Josias repaireth the temple. The book of the law is found, upon which
they consult the Lord, and are told that great evils shall fall upon
them, but not in the time of Josias.
22:1. Josias was eight years old when he began to reign: he reigned one
and thirty years in Jerusalem: the name of his mother was Idida, the
daughter of Hadaia, of Besecath.
22:2. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and
walked in all the ways of David, his father: he turned not aside to the
right hand, or to the left.
22:3. And in the eighteenth year of king Josias, the king sent Saphan,
the son of Assia, the son of Messulam, the scribe of the temple of the
Lord, saying to him:
22:4. Go to Helcias, the high priest, that the money may be put together
which is brought into the temple of the Lord, which the doorkeepers of
the temple have gathered of the people.
22:5. And let it be given to the workmen by the overseers of the house
of the Lord: and let them distribute it to those that work in the temple
of the Lord, to repair the temple:
22:6. That is, to carpenters and masons, and to such as mend breaches:
and that timber may be bought, and stones out of the quarries, to repair
the temple of the Lord.
22:7. But let there be no reckoning made with them of the money which
they receive, but let them have it in their power, and in their trust.
22:8. And Helcias, the high priest, said to Saphan, the scribe: I have
found the book of the law in the house of the Lord: and Helcias gave the
book to Saphan, and he read it.
The book of the law... That is, Deuteronomy.
22:9. And Saphan, the scribe, came to the king, and brought him word
again concerning that which he had commanded, and said: Thy servants
have gathered together the money that was found in the house of the
Lord: and they have given it to be distributed to the workmen, by the
overseers of the works of the temple of the Lord.
22:10. And Saphan, the scribe, told the king, saying: Helcias, the
priest, hath delivered to me a book. And when Saphan had read it before
the king,
22:11. And the king had heard the words of the law of the Lord, he rent
his garments.
22:12. And he commanded Helcias, the priest, and Ahicam, the son of
Saphan, and Achobor, the son of Micha, and Saphan, the scribe, and
Asaia, the king's servant, saying:
22:13. Go and consult the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all
Juda, concerning the words of this book which is found: for the great
wrath of the Lord is kindled against us, because our fathers have not
hearkened to the words of this book, to do all that is written for us.
22:14. So Helcias, the priest, and Ahicam, and Achobor, and Sapham, and
Asaia, went to Holda, the prophetess, the wife of Sellum, the son of
Thecua, the son of Araas, keeper of the wardrobe, who dwelt in
Jerusalem, in the Second: and they spoke to her.
The Second... A street, or part of the city, so called; in Hebrew,
Massem.
22:15. And she said to them: Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel:
Tell the man that sent you to me:
22:16. Thus saith the Lord: Behold, I will bring evils upon this place,
and upon the inhabitants thereof, all the words of the law which the
king of Juda hath read:
22:17. Because they have forsaken me, and have sacrificed to strange
gods, provoking me by all the works of their hands: therefore my
indignation shall be kindled against this place, and shall not be
quenched.
22:18. But to the king of Juda, who sent you to consult the Lord, thus
shall you say: Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel: for as much as
thou hast heard the words of the book,
22:19. And thy heart hath been moved to fear, and thou hast humbled
thyself before the Lord, hearing the words against this place, and the
inhabitants thereof, to wit, that they should become a wonder and a
curse: and thou hast rent thy garments, and wept before me; I also have
heard thee; saith the Lord.
22:20. Therefore I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be
gathered to thy sepulchre in peace; that thy eyes may not see all the
evils which I will bring upon this place.