it before the king.

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

And the king commanded Chelkias, and Achikam son of Saphan, and Abdon son of Michaias, and Saphan the scribe, and Asaia the king's servant, saying,

Go, enquire of the Lord for me and for everyone that is left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that has been found; for great is the wrath of the Lord that has been kindled against us, because our fathers did not hearken to the words of the Lord, to do according to all that is written in this book.

And Chelkias went, and those whom the king named, to Oldan the prophetess, the keeper of the robes, wife of Sellem son of Thakouath son of Chelles; and she dwelt in Jerusalem, in Masana; and they spoke to her to this effect.

And she said to them, Thus said the Lord God of Israel: Say to the man who sent you to me,

Thus says the Lord: Behold, I bring evils upon this place, even all the words that are written in the book which was read before the king of Judah.

Because they forsook me and burned incense to strange gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath has been kindled against this place, and it shall not be quenched.

But as for the king of Judah who sent you to seek the Lord, thus shall you say to him: Thus says the Lord God of Israel concerning the words which you have heard:

because your heart was abashed and you were humbled before my face when you heard my words against this place and against its inhabitants, and you were humbled before me, and tore your garments, and wept before me — I also have heard, says the Lord.

Behold, I add you to your fathers, and you shall be added to your tombs in peace, and your eyes shall not look upon all the evils that I bring upon this place and upon its inhabitants. And they brought back word to the king.

And the king sent and gathered the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.

And the king went up to the house of the Lord, and all Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people from great to small; and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the Lord.

And the king stood by the pillar, and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk before the Lord, to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his ordinances with all his heart and with all his soul, even the words of the covenant that are written in this book.

And he caused all that were found in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it; and the inhabitants of Jerusalem made a covenant in the house of the Lord God of their fathers.

And Josias removed all the abominations out of all the land that belonged to the sons of Israel, and made all that were found in Jerusalem and in Israel to serve the Lord their God. All his days he did not turn aside from following the Lord God of his fathers.