King Josiah of Judah
(2 Kings 22.12 2)1 Josiah was 8 years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled 31 years from Jerusalem. 2 He followed the example of his ancestor David and always obeyed the Lord.
Josiah Stops the Worship of Foreign Gods
(2 Kings 23.4-20)3 When Josiah was only 16 years old he began worshiping God, just as his ancestor David had done. Then, 4 years later, he decided to destroy the local shrines in Judah and Jerusalem, as well as the sacred poles for worshiping the goddess Asherah and the idols of foreign gods. 4 He watched as the altars for the worship of the god Baal were torn down, and as the nearby incense altars were smashed. The Asherah poles, the idols, and the stone images were also smashed, and the pieces were scattered over the graves of their worshipers. 5 Josiah then had the bones of the pagan priests burned on the altars.
And so Josiah got rid of the worship of foreign gods in Judah and Jerusalem. 6 He did the same things in the towns and ruined villages in the territories of West Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, as far as the border of Naphtali. 7 Everywhere in the northern kingdom of Israel, Josiah tore down pagan altars and Asherah poles; he crushed idols to dust and smashed incense altars.
Then Josiah went back to Jerusalem.
Hilkiah Finds The Book of God's Law
(2 Kings 22.3-20)8 In the eighteenth year of Josiah's rule in Judah, after he had removed all the sinful things from the land and from the Lord's temple, he sent three of his officials to repair the temple. They were Shaphan son of Azaliah, Governor Maaseiah of Jerusalem, and Joah son of Joahaz, who kept the government records.
9 These three men went to Hilkiah the high priest. They gave him the money that the Levite guards had collected from the people of West Manasseh, Ephraim, and the rest of Israel, as well as those living in Judah, Benjamin, and Jerusalem. 10 Then the money was turned over to the men who supervised the repairs to the temple. They used some of it to pay the workers, 11 and they gave the rest of it to the carpenters and builders, who used it to buy the stone and wood they needed to repair the other buildings that Judah's kings had not taken care of.
12 The workers were honest, and their supervisors were Jahath and Obadiah from the Levite clan of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam from the Levite clan of Kohath. Other Levites, who were all skilled musicians, 13 were in charge of carrying supplies and supervising the workers. Other Levites were appointed to stand guard around the temple.
14 While the money was being given to these supervisors, Hilkiah found the book that contained the laws that the Lord had given to Moses. 15 Hilkiah handed the book to Shaphan the official and said, “Look what I found here in the temple—The Book of God's Law.”
16 Shaphan took the book to Josiah and reported, “Your officials are doing everything you wanted. 17 They have collected the money from the temple and have given it to the men supervising the repairs. 18 But there's something else, Your Majesty. The priest Hilkiah gave me this book.” Then Shaphan read it aloud.
19 When Josiah heard what was in The Book of God's Law, he tore his clothes in sorrow. 20 At once he called together Hilkiah, Shaphan, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, and his own servant Asaiah. He said, 21 “The Lord must be furious with me and everyone else in Israel and Judah, because our ancestors did not obey the laws written in this book. Go find out what the Lord wants us to do.”
22 Hilkiah and the four other men left at once and went to talk with Huldah the prophet. Her husband was Shallum, who was in charge of the king's clothes. Huldah lived in the northern part of Jerusalem, and when they met in her home, 23 she said:
You were sent here by King Josiah, and this is what the Lord God of Israel says to him: 24 “Josiah, I am the Lord! And I intend to punish this country and everyone in it, just as this book says. 25 The people of Judah and Israel have rejected me. They have offered sacrifices to foreign gods and have worshiped their own idols. I can't stand it any longer. I am furious.
26-27 “Josiah, listen to what I am going to do. I noticed how sad you were when you heard that this country and its people would be completely wiped out. You even tore your clothes in sorrow, and I heard you cry. 28 So before I destroy this place, I will let you die in peace.”
The men left and reported to Josiah what Huldah had said.
Josiah Reads The Book of God's Law
(2 Kings 23.1-3)29 King Josiah called together the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem. 30 Then he went to the Lord's temple, together with all the people of Judah and Jerusalem, the priests, and the Levites.
Finally, when everybody was there, he read aloud The Book of God's Law that had been found in the temple.
31 After Josiah had finished reading, he stood in the place reserved for the king. He promised in the Lord's name to faithfully obey the Lord and to follow his laws and teachings that were written in the book. 32 Then he asked the people of Jerusalem and Benjamin to make that same promise and to obey the God their ancestors had worshiped.
33 Josiah destroyed all the idols in the territories of Israel, and he commanded everyone in Israel to worship only the Lord God. The people did not turn away from the Lord God of their ancestors for the rest of Josiah's rule as king.
Judab gao-aob Josiab
(2 Gao-aogu 22:1-2)1 Josiab ge disiǁkhaisaǀa kurixab a hîa Judab di gao-ao kai tsî ǃnonadisiǀguiǀa kuriga Jerusalems ǃnâ gere ǂgaeǂgui. 2 Josiab ge ǃKhūba a ǃgâibana gere dī; ǁîb ge ǁîb aboxab, gao-aob Davidi aiǁgausa gere sao tsî Elob ǂhanuba hoaragase ge ǁnâuǀnam hâ i.
Josiab ge ǀūben di ǀgoreǀîǃkhaide ra hîkākā
3 ǁKhaisaǁî kurib ǁîb ǂgaeǂguis dib ǃnâb ge Josiaba, noxopab a ǂkham hîa, ǁîb aboxab gao-aob Davidi Eloba ge ǃoabatsoatsoa. Haka kurigu khaoǃgâb ge ǁîba ǀūben di ǀgoreǀîǃkhaidi, ǁgôa-elos Aseras īgu tsî nau ǂnâhesa ǁgôa-elo-īgu hoagu tsîna, Judab tsî Jerusalems tsîra ǃnâ ge hîkākātsoatsoa. 4 ǁÎb kōǃgâs ǃnaka di ge Baali altarde khôaǂkhūhe tsî ǁîdi ǀgapika ge hâ i ǀanǀanaltarde ge khôaǁnâhe. Aseras īgu tsî nau ǂnâhesa īgu tsîga tsarab kōse ǂkhūǂkhū tsîn ge tsaraba, ǁîga gere ǀgoreǀî khoen di ǀhobadi ai ge tsoroxū. 5 ǀŪben pristergu di ǂkhōnab ge ǁîgu gere ǀgoreǀî-ai altardi ai ge khauǃkhū. ǁNātib ge Judab tsî Jerusalems tsîra ge ǃanuǃanu. 6 ǁKhās ǁkhāsab ge Manaseb, Efraimmi tsî Simeonni ǃādi tsî hîkākāsa ǀkharigu tsîn ǃnâ ge dī, Naftalib, ǀapasǀkhāb ǃnâ ǁgoeb kōse. 7 Hoaraga Israeli ǃnâb ge altardi tsî Aseras īgu tsîna khôaǂkhū, īga tsarab kōse xontsautsau tsî ǀanǀanaltarde ge khôaǃā. ǁNās khaoǃgâb ge Jerusalems ǁga ge oa.
ǂHanub di ǂkhanis ge ra hōhe
(2 Gao-aogu 22:3-20)8 Disiǁkhaisaǀaǁî kurib ǁîb ǂgaeǂguis dib ǃnâ, ǃhūb tsî Tempeli tsîkhab ge ǃanuǃanus khaoǃgâb ge gao-aob Josiaba Asaliab ôab Safanni, Jerusalems ǂgaeǂgui-aob Maasejab tsî ǀgapi ǂamkhoeb Joaxi, Joahasi ôab tsîga Tempeli ǁga ge sî, ǃKhūb Elob di Tempela gu sī nî dī-unuse. 9 Leviǁî ǃûi-aogu ge Tempeli ǃnâ ǀhaoǀhao hâ i mari-eb ge ǀgapipristeri Hilkiaba ge māhe. ǁÎ-i ge Manaseb tsî Efraimmi tsî nau ǃâb Israeli dib di khoen, Judab tsî Benjaminni tsî Jerusalems di khoen tsîna xu ge ǀhaoǀhaohe hâ i. 10 ǁNā mari-e gu ge Tempela dī-unus ǁguiǂamsa ūhâ khoega ge māhe tsî gu ge ǁîga, 11 ǁî-e ǃnaokuru-aogu tsî omaogu tsîga ge mā, îgu Judab gao-aogu ǂgaeǂguis ǁaeb ǃnâ ge ǀorotoa omgu nî dī-unu-ūhe ǀuidi tsî hain tsîna ǁama. 12 Nē sîsenna gere dī khoegu ge hoaragase ge ǂhauǃnâ i. ǁÎgu ge haka Leviǁîgu, Jahati tsî Obadjab tsîkha Merariǁîn dikha tsî Saxariab tsî Mesulammi Kohatǁîn dikha tsîgu xa gere mûǂamhe. Leviǁîgu hoagu ge ǀkhōxūna, ǃgâise ge ǀkhō ǁkhā i. 13 ǀNî Leviǁîgu ge omūxūn di tani-aogu tsî ǃkharagaǃnâgu sîsenna ra dī khoegu tsîn ǂama mûǂamsa ge ūhâ i; ǀnîgu ge xoa-aose tamas ka io dao-amdi ǃûi-aose gere ǃoaba.
14 Mari-e gu sâuǃnâ-omma xu ra ūǂui, hîab ge Hilkiaba, ǃKhūb ǂhanub di ǂkhanis, ǃKhūb ge Moseba mā hâ i ǂhanub disa ge hō. 15 Ob ge Hilkiaba Safanna ge mîba: “ǂHanub ǂkhanisa ta ge Tempeli ǃnâ go hō.” ǁÎb ge Safanna ǂkhanisa ge mā 16 tsîb ge Safanna ǁîsa gao-aob tawa ge sī-ū. ǁÎb ge ǁkhāti gao-aoba ge ǂanǂan: “Sats go mîmā ge xūn hoana ge ge go dī. 17 Tempeli ǃnâ go hâ i mari-e ge ge ūǂui tsî sîsenaogu tsî ǁîgu di mûǂamaogu tsîga go mā.” 18 Tsîb ge Safanna ǃaruǀî “Nēpa ta ge Hilkiab go mā te ǂkhani-e ūhâ” ti mî tsî gao-aoba ǁîsa xu ge khomaiba.
19 Gao-aob ge ǂkhanis ǃnâ a xoasa mîdeb ge ǁnâu, o ǃhuri tsî saran âba ǀkhau 20 tsî prister Hilkiab tsî Safanni ôab Ahikammi tsî Mikajab ôab Abdonni tsî xoa-aob Safanni tsî gao-aob di ǂamkhoeb Asajab tsîga ge mîmā: 21 “ǃGû, î nē ǂkhanis ǃnâ mā mîdi ǂama, tita tsî Israeli tsî Judab tsîkha ǃnâ ǃgau hâ khoen tsîda ǃKhūb tawa sī ǀape-ôaba. ǃKhūb ge sida ǀkha ǁaixa hâ, sida aboxagu ge nē ǂkhanis, dī da nîsa ra ǂgaoǀkhā da xūna dī tama i amaga.”
22 O gu ge Hilkiab tsî nau khoegu gao-aob digu tsîga kēbo-aos Huldas, ǀasa ǃâs Jerusalems dis ǃnâ ge ǁan hâ is ǁga ge ǀape-ôaǃgû. (ǁÎs aob Salummi, Tikwab ôa tsî Harhab ǁnurib ge Tempelsaran ǂama ge mûǂamao i.) ǁÎgu ge ī ge xūna a mîǃāba si, 23 os ge ǁîsa ǁîga ge mîba, î gu gao-aob ǃoa oa tsî ǁîba 24 sao ra ǂhôas ǃKhūba xu hâsa sī mîba: “Tita ge Jerusalems tsî ǁîs di ǁanǂgāsaben tsîna gao-aob go khomaibahe ǂkhanis ǃnâ i a xoamâisa khami nî ǁkhara. 25 ǁÎn ge tita ǁnāxū tsî ǀkhara eloga ǁguibade gere hā-ūba, tsîn ge dīn ge xūn hoan ǀkha tita ge ǁaiǁai. Tita ge Jerusalems ǂama kaise ge ǁaixa tsîb ge ti ǁaiba toa tide. 26 Tsî gao-aob xasa, nēti ta ge tita ǃKhūta, Israeli Elota ra mî: Sats ge ǂkhanis ǃnâ a xoasa mîde go ǃgaoǃgâ. 27 Sats ge ǃhobasen tsî ti aiǃâ ǃgamǃgamsen tsî saran âtsa ǀkhau tsî go ā, mâti ta Jerusalems tsî ǁîs ǁanǂgāsaben tsîna ra ǁkhara ǂgao ǃkhaisats go ǁnâuo. Tita ge sa ǀgoresa go ǁnâu 28 tsîb ge nē ǁkharab Jerusalems ǂama ta nî hā-ūba, sa ǁōb khaoǃgâ ǀgui nî ī. Sats ge ǂkhîb ǃnâ nî ǁō.”
O gu ge ǁîga gao-aob Josiab ǁga nē ǂhôas ǀkha ge oa.
Josiab ge ǃKhūba ǁnâuǀnamsa ra mîmâi
(2 Gao-aogu 23:1-20)29 Gao-aob Josiab ge hoaraga ǂgaeǂgui-aogu Judab tsî Jerusalems tsîra diga ǂgaiǀhao, 30 tsî ǁîgu hoagu tsî pristergu tsî Leviǁîgu tsî nau khoen, ǃkhū hân tsî ǀgâsan tsîn hoan ǀkha Tempela ǃoa ge ǃgû. Tsîb ge gao-aoba ǁîn hoana, ǃgaeǀhaos ǂkhanis Tempeli ǃnâ ge hōhes hoaragasa ge khomaiba. 31 ǁÎb ge ǂkhâǃnâhaib tawa mâse ǃgaeǀhao-e ǃKhūb ǀkha dī tsî ge mîmâi, ǃKhūba ǁnâuǀnam, ǁîb ǂhanugu tsî mîmādi tsîna hoaraga ǂgaob tsî ǀoms ǀkha ǃkhōǀgaipe, tsîb ǃgaeǀhaos ǂkhanis ǃnâ a xoasa xūna, ǂkhanis ǃnân a xoamâisa khami nî dīsa. 32 Tsîb ge hoaraga khoen Benjaminni din tsî Jerusalems ǃnâ ge hâ in tsîn hoana, nē ǃgaeǀhaosan nî ǃkhōǀgaipe ǃkhaisa ge mîmâi kai. Tsîn ge Jerusalems ǁanǂgāsabena, ǃKhūb, ǁîn aboxagu di Elob ǀkhan ge dī ǃgaeǀhaos di ǂgaoǀkhāde ge ǁnâuǀnam. 33 Gao-aob Josiab ge hoaraga ui-uisa īgu, Israelǁîn di ǃhūb ǃnâ ge hâ igu hoaga ge hîkākā, tsîb ge ǁîb di ûitsēdi hoaden ǃKhūb, ǁîn aboxagu di Eloba nî ǃoabasa ǁîna ge ǂgaoǀkhā.
