1. Josiah was eight years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled thirty-one years from Jerusalem. His mother Jedidah was the daughter of Adaiah from Bozkath.
2. Josiah always obeyed the Lord, just as his ancestor David had done.
3. After Josiah had been king for eighteen years, he told Shaphan, one of his highest officials:Go to the Lord's temple
4. and ask Hilkiah the high priest to collect from the guards all the money that the people have donated.
5. Tell Hilkiah to give it to the men supervising the repairs to the temple. They can use some of the money to pay
6. the workers, and with the rest of it they can buy wood and stone for the repair work.
7. They are honest, so we won't ask them to keep track of the money.
8. While Shaphan was at the temple, Hilkiah handed him a book and said, “Look what I found here in the temple—The Book of God's Law.”Shaphan read it,
9. then went back to Josiah and reported, “Your officials collected the money in the temple and gave it to the men supervising the repairs.
10. But there's something else, Your Majesty. The priest Hilkiah gave me this book.” Then Shaphan read it out loud.
11. When Josiah heard what was in The Book of God's Law, he tore his clothes in sorrow.