1. Josiah was eight years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled in Jerusalem for 31 years. His mother was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah, from the town of Bozkath.
2. Josiah did what was pleasing to the Lord; he followed the example of his ancestor King David, strictly obeying all the laws of God.
3. In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent the court secretary Shaphan, the son of Azaliah and grandson of Meshullam, to the Temple with the order:
4. “Go to the High Priest Hilkiah and get a report on the amount of money that the priests on duty at the entrance to the Temple have collected from the people.
5. Tell him to give the money to the men who are in charge of the repairs in the Temple. They are to pay
6. the carpenters, the builders, and the masons, and buy the timber and the stones used in the repairs.
7. The men in charge of the work are thoroughly honest, so there is no need to require them to account for the funds.”