King Josiah of Judah
(2 Kings 22.12 2)1 Josiah was eight years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled in Jerusalem for thirty-one years. 2 He did what was pleasing to the Lord; he followed the example of his ancestor King David, strictly obeying all the laws of God.
Josiah Attacks Pagan Worship
3 In the eighth year that Josiah was king, while he was still very young, he began to worship the God of his ancestor King David. Four years later he began to destroy the pagan places of worship, the symbols of the goddess Asherah, and all the other idols. 4 Under his direction the altars where Baal was worshiped were smashed, and the incense altars near them were torn down. They ground to dust the images of Asherah and all the other idols and then scattered the dust on the graves of the people who had sacrificed to them. 5 He burned the bones of the pagan priests on the altars where they had worshiped. By doing all this, he made Judah and Jerusalem ritually clean again. 6 He did the same thing in the cities and the devastated areas of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, and as far north as Naphtali. 7 Throughout the territory of the Northern Kingdom he smashed the altars and the symbols of Asherah, ground the idols to dust, and broke into bits all the incense altars. Then he returned to Jerusalem.
The Book of the Law Is Discovered
(2 Kings 22.3-20)8 In the eighteenth year of his reign, after he had purified the land and the Temple by ending pagan worship, King Josiah sent three men to repair the Temple of the Lord God: Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah, the governor of Jerusalem, and Joah son of Joahaz, a high official. 9 The money that the Levite guards had collected in the Temple was turned over to Hilkiah the High Priest. (It had been collected from the people of Ephraim and Manasseh and the rest of the Northern Kingdom, and from the people of Judah, Benjamin, and Jerusalem.) 10 This money was then handed over to the three men in charge of the Temple repairs, and they gave it to 11 the carpenters and the builders to buy the stones and the timber used to repair the buildings that the kings of Judah had allowed to decay. 12 The men who did the work were thoroughly honest. They were supervised by four Levites: Jahath and Obadiah of the clan of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam of the clan of Kohath. (The Levites were all skillful musicians.) 13 Other Levites were in charge of transporting materials and supervising the workers on various jobs, and others kept records or served as guards.
14 While the money was being taken out of the storeroom, Hilkiah found the book of the Law of the Lord, the Law that God had given to Moses. 15 He said to Shaphan, “I have found the book of the Law here in the Temple.” He gave Shaphan the book, 16 and Shaphan took it to the king. He reported, “We have done everything that you commanded. 17 We have taken the money that was kept in the Temple and handed it over to the workers and their supervisors.” 18 Then he added, “I have here a book that Hilkiah gave me.” And he read it aloud to the king.
19 When the king heard the book being read, he tore his clothes in dismay 20 and gave the following order to Hilkiah, to Ahikam son of Shaphan, to Abdon son of Micaiah, to Shaphan, the court secretary, and to Asaiah, the king's attendant: 21 “Go and consult the Lord for me and for the people who still remain in Israel and Judah. Find out about the teachings of this book. The Lord is angry with us because our ancestors have not obeyed the word of the Lord and have not done what this book says must be done.”
22 At the king's command, Hilkiah and the others went to consult a woman named Huldah, a prophet who lived in the newer part of Jerusalem. (Her husband Shallum, the son of Tikvah and grandson of Harhas, was in charge of the Temple robes.) They described to her what had happened, 23 and she told them to go back to the king and give him 24 the following message from the Lord: “I am going to punish Jerusalem and all its people with the curses written in the book that was read to the king. 25 They have rejected me and have offered sacrifices to other gods, and so have stirred up my anger by all they have done. My anger is aroused against Jerusalem, and it will not die down. 26 As for the king himself, this is what I, the Lord God of Israel, say: You listened to what is written in the book, 27 and you repented and humbled yourself before me, tearing your clothes and weeping, when you heard how I threatened to punish Jerusalem and its people. I have heard your prayer, 28 and the punishment which I am going to bring on Jerusalem will not come until after your death. I will let you die in peace.”
The men returned to King Josiah with this message.
Josiah Makes a Covenant to Obey the Lord
(2 Kings 23.1-20)29 King Josiah summoned all the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, 30 and together they went to the Temple, accompanied by the priests and the Levites and all the rest of the people, rich and poor alike. Before them all the king read aloud the whole book of the covenant, which had been found in the Temple. 31 He stood by the royal column and made a covenant with the Lord to obey him, to keep his laws and commands with all his heart and soul, and to put into practice the demands attached to the covenant, as written in the book. 32 He made the people of Benjamin and everyone else present in Jerusalem promise to keep the covenant. And so the people of Jerusalem obeyed the requirements of the covenant they had made with the God of their ancestors. 33 King Josiah destroyed all the disgusting idols that were in the territory belonging to the people of Israel, and as long as he lived, he required the people to serve the Lord, the God of their ancestors.
Josija ma rire ombara mOjuda
(2Ozo 22:1-2)1 Josija wa ri nozombura hambondatu tja rira ombara mOjuda; neye wa honapara oure wozombura omirongo vitatu na imwe mOjerusalem. 2 Eye wa tjita imbi mbyaa vi tjata ku Muhona, na horere kotjikaro tjaihe mukururume, ombara David, ama ṱakamisa omatwako aehe wa Ndjambi nokuhinokuivaiva.
Josija ma haṋa poṋa pomerikotameneno kovisenginina
3 Mombura oitjahambondatu youhona wa Josija, eye ngunda e ri omutanda tjinene, otja uta okurikotamena ku Ndjambi wa ihe mukururume, ombara David. Kombunda yozombura ine eye otja uta okuhaṋa poṋa apehe pomerikotameneno kovisenginina kozondunda, ovihenḓe ovizere vyomukuru wotjisenginina oserekaze Asera, noviserekarera avihe vyoomukuru varwe vovisenginina. 4 Josija ngunda ama tarere, ovandu va nyanyaura ovipunguhiro vya Baal kee rikotamenenwa, nave haṋa ovipunguhiro vyomatwimisiro wovyomoro omuwa mbya ri posi yavyo, nave ṱukuṱura oviserekarera vya Asera na imbi avihe vyoomukuru varwe vovisenginina, nga tji vya rira oruuma; tjazumba otji va rimba indwi oruuma komaendo wa imba mbaa ve punguha ku wo. 5 Josija wa nyosira omaṱupa wovapristeri vovisenginina kovipunguhiro kaave rikotamenene; komuhingo mbwi otja kohorora Juda na Jerusalem rukwao. 6 Eye wa tjita tjingetjo movihuro vyehi ra Manasse nora Efraim nora Simeon nga kokure kehi ra Naftali. 7 Josija wa nyanyaura ovipunguhiro ovihenḓe ovizere, na ṱukuṱura oviserekarera vyovisenginina, nga tji vya rira oruuma, na nyainya ovipunguhiro avihe vyomatwimisiro wovyomoro omuwa, mehi arihe ra Israel. Tjazumba otja yaruka kOjerusalem.
Embo rOmatwako mari munika
(2Ozo 22:3-20)8 Mombura oitjamurongo na hambondatu youhona wombara Josija, eye tja za nokukohorora ehi nondjuwo ya Muhona Ndjambi komerikotameneno kovisenginina, otja hinda Safan, omuzandu wa Asalja, na Maaseja, ongooneya ya Jerusalem, na Joak, omuzandu wa Joahas, omunane wokombanda, kutja ve kaṱune ondjuwo ya Muhona i rire ohirona. 9 Owo va ya ku Hilkija, Omupristeri Otjiuru, nave kemupa ovimariva mbya wongerwe i Ovalevi ovatjevere mondjuwo ya Ndjambi; ovimariva mbi vya wongerwe movandu va Efraim nOvamanasse na motjihuro atjihe tjOvaisrael, na movandu va Juda nOvabenjamin na movature va Jerusalem. 10 Owo va yandja ovimariva mbi kovandu mba mba ri ovatjevere votjiungura tjokuṱuna ondjuwo ya Muhona; nowo va suta na vyo 11 ovahonge vomiti novatunge, nave randa na vyo omawe nomiti vyokuṱuna omatungiro, nga haṋenwe i ozombara za Juda. 12 Ovarumendu, mba ungura oviungura mbi, va ri ovaṱakame tjinene. Owo va ri kehi yondjeverero ya Jahat na Obadja, vonganda yOmulevi Merari, na Sakaria na Mesulam, vonganda yOmulevi Kehat. Ovalevi avehe va ri ozonongo tjinene mokunyanda ovihumba. 13 Ovalevi tjiva va ri ovatjevere vovatjinde voviṋa, nu tjiva aave ṱakamisa ovaungure moviungura pekepeke, novakwao tjiva va ri ovatjange voviṋa novatjevere vopomivero.
14 Ovimariva ngunda amavi isiwa mo mondjuwo yomapwikiro, Hilkija, Omupristeri Otjiuru, otja muna Embo rOmatwako wa Muhona nga yandjere ku Moses. 15 Eye wa raera nai ku Safan, omutjangerepo wouhona: “Mba munu Embo rOmatwako imwi mondjuwo ya Muhona!” Nu Hilkija wa yandja Embo ndi ku Safan, 16 nu Safan wa twara Embo ndi kombara. Neye wa kaserekarera nai kombara: “Eṱe twa tjita oviṋa avihe, mbi wa rakiza. 17 Twa kambura ovimariva mbyaa vi ṱizirwa mondjuwo ya Muhona, natu vi yandja kovaungure na kovatjevere vawo.” 18 Tjazumba Safan wa hungira komurungu ama tja: “Hilkija we ndji pa Embo ndi.” Nu Safan we ri resera ombara neraka enene.
19 Ombara tji ya zuva Embo ndi amari resewa, otja nyondorora ozombanda ze moruhoze. 20 Ombara Josija wa isana Hilkija, na Safan, omutjangerepo wouhona, na Ahikam, omazandu wa Safan, na Abdon, omuzandu wa Mika, na Asaja, omukarere omutjevere wombara, ne ve rakiza nai: 21 “Twendeye mu kapure ku Muhona inga omahongero nge ri mEmbo ndi, mena randje norotjiwaṋa ingee tji tji ri mOjerusalem na mOjuda. Omazenge wa Muhona, tjiri, ya rira omanene ku eṱe, ootate mukururume tjinga ave ha karere nonḓuviro ku Muhona, nave ha tjitire imbi avihe mbi sokutjitwa otja tji pa tjangwa mEmbo ndi.”
22 Otja komarakiza wombara, Hilkija novakwao va kapura omukazendu wena Hulda, omuprofete, ngwa turire momunda omupe wa Jerusalem. Omurumendu wa Hulda wena Salum, omuzandu wa Tokat, nondekurona ya Hasra, wa ri omutjevere wozombanda zondjuwo ya Muhona. Owo va serekarerera Hulda imbi mbya tjitwa, 23 neye we ve raera kutja ve yaruke kombara nu ve keiraere ombuze ya Muhona ndji: 24 “Ami me vere Jerusalem novature vatjo avehe otja komasengiro nga tjangwa mEmbo ndi nda reserwa ombara. 25 Owo we ndji imbirahi nave punguhire oomukuru varwe ozombunguhiro; komuhingo mbwi otji ve ndji pindikisa na imbi avihe mbi va tjita. Omazenge wandje maye sekamene Jerusalem, nu kamaaye yanda ko. 26 Nu kombara oini, ami ngu mbi ri Muhona, Ndjambi wa Israel, me tja nai: Ove wa puratena ku imbi mbya tjangwa mEmbo ndi, 27 nu we ritanaura no risusuparisa omuini komurungu wandje; amo nyondorora ozombanda zoye nokurira, indu tji wa zuva kutja ami mba tanda okuvera Jerusalem novature vatjo. Ami mbe ku zuvira ongumbiro yoye, 28 nove komoo kara nomuinyo moruveze ndu me eta oviwonga kOjerusalem na kovature vatjo. Ami me ku zepa mohange.”
Novarumendu va yaruka kombara Josija nombuze ndji.
Josija ma tjiti omerikutiropamwe wokukara nonḓuviro ku Muhona
(2Ozo 23:1-20)29 Ombara Josija wa isana ovanane avehe va Juda nova Jerusalem, 30 nowo va ya pamwe kondjuwo ya Muhona, amave kongorerwa i ovapristeri nOvalevi notjiwaṋa atjihe, ovatumbe novasyona. Ombara ya resera momurungu wawo avehe neraka enene indi Embo arihe rOmerikutiropamwe nda vazerwe mondjuwo ya Muhona. 31 Tjazumba ombara Josija otja kakurama meṋe yongunḓe youhona na tjiti omerikutiropamwe na Muhona kutja ma kara nonḓuviro ku ye, nokutja ma ṱakamisa omazikamisiro nomatwako we nomutima nomuinyo we auhe, nu ma yenenisa omambo womerikutiropamwe otja tji ya tjangwa mEmbo ndi. 32 Eye wa tjita ovandu va Benjamin na ngamwa auhe ngwa ri mOjerusalem, ve kwizike kutja mave ṱakama momerikutiropamwe nga. Novandu va Jerusalem va kara nonḓuviro komambo womerikutiropamwe ngu va tjitire na Ndjambi wooihe mukururume. 33 Ombara Josija wa nyona oviserekarera avihe oviyaukise vyovisenginina mbya ri mehi arihe rotjiwaṋa tja Israel, nu ngunda a ri nomuinyo wa kondja tjinene kutja otjiwaṋa tji karere Muhona, Ndjambi wooihe mukururume.
