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.
8. In the eighteenth year of Josiah's rule in Judah, after he had got rid of 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.”