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.
Josia, omukwaniilwa gwaJuda
(2 Aak. 22:1-2)1 Josia okwa li e na omimvo hetatu, sho a ningi omukwaniilwa gwaJuda, nokwa lele muJerusalem omimvo omilongo ndatu nagumwe. 2 Josia okwa longo shoka sho opalela Omuwa; okwa landula oshinkoti shahekulu, omukwaniilwa David, nokwa vulika lela kiipango ayihe yaKalunga.
Josia ta kondjitha uupagani
3 Momumvo omutihetatu guukwaniilwa we, manga omugundjuka, Josia okwa tameke okusimaneka Kalunga kahekulu David. Konima sho pwa piti omimvo ne, okwa tameke okuhanagula po omahala giinonoma yuupagani, iiyelekela yoshikalungakiintu Asheera niimenka yilwe wo. 4 Mewiliko lye aantu ye oya kumagula po iiyambelo mpoka hapu simanekelwa Baal e taa kumuna po iiyambelo yiitsinino. Oya tatagula po iiyelekela yaAsheera niimenka yilwe e taa halakanitha po uutandu koombila dhaantu mboka ya li ye yi yambele. 5 Okwa lungunithile omasipa gaayambi aapagani kiiyambelo nkoka ya yambelele. Sho a ningi ngeyi, okwa yapula Juda naJerusalem, yi yogoke. 6 Shika okwe shi ningi wo miilando yaManasse, Efraim naSimeon, sigo okuumbangalantu kuNaftali. 7 Moshilongo ashihe shokuumbangalantu okwa kumagula po iiyambelo niiyelekela yoshikalungakiintu Asheera, iimenka okwe yi tatagula po, nomatsininoyambelo okwe ga tatula uutandu. Nokwa galukile kuJerusalem.
Embompango tali itsuwa
(2 Aak. 22:3-20)8 Momumvo omutimulongo nahetatu gwepangelo lye, sho a adhika a yogola oshilongo nosho wo otempeli nokuhulitha po esimaneko lyiimenka, omukwaniilwa Josia okwa tumu aantu yatatu, ya opaleke otempeli yOmuwa Kalunga. Oyo Shafan yaAzalia, Maaseia, omupangeli gwaJerusalem, naJoa yaJoahas, amushangandjayi. 9 Iimaliwa mbyoka ya gongelwa kaatonateli Aalevi motempeli, oya pewa omuyambimukuluntu Hilkia. (Oyu umbwa ongalo kAaefraim nAamanasse nokoshihupe shOshilongo shokuumbangalantu nokAajuda, Aabenjamin nAajerusalem.) 10 Iimaliwa mbika oya pewa aantu yatatu mboka taa tonatele iilonga yotempeli, noye yi gandja 11 kaanashihongelo naatungi, opo ya lande omamanya niipilangi tayi longithwa meopaleko lyomatungo ngoka aakwaniilwa yaJuda ye etha ga yonuke. 12 Aantu mboka ya li taa longo iilonga mbika, oya li aayuuki. Oya tonatelwa kAalevi yane: Jahat naObadia gwomoludhi lwaMerari naSakaria naMeshullam gwomoludhi lwaKohat. (Aalevi oya li aayimbi oonkulungu.) 13 Aalevi ooyakwawo oya li taa tonatele eenditho lyiinima e taa wilike aaniilonga miilonga yi ili noyi ili, yamwe oya li aadhiginini yomambo nayamwe aakeeleli yopiiyelo.
14 Iimaliwa sho ya li tayi kuthwa mompungulilo, Hilkia okwa mono embo lyompango yOmuwa, ndjoka Omuwa a gandjele kuMoses. 15 Okwa ti kuShafan: “Ondi itsu embompango motempeli.” Okwa gandja embo kuShafan, 16 naShafan okwe li fala komukwaniilwa. Okwa hokolola a ti: “Otwa gwanitha shoka wa ti. 17 Otwa kutha iimaliwa mbyoka ya li ya pungulwa motempeli e tatu yi gandja kaaniilonga naawiliki yawo.” 18 Oye nokwa gwedha ko a ti: “Ondi na po embo mpaka ndyoka Hilkia a pe ndje.” Oye nokwe li leshele omukwaniilwa muule.
19 Omukwaniilwa sho u uvu embo tali leshwa, okwa tuula oonguwo dhe moluhodhi 20 e ta lombwele Hilkia, Ahikam yaShafan, Abdon yaMikaia, amushangampangu Shefan nomukalele gwomukwaniilwa Asaja ta ti: 21 “Indeni, mu ke tu pulile Omuwa tse naantu ya hupile muIsrael naJuda. Monii mo shoka sha popiwa membo ndika. Omuwa okwe tu geele, oshoka ootatekulu inaa vulika koohapu dhOmuwa yo inaa ninga shoka embo ndika tali ti nashi ningwe.”
22 Palombwelo lyomukwaniilwa, Hilkia nayalwe oya yi, ya ka pule komukulukadhi edhina lye Hulda, omuhunganeki ngoka a kala moshitopolwa oshipe muJerusalem. (Omulume Shallum yaTikva, omutekulu gwaHarhas okwa li omutonateli gwoonguwo dhomotempeli.) Oya hokololele Hulda shoka sha ningwa po. 23 Hulda okwe ya lombwele, ya shune komukwaniilwa, yo ye mu faalele 24 elaka lya zi kOmuwa tali ti: “Otandi ka geela Jerusalem naantu yasho ayehe nethingano ndyoka lya nyolelwa membo nolya leshelwa omukwaniilwa. 25 Oye ekelehi ndje e taa yambele iikalunga omafikilondjambo. Osho ngaaka oya tukulutha ondjahi yandje niilonga yawo. Ondjahi yandje oya tukuluthwa, yi geele Jerusalem noitayi ka lotela we. 26 Ihe tyeni komukwaniilwa gwaJuda, shika osho shono ngame, Omuwa, Kalunga kaIsrael, tandi ti: ‘Owa pulakene shoka sha nyolelwa membompango, 27 nowi itedhulula e to ifupipike koshipala shandje, nokutuula oonguwo dhoye e to lili, sho wa uvu kutya tandi ka geela Jerusalem naantu yasho. Ondu uvu egalikano lyoye, 28 negeelo ndyoka tandi etele Jerusalem, itali ya we, manga inoo sa. Oto ka sa nombili.’ ”
Aantu oya fala elaka ndika komukwaniilwa Josia.
Josia ta hangana nOmuwa
(2 Aak. 23:1-20)29 Omukwaniilwa Josia okwa hiya aawiliki yaJuda noyaJerusalem. 30 Oyo ayehe oya gongala noya yi kotempeli ya thindikilwa kaayambi, Aalevi nokoshihupe ashihe shoshigwana, aayamba noohepele. Montaneho yawo omukwaniilwa okwa lesha embo lyehangano alihe mokule, ndyoka lyi itsuwa motempeli. 31 Okwa thikama pongundhi yaakwaniilwa e ta hangana nOmuwa. Oshigwana ashihe osha li shi na okuuvaneka, shi vulike kOmuwa sho shi dhiginine iipango ye ayihe nomautho ge agehe nomutima aguhe noonkondo adhihe. Ashihe shoka shu uthwa membo lya monika, oshi na okudhigininwa. 32 Okwa hanganithitha Aabenjamin naayehe mboka ya li po muJerusalem, ya uvaneke okudhiginina ehangano. Osho ngaaka Aajerusalem ya vulika, ya ende pahangano ye li hangana naKalunga koohekulu. 33 Omukwaniilwa Josia okwa hanagula po iimenka ayihe yi nyanyalitha miitopolwa ayihe yaIsrael. Manga a li e na omwenyo, aantu oya simaneke Omuwa, Kalunga koohekulu.
