Discovery of God's Word Transforms a Kingdom

1. Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. 2. He did that which was right in Yahweh’s eyes, and walked in all the way of David his father, and didn’t turn away to the right hand or to the left. 3. In the eighteenth year of king Josiah, the king sent Shaphan, the son of Azaliah the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to Yahweh’s house, saying, 4. “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may count the money which is brought into Yahweh’s house, which the keepers of the threshold have gathered of the people. 5. Let them deliver it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of Yahweh’s house; and let them give it to the workmen who are in Yahweh’s house, to repair the damage to the house, 6. to the carpenters, and to the builders, and to the masons, and for buying timber and cut stone to repair the house. 7. However there was no accounting made with them of the money that was delivered into their hand; for they dealt faithfully.” 8. Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the book of the law in Yahweh’s house.” Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan, and he read it. 9. Shaphan the scribe came to the king, and brought the king word again, and said, “Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hands of the workmen who have the oversight of Yahweh’s house.” 10. Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, “Hilkiah the priest has delivered a book to me.” Then Shaphan read it before the king. 11. When the king had heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes. 12. The king commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Achbor the son of Micaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying, 13. “Go inquire of Yahweh for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found; for great is Yahweh’s wrath that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not listened to the words of this book, to do according to all that which is written concerning us.” 14. So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the second quarter); and they talked with her. 15. She said to them, “Yahweh the God of Israel says, ‘Tell the man who sent you to me, 16. “Yahweh says, ‘Behold, I will bring evil on this place, and on its inhabitants, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read. 17. Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and it will not be quenched.’” 18. But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of Yahweh, tell him, “Yahweh the God of Israel says, ‘Concerning the words which you have heard, 19. because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before Yahweh, when you heard what I spoke against this place, and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and have torn your clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard you,’ says Yahweh. 20. ‘Therefore behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace. Your eyes will not see all the evil which I will bring on this place.’”’” So they brought this message back to the king. 1. The king sent, and they gathered to him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem. 2. The king went up to Yahweh’s house, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, with the priests, the prophets, and all the people, both small and great; and he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in Yahweh’s house. 3. The king stood by the pillar, and made a covenant before Yahweh, to walk after Yahweh, and to keep his commandments, his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and all his soul, to confirm the words of this covenant that were written in this book; and all the people agreed to the covenant. 4. The king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the threshold, to bring out of Yahweh’s temple all the vessels that were made for Baal, for the Asherah, and for all the army of the sky, and he burned them outside of Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel. 5. He got rid of the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places around Jerusalem; those also who burned incense to Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the army of the sky. 6. He brought out the Asherah from Yahweh’s house, outside of Jerusalem, to the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and beat it to dust, and cast its dust on the graves of the common people. 7. He broke down the houses of the male shrine prostitutes that were in Yahweh’s house, where the women wove hangings for the Asherah. 8. He brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba; and he broke down the high places of the gates that were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on a man’s left hand at the gate of the city. 9. Nevertheless the priests of the high places didn’t come up to Yahweh’s altar in Jerusalem, but they ate unleavened bread among their brothers. 10. He defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech. 11. He took away the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entrance of Yahweh’s house, by the room of Nathan Melech the officer, who was in the court; and he burned the chariots of the sun with fire. 12. The king broke down the altars that were on the roof of the upper room of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of Yahweh’s house, and beat them down from there, and cast their dust into the brook Kidron. 13. The king defiled the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mountain of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon. 14. He broke in pieces the pillars, cut down the Asherah poles, and filled their places with men’s bones. 15. Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, even that altar and the high place he broke down; and he burned the high place and beat it to dust, and burned the Asherah. 16. As Josiah turned himself, he spied the tombs that were there in the mountain; and he sent, and took the bones out of the tombs, and burned them on the altar, and defiled it, according to Yahweh’s word which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these things. 17. Then he said, “What monument is that which I see?” The men of the city told him, “It is the tomb of the man of God, who came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that you have done against the altar of Bethel.” 18. He said, “Let him be! Let no one move his bones.” So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet who came out of Samaria. 19. All the houses also of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke Yahweh to anger, Josiah took away, and did to them according to all the acts that he had done in Bethel. 20. He killed all the priests of the high places that were there, on the altars, and burned men’s bones on them; and he returned to Jerusalem. 21. The king commanded all the people, saying, “Keep the Passover to Yahweh your God, as it is written in this book of the covenant.” 22. Surely there was not kept such a Passover from the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah; 23. but in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, this Passover was kept to Yahweh in Jerusalem. 24. Moreover Josiah removed those who had familiar spirits, the wizards, and the teraphim, and the idols, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might confirm the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in Yahweh’s house. 25. There was no king like him before him, who turned to Yahweh with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; and there was none like him who arose after him. 26. Notwithstanding, Yahweh didn’t turn from the fierceness of his great wrath, with which his anger burned against Judah, because of all the provocation with which Manasseh had provoked him. 27. Yahweh said, “I will also remove Judah out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and I will cast off this city which I have chosen, even Jerusalem, and the house of which I said, ‘My name shall be there.’” 28. Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and all that he did, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 29. In his days Pharaoh Necoh king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates; and king Josiah went against him; and Pharaoh Necoh killed him at Megiddo, when he had seen him. 30. His servants carried him in a chariot dead from Megiddo, and brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own tomb. The people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and anointed him, and made him king in his father’s place. 31. Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 32. He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, according to all that his fathers had done. 33. Pharaoh Necoh put him in bonds at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and put the land to a tribute of one hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold. 34. Pharaoh Necoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim; but he took Jehoahaz away, and he came to Egypt and died there. 35. Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh; but he taxed the land to give the money according to the commandment of Pharaoh. He exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, from everyone according to his assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Necoh. 36. Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zebidah the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. 37. He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, according to all that his fathers had done.

1. Now indeed even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service, and an earthly sanctuary. 2. For a tabernacle was prepared. In the first part were the lamp stand, the table, and the show bread; which is called the Holy Place. 3. After the second veil was the tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies, 4. having a golden altar of incense, and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which was a golden pot holding the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; 5. and above it cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat, of which things we can’t speak now in detail. 6. Now these things having been thus prepared, the priests go in continually into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the services, 7. but into the second the high priest alone, once in the year, not without blood, which he offers for himself, and for the errors of the people. 8. The Holy Spirit is indicating this, that the way into the Holy Place wasn’t yet revealed while the first tabernacle was still standing; 9. which is a symbol of the present age, where gifts and sacrifices are offered that are incapable, concerning the conscience, of making the worshiper perfect; 10. being only (with meats and drinks and various washings) fleshly ordinances, imposed until a time of reformation. 11. But Christ having come as a high priest of the coming good things, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation, 12. nor yet through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood, entered in once for all into the Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption. 13. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify to the cleanness of the flesh: 14. how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without defect to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15. For this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant, since a death has occurred for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant, that those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. 16. For where a last will and testament is, there must of necessity be the death of him who made it. 17. For a will is in force where there has been death, for it is never in force while he who made it lives. 18. Therefore even the first covenant has not been dedicated without blood. 19. For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20. saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.” 21. Moreover he sprinkled the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry in the same way with the blood. 22. According to the law, nearly everything is cleansed with blood, and apart from shedding of blood there is no remission. 23. It was necessary therefore that the copies of the things in the heavens should be cleansed with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24. For Christ hasn’t entered into holy places made with hands, which are representations of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 25. nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest enters into the holy place year by year with blood not his own, 26. or else he must have suffered often since the foundation of the world. But now once at the end of the ages, he has been revealed to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27. Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment, 28. so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, without sin, to those who are eagerly waiting for him for salvation. 1. For the law, having a shadow of the good to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near. 2. Or else wouldn’t they have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having been once cleansed, would have had no more consciousness of sins? 3. But in those sacrifices there is a yearly reminder of sins. 4. For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins. 5. Therefore when he comes into the world, he says, “Sacrifice and offering you didn’t desire, but you prepared a body for me. 6. You had no pleasure in whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin. 7. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (in the scroll of the book it is written of me) to do your will, O God.’” 8. Previously saying, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you didn’t desire, neither had pleasure in them” (those which are offered according to the law), 9. then he has said, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He takes away the first, that he may establish the second, 10. by which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11. Every priest indeed stands day by day serving and often offering the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins, 12. but he, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13. from that time waiting until his enemies are made the footstool of his feet. 14. For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. 15. The Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying, 16. “This is the covenant that I will make with them: ‘After those days,’ says the Lord, ‘I will put my laws on their heart, I will also write them on their mind;’” then he says, 17. “I will remember their sins and their iniquities no more.” 18. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. 19. Having therefore, brothers, boldness to enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20. by the way which he dedicated for us, a new and living way, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21. and having a great priest over God’s house, 22. let’s draw near with a true heart in fullness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and having our body washed with pure water, 23. let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering; for he who promised is faithful. 24. Let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good works, 25. not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as you see the Day approaching. 26. For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more a sacrifice for sins, 27. but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which will devour the adversaries. 28. A man who disregards Moses’ law dies without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses. 29. How much worse punishment do you think he will be judged worthy of who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified an unholy thing, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30. For we know him who said, “Vengeance belongs to me,” says the Lord, “I will repay.” Again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 32. But remember the former days, in which, after you were enlightened, you endured a great struggle with sufferings; 33. partly, being exposed to both reproaches and oppressions; and partly, becoming partakers with those who were treated so. 34. For you both had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your possessions, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and an enduring one in the heavens. 35. Therefore don’t throw away your boldness, which has a great reward. 36. For you need endurance so that, having done the will of God, you may receive the promise. 37. “In a very little while, he who comes will come, and will not wait. 38. But the righteous will live by faith. If he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” 39. But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the saving of the soul. 1. Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen. 2. For by this, the elders obtained testimony. 3. By faith, we understand that the universe has been framed by the word of God, so that what is seen has not been made out of things which are visible. 4. By faith, Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he had testimony given to him that he was righteous, God testifying with respect to his gifts; and through it he, being dead, still speaks. 5. By faith, Enoch was taken away, so that he wouldn’t see death, and he was not found, because God translated him. For he has had testimony given to him that before his translation he had been well pleasing to God. 6. Without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing to him, for he who comes to God must believe that he exists, and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him. 7. By faith, Noah, being warned about things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared a ship for the saving of his house, through which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. 8. By faith, Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out to the place which he was to receive for an inheritance. He went out, not knowing where he went. 9. By faith, he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, dwelling in tents, with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. 10. For he looked for the city which has the foundations, whose builder and maker is God. 11. By faith, even Sarah herself received power to conceive, and she bore a child when she was past age, since she counted him faithful who had promised. 12. Therefore as many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as innumerable as the sand which is by the sea shore, were fathered by one man, and him as good as dead. 13. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them and embraced them from afar, and having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. 15. If indeed they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had enough time to return. 16. But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. 17. By faith, Abraham, being tested, offered up Isaac. Yes, he who had gladly received the promises was offering up his one and only son, 18. to whom it was said, “your offspring will be accounted as from Isaac”; 19. concluding that God is able to raise up even from the dead. Figuratively speaking, he also did receive him back from the dead. 20. By faith, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come. 21. By faith, Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. 22. By faith, Joseph, when his end was near, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel; and gave instructions concerning his bones. 23. By faith, Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that he was a beautiful child, and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment. 24. By faith, Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25. choosing rather to share ill treatment with God’s people, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a time; 26. accounting the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he looked to the reward. 27. By faith, he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. 28. By faith, he kept the Passover, and the sprinkling of the blood, that the destroyer of the firstborn should not touch them. 29. By faith, they passed through the Red Sea as on dry land. When the Egyptians tried to do so, they were swallowed up. 30. By faith, the walls of Jericho fell down, after they had been encircled for seven days. 31. By faith, Rahab the prostitute, didn’t perish with those who were disobedient, having received the spies in peace. 32. What more shall I say? For the time would fail me if I told of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets; 33. who, through faith subdued kingdoms, worked out righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34. quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, grew mighty in war, and caused foreign armies to flee. 35. Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, not accepting their deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. 36. Others were tried by mocking and scourging, yes, moreover by bonds and imprisonment. 37. They were stoned. They were sawn apart. They were tempted. They were slain with the sword. They went around in sheep skins and in goat skins; being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated 38. (of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts, mountains, caves, and the holes of the earth. 39. These all, having had testimony given to them through their faith, didn’t receive the promise, 40. God having provided some better thing concerning us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

1. My son, if you have become collateral for your neighbor, if you have struck your hands in pledge for a stranger; 2. You are trapped by the words of your mouth. You are ensnared with the words of your mouth. 3. Do this now, my son, and deliver yourself, since you have come into the hand of your neighbor. Go, humble yourself. Press your plea with your neighbor. 4. Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids. 5. Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler. 6. Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise; 7. which having no chief, overseer, or ruler, 8. provides her bread in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest. 9. How long will you sleep, sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep? 10. A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: 11. so your poverty will come as a robber, and your scarcity as an armed man. 12. A worthless person, a man of iniquity, is he who walks with a perverse mouth; 13. who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who motions with his fingers; 14. in whose heart is perverseness, who devises evil continually, who always sows discord. 15. Therefore his calamity will come suddenly. He will be broken suddenly, and that without remedy. 16. There are six things which Yahweh hates; yes, seven which are an abomination to him: 17. haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood; 18. a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are swift in running to mischief, 19. a false witness who utters lies, and he who sows discord among brothers. 20. My son, keep your father’s commandment, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching. 21. Bind them continually on your heart. Tie them around your neck. 22. When you walk, it will lead you. When you sleep, it will watch over you. When you awake, it will talk with you. 23. For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is light. Reproofs of instruction are the way of life, 24. to keep you from the immoral woman, from the flattery of the wayward wife’s tongue. 25. Don’t lust after her beauty in your heart, neither let her captivate you with her eyelids. 26. For a prostitute reduces you to a piece of bread. The adulteress hunts for your precious life. 27. Can a man scoop fire into his lap, and his clothes not be burned? 28. Or can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be scorched? 29. So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife. Whoever touches her will not be unpunished. 30. Men don’t despise a thief, if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry: 31. but if he is found, he shall restore seven times. He shall give all the wealth of his house. 32. He who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding. He who does it destroys his own soul. 33. He will get wounds and dishonor. His reproach will not be wiped away. 34. For jealousy arouses the fury of the husband. He won’t spare in the day of vengeance. 35. He won’t regard any ransom, neither will he rest content, though you give many gifts.